Suchergebnisse

This article discusses the choice of methodology I had when conducting research on the university-enterprise collaboration (UEC) in the Vietnamese context. As I am more interested in how best to address the research problems rather than in the politics of methodology, the discussion in this paper will not focus on the differences between the two dominant approaches to educational research (qualitative and quantitative). Rather, this paper will discuss my way to approach the problems in order to find the best possible answers for the research questions. In this study, pragmatic approach was employed to develop a rich, contextualized understanding of underlying values, beliefs and assumptions that guide actions. This was done by a two phases research study: quantitative surveys focusing primarily on revealing current UEC situation, its obstacles and solutions were used first, then the qualitative interviews were followed to explore in depth why those obstacles existed and how feasible the solutions were - this was also the goal of this study. The focus on the second phase – to discuss the most meaningful and revealing issues related to the local issued of UEC, ultimately, helped me produce more meaningful study outcomes. Keywords: qualitative; mixed methods; pragmatism; constructivism; university-enterprise collaboration; Vietnam.

This article characterizes the health risk perceptions toward excreta and wastewater management practices among waste management stakeholders in Vietnam and explores the implications of such perceptions on hygiene behaviors and preventative actions. Key informant interviews (n = 19; 12 women and 7 men) were conducted with farmers, community leaders, researchers, and government representatives in Hanoi and Ha Nam Province. Interviews were audio-recorded with permission, transcribed, and analyzed using a constant comparative method and qualitative thematic analysis. Researchers and government representatives perceived that the lack of knowledge of safe waste management practices among farmers was responsible for the use of "outdated" and often "unsafe" waste management practices. However, many farmers were aware of the health risks and safe hygienic practices but felt that safety measures were impractical and viewed susceptibility to diseases as low risk. Farmers also identified unfavorable climate and working conditions, limited financial capacity, and limited farm space as barriers to adopting safe management practices. At the broader level, inadequate communication between ministries often led to the creation of inconsistent waste management regulations. These barriers create constraints on efforts to improve sustainable waste management practices. Promoting collaboration between sectors, encouraging farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, and designing and implementing risk communication strategies that account for risk perceptions of stakeholders are recommended.

This article characterizes the health risk perceptions toward excreta and wastewater management practices among waste management stakeholders in Vietnam and explores the implications of such perceptions on hygiene behaviors and preventative actions. Key informant interviews (n = 19 ; 12 women and 7 men) were conducted with farmers, community leaders, researchers, and government representatives in Hanoi and Ha Nam Province. Interviews were audio-recorded with permission, transcribed, and analyzed using a constant comparative method and qualitative thematic analysis. Researchers and government representatives perceived that the lack of knowledge of safe waste management practices among farmers was responsible for the use of &ldquo ; outdated&rdquo ; and often &ldquo ; unsafe&rdquo ; waste management practices. However, many farmers were aware of the health risks and safe hygienic practices but felt that safety measures were impractical and viewed susceptibility to diseases as low risk. Farmers also identified unfavorable climate and working conditions, limited financial capacity, and limited farm space as barriers to adopting safe management practices. At the broader level, inadequate communication between ministries often led to the creation of inconsistent waste management regulations. These barriers create constraints on efforts to improve sustainable waste management practices. Promoting collaboration between sectors, encouraging farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, and designing and implementing risk communication strategies that account for risk perceptions of stakeholders are recommended.

Food-borne disease (FBD) is a major public health issue in low income countries of South East Asia including Vietnam and Laos. The contamination of popular foods can occur all along the food value chain. Evidence on the burden of FBD is still limited but the risk is expected to be high due to poor food hygiene practices, missing incentives to change them, risky con-sumption habits and poor enforcement of existing legislation. We will present two case studies conducted since 2015 for Vietnam and Laos. For Vietnam the research included risk assess-ments (qualitative and quantitative, QMRA) of food safety hazards along the pork value chain (Salmonella and chemical) targeting Hung Yen and Nghe An province while for Laos the focus was on parasitic FBD (trichinella) in communities of Savannahkhet and Champasak provinces. Nearly half of collected pork market samples (N=217) in Hung Yen and Nghe An (Vietnam) were contaminated with salmonella and a QMRA concluded that 1–2 pork consumers from ten are at risk to suffer from salmonella related FBD while the chemical risk was low. Results for Savannahkhet (Laos) indicate 18 % seropositity for trichinella antibodies in pigs (N=417), results for Champasak (N=304) are currently analysed. Both case studies were implemented by interdisciplinary research teams. In both studies focus was given on policy engagement (national and lower). In Vietnam this was facilitated through an established taskforce for food safety risk assessment, an alignment with a Word Bank funded national food safety assessment initiative and the national food safety working group which included various stakeholders and groups. For Laos a unique cross-sectoral ministerial platform has been established consisting of 6 ministries (agriculture, health, trade, defense, communication and tourism) which advised on community based interventions (e.g. awareness campaigns). Steps towards successful policy and multi-ministry engagement will be presented and discussed.

This study used the Australian Environmental Health Risk Assessment Framework to assess the human health risk of dioxin exposure through foods for local residents in two wards of Bien Hoa City, Vietnam. These wards are known hot-spots for dioxin and a range of stakeholders from central government to local levels were involved in this process. Publications on dioxin characteristics and toxicity were reviewed and dioxin concentrations in local soil, mud, foods, milk and blood samples were used as data for this risk assessment. A food frequency survey of 400 randomly selected households in these wards was conducted to provide data for exposure assessment. Results showed that local residents who had consumed locally cultivated foods, especially fresh water fish and bottom-feeding fish, free-ranging chicken, duck, and beef were at a very high risk, with their daily dioxin intake far exceeding the tolerable daily intake recommended by the WHO. Based on the results of this assessment, a multifaceted risk management program was developed and has been recognized as the first public health program ever to have been implemented in Vietnam to reduce the risks of dioxin exposure at dioxin hot-spots.

Introduction: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the frontline of COVID-19 control and prevention but also are high-risk groups for COVID-19 infection. The low level of knowledge and negative attitudes toward COVID-19 among HCWs can lead to inappropriate responding, wrong diagnoses, and poor practices for prevention. This research aims to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding COVID-19 prevention and factors influencing the practices among HCWs in Daklak province, Vietnam. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 963 HCWs working at district health centers and commune health stations through an online survey. Results: Overall, HCWs have good knowledge (91.3%), a positive attitude (71.5%), and appropriate practice (83.1%) regarding COVID-19 prevention. There was 89.6% of HCWs facing difficulties in practicing preventive measures such as felt difficult to change their habits (56.4%), insufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) (40.0%), and inconvenience to practice preventive measures (14.4%). The factors associated with implementing good practices are age group, residence, and knowledge about COVID-19. Recommendation: The Daklak Department of Health should provide additional training programs and guidelines about COVID-19 prevention and PPE for HCWs. More studies on risk and protective factors, and assessment about KAP regarding COVID-19 prevention at the post of the pandemic are needed.

This paper explores the maintenance of livelihoods under climate, environmental, and economic development pressures, through the case of Thang Binh District in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Within widespread recognition of the need to link sustainable livelihoods approaches with climate change adaptation, there is growing awareness of the importance of people-centered approaches which keep the diverse experience, capabilities, and knowledges of the most vulnerable at the heart of sustainable livelihoods thinking. In response, this paper explores the conditions for changes in modes of livelihoods in a case study area where top-down strategies for sustainable livelihoods are met with residents' diverse experiences of vulnerability, and where climate and environmental changes shape residents' relations with the landscape. The research is undertaken via interviews with residents, farmers/fishers, and local government officials. Our study finds that whilst government-led initiatives for sustainable livelihoods are welcomed in the locality, inflexible policies can make it challenging for the most vulnerable people to access support. Moreover, residents see the capacity to live with and respond to extreme weather events as a critical component of maintaining a sustainable livelihood. Our findings reinforce international literature, showing that 'the poor' are not a homogenous category, and illustrate the importance of attention to the smallest levels of government who are tasked with putting sustainable livelihoods initiatives into practice in relation to people's daily lives.

This paper explores the maintenance of livelihoods under climate, environmental and economic development pressures, through the case of Thang Binh District in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam. Within widespread recognition of the need to link sustainable livelihoods approaches with climate change adaptation, there is growing awareness of the importance of people-centered approaches which keep the diverse experience, capabilities and knowledges of the most vulnerable at the heart of sustainable livelihoods thinking. In response, this paper explores the conditions for changes in modes of livelihoods in a case study area where top-down strategies for sustainable livelihoods are met with residents' diverse experiences of vulnerability, and where climate and environmental changes shape residents' relations with the landscape. The research is undertaken via interviews with residents, farmers/fishers and local government officials. Our study finds that whilst government-led initiatives for sustainable livelihoods are welcomed in the locality, inflexible policies can make it challenging for the most vulnerable people to access support. Moreover, residents see the capacity to live with and respond to extreme weather events as a critical component of maintaining a sustainable livelihood. Our findings reinforce international literature showing that 'the poor' are not a homogenous category, and illustrate the importance of attention to the smallest levels of government who are tasked with putting sustainable livelihoods initiatives into practice in relation to people's daily lives.