Thái độ và thực hành về dinh dưỡng của người dân Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh: Nghiên cứu cắt ngang

Nutrition plays a critical role in human health, serving as a cornerstone for physical development and a key factor in mitigating the risk of various chronic diseases. In an increasingly urbanized world, understanding the public's nutritional attitudes and practices is paramount, especially in rapidly developing metropolises like Ho Chi Minh City. Despite the growing burden of non-communicable diseases linked to dietary habits, comprehensive studies focusing on the urban population's specific nutritional challenges remain limited. This research aims to fill that gap by investigating the current nutrition-related attitudes and practices among residents in Ho Chi Minh City, providing valuable insights for public health interventions.

Public health professionals, policymakers, nutritionists, healthcare providers, and researchers interested in urban health and nutrition behaviors in Vietnam, particularly Ho Chi Minh City.

The increasing prevalence of chronic non-communicable diseases globally underscores the critical importance of understanding community nutrition. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the nutrition-related attitudes and practices among 953 residents of Ho Chi Minh City. Conducted in March 2024, the research employed an online questionnaire to gather data. Nutritional attitudes were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale, while practices were measured with a four-level scale. Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests with Bootstrap resampling, were utilized to determine significant associations. Key findings revealed that a significant majority (59.8%) of participants accessed nutrition information primarily through social networks or the Internet. While the average attitude score towards nutrition was relatively good (2.9/4), the average practice score was notably lower, indicating average to poor nutrition practices (1.6/3.0). The study identified several demographic factors, such as age, gender, occupation, and place of residence, as significant influences on both nutritional attitudes and practices. Marital status and an inherent interest in healthy food were also found to specifically impact attitudes. The findings highlight a disparity between knowledge/attitude and actual behavior, suggesting that despite generally positive attitudes, practical application of healthy nutrition principles remains a challenge in this urban population. These insights are crucial for developing targeted public health interventions to improve nutrition practices and combat chronic diseases in Ho Chi Minh City.