Background: Evidence on the effects of nutritional interventions on gastrointestinal cancer patients receiving chemotherapy is not well documented. This study aims to assess the effects of nutritional intervention in patients diagnosed with stomach and colon cancer receiving chemotherapy in Vietnam. Methods: A quasi-experiment with intervention and control groups for pre- and post-intervention was carried out in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in a university hospital in Vietnam. Patients in the intervention group were provided nutritional counseling, personalized specific dietary advice, and received oral nutrition supplements (ONSs) while patients in the control group only received nutrition counseling. Results: The weight in the intervention and control group after 2 months increased significantly by 1.4 ± 2.6 kg and 0.4 ± 2.3 kg, respectively. Muscle mass increased by 1.2 ± 4.1 cm in the intervention group, while those in the control group decreased by 0.55 ± 2.77 cm. There was no statistical significance between two groups after intervention in terms of Mid–Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) and percentage of fat. The percentage of malnutrition based on the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and Body Mass Index (BMI) declined after the intervention in both groups. According to the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) using the propensity score matching and DiD method, participants receiving the intervention were more likely to have a higher score of weight (Coef = 0.84; 95%CI = 0.47; 2.16) and muscle mass (Coef = 1.08; 95%CI = 0.09; 2.06) between pre- and post-intervention. By contrast, the PG-SGA scores on treated participants were more likely to decrease after the intervention (Coef = −1.28; 95%CI = −4.39; −0.84). After matching, being female, living in rural areas, or having stomach cancer were still positively related to being moderately/severely malnourished by the PG-SGA, and these findings were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The nutritional interventions had a positive effect on weight gain, muscle mass, and reduced malnutrition. Further studies with a longer follow-up duration are needed to confirm the effects of the intervention.

Eating habits are a critical part of life because they can affect long - term health. A descriptive cross - sectional study was conducted on 1588 students aged 12 - 15 years in Hai Phong in May 2019 with indirect interview using self - administered questionnaire with questions regard the eating habits and food consumption frequency of some food groups. There were 29.6% of students reported that they skipped at least one meal a day. Breakfast was the most frequently skipped meal. Students aged 13 and 14, with parents’ occupations such as farmers, employees, and freelancers, and those whose Z-score BMI >+1 are statistically associated with skipping meals. Fruits and vegetables were food that likely to be consumed every days. Some students still consumed alcohol. There should be communication programs for parents, students, school to understand the benefit of having a healthy diet and consuming healthy food as well.

Vietnamese universities expect faculty to become more effective not only in teaching but also in research coordinating activities. However, there are some obstacles to research productivity, thus causing a low level of research outcomes. This study aims to explore the impact of institutional factors as well as personal career development factors on the research productivity of academic staff at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City). The analysis was conducted on a sample of 245 academic staff. Although respondents understood the importance of undertaking research and had a good attitude towards research, their research productivity was significantly affected by research experience, language barriers, and time spent on research. In addition, the research results clarified that the main factors that reduced the research productivity of academic staff were heavy teaching duties, lack of scholarly resources, and insufficient research funding. Furthermore, respondents emphasized that if they had better research funding, and regularly participated in academic meetings, they would have high research motivation which would ultimately increase their research productivity. The findings contribute to our understanding of research productivity in Vietnamese universities, which is useful for educational leaders.