BackgroundApproximately 1. 07 million people in Vietnam are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). To address this epidemic, the South East Asian Research Collaborative in Hepatitis (SEARCH) launched a 600-patient cohort study and two clinical trials, both investigating shortened treatment strategies for chronic HCV infection with direct-acting antiviral drugs. We conducted ethnographic research with a subset of trial participants and found that the majority were aware of HCV infection and its implications and were motivated to seek treatment. However, people who inject drugs (PWID), and other groups at risk for HCV were under-represented, although injecting drug use is associated with high rates of HCV.Material and MethodsWe designed a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study to engage in dialogues surrounding HCV and other community-prioritized health issues with underserved groups at risk for HCV in Ho Chi Minh City. The project consists of three phases: situation analysis, CBPR implementation, and dissemination. In this paper, we describe the results of the first phase (i.e., the situation analysis) in which we conducted desk research and organized stakeholder mapping meetings with representatives from local non-government and community-based organizations where we used participatory research methods to identify and analyze key stakeholders working with underserved populations.ResultsTwenty six institutions or groups working with the key underserved populations were identified. Insights about the challenges and dynamics of underserved communities were also gathered. Two working groups made up of representatives from the NGO and CBO level were formed.DiscussionUsing the information provided by local key stakeholders to shape the project has helped us to build solid relationships, give the groups a sense of ownership from the early stages, and made the project more context specific. These steps are not only important preliminary steps for participatory studies but also for other research that takes place within the communities.

An increasing number of people, especially university students, are presenting Peter Pan Syndrome in society. Peter Pan Syndrome is a concept used to characterize the person who refuses to comply with the characteristics of the adult when reaching adulthood. The people with Peter Pan Syndrome are immature in emotion, behavior, and cognition. The main objective is to investigate the perception of Peter Pan Syndrome and the level of Peter Pan Syndrome among university students. Convenience sampling was used to collect data from 400 undergraduate students (186 males and 214 females) from three universities in Vietnam. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. The results revealed that the manifestations of Peter Pan Syndrome in students in three dimensions of emotion, behavior, and cognition. This study contributes to the general discussion underway about the definition of Peter Pan Syndrome and the symptoms of Peter Pan Syndrome. Future research should carefully consider the potential effects of Peter Pan Syndrome among undergraduate students to assist families and educators in developing appropriate education and coping strategies.

Child sexual abuse is currently a social condemnation in Vietnam (Giang, T. V., Nguyen, L. B. H. & Nguyen, P. N. L., 2016). Many educational programs on how to prevent and practice prevention skills against child sexual abuse have been introduced and gained some significant achievements. This article reports the findings on the results of piloting a skill handbook developed for primary students on how to prevent child sexual abuse. The prevention skills were designed as stories and situations. To determine the practicality and effectiveness of the handbook, we collected the opinions of 160 primary students, 35 primary teachers and experts in psychology and education in Ho Chi Minh city. Pilot results showed that 75.1% of the participating students believed that the handbook was “very good” and “good” For educational, experts and primary teachers, 28.6% rated the handbook to be very good and 71.4% to be good. Based on the results, further research has been suggested so that the handbook can be published for use in primary schools in Vietnam in the coming time.