Living Together with Chronic Disease: Informal Support for Diabetes Management in Vietnam Phase II: Gestational Diabetes in Vietnam (VALID II)
The second phase of a project on everyday lives with diabetes in Vietnam investigates how pregnant women and their families live with gestational diabetes. Based on the research, an intervention is developed to help women with gestational diabetes practice self-care during their pregnancies.
The intervention research project ‘Gestational Diabetes in Vietnam (VALID II)’ is the second phase of the project, ‘Living Together with Chronic Disease: Informal Support for Diabetes Management in Vietnam’.
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a transitory form of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy, puts both mother and child at risk. GDM increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and birth and of developing type 2 diabetes later in life for both mother and child. Knowledge of GDM in Vietnam is limited and the magnitude of the problem is unknown.
VALID II aims to provide new knowledge and new solutions to health and life problems posed by GDM in Vietnam. Results from VALID I show that the informal support people with diabetes receive from family members plays a key role in shaping their lives with the disease. Therefore, informal support is also in focus when examining how pregnant women and their families respond to a GDM diagnosis.
The project includes co-creation of a self-care intervention developed with a view to local conditions while also holding potential for national scale-up.
The project is conducted in Vietnam’s Thai Binh province as an academic partnership between Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy (TBUMP) and the Universities of Copenhagen (UCPH) and Southern Denmark (SDU).
The project is carried out in close collaboration with the Danish-Vietnamese Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) project: Strengthening the Frontline Grassroots Health Worker: Prevention and Management of NCDs at the Primary Health Care Level, with Novo Nordisk as private sector partner. In Thai Binh, the project collaborates with Thai Binh Maternity Hospital and Kim Ngan Clinic.
Starting in February 2023, VALID II researchers have conducted field research among pregnant women and their families in Thai Binh province, combining ethnographic, epidemiological, and clinical research approaches. The research is ongoing.
Based on insights from the ethnographic research and the VALID II co-creation workshop in May 2023, VALID II researchers have developed the digital “Healthy Pregnancy” intervention for women with GDM. Combining peer support and professional guidance, the intervention aims to strengthen the women’s self-care capacities. The intervention runs from March 2024 to August 2025 with the participation of nearly 200 pregnant women with GDM.
Educational materials developed for the intervention (in Vietnamese and English).
ARTICLES IN INTERNATIONAL JOURNALS
Ai Thi Nguyen, Kien Dang Nguyen, Hieu Minh Le, Thanh D. Nguyen, Dan W, Meyrowitsch, Ib C. Bygbjerg, Jens Søndergaard, Hanh T. T. Nguyen, Christina A. Vinter, Ditte S. Linde, Tine M. Gammeltoft & Vibeke rasch (2024) “Social support and symptoms of antenatal depression among women screened for gestational diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study in Northern Vietnam (the VALID II study)” in PLoS ONE 19(12). The article is open access.
Tine M. Gammeltoft, Thi Ai Nguyen, Thi Kim Dung Vu, Ngoc-Anh Thi Dang, Thi Minh Phuong Nguyen, Van Tien Nguyen & Ib C. Bygbjerg (2024) “The pioneers of Vietnam’s epidemiological transition: an ethnographic study of pregnant women’s experiences of gestational diabetes” in Global Health Action, Vol. 17 (1). The article is open access.
ARTICLES IN VIETNAMESE ACADEMIC JOURNALS
Nguyễn Thị Minh Phương, Vũ Thị Kim Dung, Nguyễn Thị Ái1, Đặng Thị Ngọc Anh, Nguyễn Văn Tiến, Tine M. Gammeltoft (2024) "SỰ HỖ TRỢ CỦA CHỒNG KHI VỢ MẮC ĐÁI THÁO ĐƯỜNG THAI KÌ: MỘT NGHIÊN CỨU ĐỊNH TÍNH" in Vietnam Journal of Preventive Medicine 34(2). The article is open access.
Vũ Thị Kim Dung, Nguyễn Thị Ái, Đặng Ngọc Anh, Nguyễn Minh Phương, Nguyễn Văn Tiến & Tine M. Gammeltoft (2024) "PHẢN ỨNG CỦA THAI PHỤ VÀ GIA ĐÌNH KHI THAI PHỤ CHẨN ĐOÁN MẮC ĐÁI THÁO ĐƯỜNG THAI KỲ: NGHIÊN CỨU ĐỊNH TÍNH TẠI TỈNH THÁI BÌNH" in Vietnam Medical Journal 541(1). The article is open access.
Nguyễn Thị Ái, Nguyễn Văn Tiến, Vũ Thị Kim Dung, Đặng Thị Ngọc Anh, Nguyễn Thị Minh Phương & Tine M. Gammeltoft (2024) "NHỮNG KHÓ KHĂN CỦA THAI PHỤ GẶP PHẢI TRONG CUỘC SỐNG HÀNG NGÀY KHI SỐNG VỚI BỆNH ĐÁI THÁO ĐƯỜNG THAI KỲ: NGHIÊN CỨU ĐỊNH TÍNH TẠI TỈNH THÁI BÌNH" in Vietnam Journal of Preventive Medicine 34(2). The article is open access.
Nguyễn Văn Tiến, Tine M. Gammeltoft, Ib C. Bygbjerg, Nguyễn Thị Ái, Vũ Thị Kim Dung, Đặng Thị Ngọc Anh, Nguyễn Thị Minh Phương (2024) "Những trải nghiệm của phụ nữ mắc đái tháo đường thai kỳ trong việc sử dụng mạng xã hội để tự chăm sóc sức khỏe ở miền Bắc, Việt Nam: Một nghiên cứu định tính" in Vietnam Journal of Public Health 67. The article is open access.
KICK-OFF WORKSHOP
The project’s kick-off workshop was held on December 8, 2022 with the participation of all involved institutions, the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam, and the World Diabetes Foundation.
FIELD RESEARCH LAUNCH
After piloting in December 2022 and January 2023, the project’s questionnaire research was launched on February 1, 2023 at Thai Binh Maternity Hospital and Kim Ngan Clinic. Ethnographic research with pregnant women and their families began in April 2023.
SHORT COURSES AND TEAM MEETINGS
To enhance research capacity, several short courses have been held, co-taught by Vietnamese and Danish lecturers. Short courses include “Data quality in public health research” (December 2022); “How to prepare a data set prior to analysis” (March 2023); “Ethnographic research at the intersection between NCDs and reproductive health” (April 2023); “Co-creation for health” (May 2023); “GDM and antenatal care” (October 2023); “How to write an academic article” (February 2024); “Analyzing quantative data” (planned for April 2025); “AI in research” (planned for June 2025); and “Analyzing qualitative data” (planned for September 2025). All short courses are combined with team meetings exploring the short course topic at issue.
CO-CREATION WORKSHOP
In May 2023, a participatory design workshop gathered pregnant women and their husbands, healthcare providers, and researchers to co-create the VALID II “Health Pregnancy” pilot intervention.
STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP
On October 12, 2023, a stakeholder workshop was held at Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy with the participation of local health authorities, health care providers, mass organizations, journalists, and researchers. At the workshop, preliminary findings and project plans were shared and discussed with stakeholders.
WRITING RETREAT
In December 2024, the VALID II team held a cross-disciplinary writing retreat in Ninh Binh, Vietnam with the participation of seven researchers from Danish universities and eight researchers from Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy.
Researchers
| Name | Title | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Search in Name | Search in Title | Search in Phone | |
| Bygbjerg, Ib Christian | Emeritus | +4535327835 | |
| Gammeltoft, Tine Mette | Professor | +4535323474 | |
| Meyrowitsch, Dan Wolf | Associate Professor | +4535327174 | |
| Nielsen, Jannie | Associate Professor | +4535331262 |
Funded by:
The project has received funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark and Novo Nordisk A/S
Project: VALID II - Living Together with Chronic Disease: Informal Support for Diabetes Management in Vietnam Phase II: Gestational Diabetes in Vietnam
Period: December 2022 to November 2026
Phase I: VALID I - Living Together with Chronic Disease: Informal Support for Diabetes Management in Vietnam
Contact
Professor Tine Gammeltoft
Department of Anthropology
Mail: tine.gammeltoft@anthro.ku.dk
Phone: +45 35 32 34 74
Mobile: +45 61 86 08 83
External members:
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Professor Jens Søndergaard | Research Unit of General Practice, University of Southern Denmark |
| Dr Nguyen Xuan Bai | Vice-Rector at Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy |
| Dr Nguyen Duc Thanh | Head of International Department at Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy |
| Professor Vibeke Rasch | Research unit of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Department of Clinical Research, OUH |
| Associate Professor Christina Anne Vinter | Research unit of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Department of Clinical Research, OUH |
| Associate Professor Ditte Søndergaard Linde | Research unit of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Department of Clinical Research, OUH |