The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #46998

Diana Santillan, MA¹, Sidney Schuler, PhD², Hoang Tu Anh, MD, MS³, Ha Viet Dong, MD³, Tran Hung Minh, MD, MS³, and Pham Vu Thien, MD, MS³. (1) Center for Applied Behavioral and Evaluation Research, Empowerment of Women Research Program, Academy for Educational Development, 1825 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20009, (703) 528-7474, dsantill@jsi.com, (2) Empowerment of Women Research Program, JSI Research & Training Institute, 1616 N. Fort Myer Drive, 11th floor, Arlington, VA 22209, (3) Consultation for Investment in Health Promotion, No 34 - Path 178 - Thai Ha, Hanoi, Vietnam

The convergence of Confucian and Communist ideologies in Vietnam fosters conflicting values and attitudes, with respect to gender norms and family relations. Confucianism characterizes man as "king" in his roles as father and husband, while Communist ideologies underscore equality between men and women. This paper investigates how these cultural values and attitudes affect reproductive health in Vietnam. A qualitative study was carried out from mid-1999 to mid- 2001. Research methods included in-depth, semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with men and women in four rural communes in northern Vietnam. Findings showed that the cultural values and attitudes in Vietnam influence various aspects of gender norms and reproductive health, in some ways promoting, and in other ways creating barriers for, women's empowerment and gender equity. The persistence of traditional gender norms affected reproductive decision-making, women's responses to reproductive health problems, couple communication, and sexual negotiation. The results of this exploratory study were used to develop a structured survey of 400 married Vietnamese men and women under the age of 35. The survey, carried out in January 2002, examines the links between gender norms and reproductive health in Vietnam by testing two hypotheses: 1) women who are more empowered in social and economic spheres are also more empowered in reproductive health, and 2) women whose husbands express gender-equitable attitudes are more likely to be empowered in reproductive health than women whose husbands believe in male superiority and dominance. Findings from this quantitative analysis will complement the qualitative evidence presented in the paper.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, the participant will be able to

• Identify how contradictory cultural values and attitudes affect gender norms in Vietnam,
• Describe how gender norms affect reproductive health in Vietnam

Keywords: Gender, Vietnam

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.