Risk Factors for Anxiety Disorders among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Vietnam

Objectives: To describe the prevalence of anxiety disorders among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Vietnam and associated risk factors. Method: This is a cross-sectional study design, using the snowball sampling method to recruit participants. This study used the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale (GAD-7) to measure anxiety disorders. Other variables including socio-demographics and risk behaviors (diet, use of electronic devices, type of device used before sleep, sexual behavior in the past 30 days, condom use) were included in the questionnaire. Descriptive analysis and univariate, multivariate logistic regressions were performed. Results: In total, 224 participants were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 26.3 years (SD= 4.7). Twenty-one percent of MSM reported having a poor diet. MSM participants mainly use 1-2 electronic devices before bed (67.4%), of which mobile phones are the most commonly used devices (80.8%). Three-quarters of the study participants had anxiety disorders (71.0%), of which 20.6% of them having moderate to severe anxiety disorders. Findings indicated that anxiety disorders were associated with poor diet (OR= 8.3; 95% CI= 2.5 – 27.0 and AOR= 8.8; 95% CI= 2.4 – 29.1). Conclusion: Anxiety disorders are prevalent among the MSM population in Vietnam. Particularly, poor diet quality is associated with an increased risk of anxiety disorders in this population. We recommend developing healthy diet promotion activities, together with tailored and MSM-friendly integrated psychological counseling and interventions for the MSM population. Keywords: Anxiety, mental health, men who have sex with men (MSM).