Vietnam 2026: knowledge and behaviors about microbiota

Summarizing Vietnam's results in the survey

In 2026, Vietnam consolidates its position as the benchmark country of the International Microbiota Observatory. Across every single indicator measured, awareness, understanding, behavioral change, HCP education, women’s health : Vietnam either leads or comes close to leading. This is the outcome of a healthcare system that treats microbiota education as a clinical priority, and a population that has absorbed that message into its daily health practices. In Vietnam, the data tells a consistent story: where HCPs educate, people act.

1. Vietnam leads the world on microbiota awareness

In 2026, Vietnamese survey participants show the highest level of microbiota awareness across all surveyed countries. 

93% of Vietnamese respondents have heard of the microbiota, the highest rate globally, 21 points above the global average of 72%. But what truly sets Vietnam apart is not the volume of this awareness: it is its breadth and its depth. Vietnamese respondents are familiar with every microbiota type measured in the study at rates that no other country matches. And 40% know exactly what the microbiota is: nearly double the global average of 24%.

Awareness that extends to every microbiota

Vietnam leads across all seven specific microbiota types measured in the study:

• 85% of respondents are aware of the oral microbiota (vs. 52% globally);
• 84% claimed to know the skin microbiota (vs. 50% globally); 
• 81% said they knew of the vaginal microbiota (vs. 51% globally);
• 81% also declared to be aware of the ENT microbiota (vs. 45% globally);
• 78% are aware of the urinary microbiota (vs. 46% globally); 
• 76% know the lung microbiota (vs. 44% globally).

Understanding that reflects genuine knowledge

Vietnamese awareness is not superficial. On the specific knowledge tests, Vietnam shows above-average accuracy:

• 82% of the respondents know diet has significant consequences on microbiota balance;
• 72% correctly link IBS, obesity, and vaginosis to the microbiota;
• 65% know the gut communicates essential information to the brain;
• Only 42% don't know that the microbiota is not located exclusively in the gut, one of  the lowest rates globally (vs. 51%).

Some gaps remain even in Vietnam, confirming that the most complex disease links are a challenge everywhere:

• 65% don't know the microbiota can influence how the body responds to cancer therapies;
• 75% don't know respiratory allergies can be linked to gut microbiota imbalance. 

2. Behavioral changes embedded in daily microbiota-friendly habits

In 2026, 85% of Vietnamese respondents have changed their habits to protect their microbiota, 2 points above the global average of 53%, and the highest rate of any country in the study. Behind that number is a shift in daily practice that no other country in the study has matched.

A consistent behavioral profile

Vietnam’s behavioral excellence is not limited to supplementation. It extends across every measured habit:

One area of nuance: showering frequency

One behavioral figure stands out as an exception to Vietnam’s otherwise strong profile. A significant proportion of Vietnamese respondents (79%), particularly women, report showering multiple times per day. Excessive showering can disrupt the skin microbiota.

This is a common pattern in Southeast Asian countries and may benefit from targeted, culturally appropriate education around skin microbiota protection.

3. Vietnamese HCPs are the most active educators on microbiota

The explanation for Vietnam’s exceptional profile across awareness, understanding, and behavioral change lies here: Vietnamese healthcare professionals are the most consistently active educators on microbiota of all 11 countries surveyed. On every single measure of HCP-transmitted education, Vietnam leads globally and often by a wide margin.

What Vietnamese HCPs cover in consultations

Vietnamese healthcare professionals address microbiota topics comprehensively, covering every dimension measured in the study:

The antibiotic prescription: a fully activated opportunity

Vietnam stands out on antibiotic-related microbiota education, where it leads all countries in the study:

• 68% of respondents were told by their HCP antibiotics could negatively affect their microbiota balance, the highest globally (vs. 39%);
• 2 in 3 were told about digestive disorders associated with antibiotics (vs. 45% globally);
• 66% received advice from their HCP on limiting the negative consequences on the microbiota (vs. 36% globally);
• Half received all key antibiotic-related microbiota information, the highest globally (vs. 25%).

4. The first 1,000 days: a concept largely known among Vietnamese parents

Vietnam leads all countries on first 1,000 days awareness: 70% of Vietnamese parents and pregnant women have heard of the concept (vs. 43% globally), and 1 in 4 know exactly what it means (vs. 15% globally).

Pediatric HCPs in Vietnam are the most active in the study: 51% of parents received all key information on the concept from their pediatrician (vs. 31% globally).

Some microbiota information could still be better relayed by HCPs in Vietnam

13% of parents know that the baby's microbiota does not start developing inside the mother's womb; (vs. 11% globally) — a gap that persists even in Vietnam, confirming this is the most universally unknown fact in the study.

Additionally, 54% don't know that the  gut microbiota does not become adult-like before age 5, better than the global average of 71%.

Finally, only 40% know that pet exposure during early life influences the gut microbiota (vs. 38% globally).

Methodology

The survey was conducted over the Internet between February 3 and Mars 13, 2026. For each country, the sample is representative of the population aged 18 and over in terms of :

• gender
• age
• profession
• region

Representativeness was ensured via quota sampling, the most commonly used sampling method for obtaining a representative sample of the population studied. The quota variables for each country were gender, age, region, and socio-professional category. The data were adjusted:

• within each country, again to ensure that each population is representative
• globally, so that each country has the same weight. Statistical analyses were carried out using Cosi software (M.L.I., France, 1994), with a significance level of 95%

The survey population was 48% male and 52% female. The sample of 7,500 individuals made it possible to carry out a detailed analysis by age group:

• 18-24
• 25-34
• 35-44
• 45-59
• 60 and over

The changes shown are year-over-year, that is, compared to the 3rd edition of the Observatory conducted in 2025. Changes relative to previous editions—the first and second editions—are shown on a constant scope basis, meaning they were calculated by considering only those countries included in all waves of the survey (namely the United States, Brazil, Mexico, France, Portugal, and China). Other countries, which were included in the Observatory’s second or third editions, are not included in the results presented on a constant scope basis. 

The questionnaire includes 24 questions on:

1. socio-demographic data
2. the level of knowledge about microbiomes
3. the level of and desire for information from healthcare professionals
4. the level of knowledge and information among parents and pregnant women regarding a child’s microbiome
5. the identification and adoption of behaviors designed to combat microbiome imbalances
6. the level of knowledge, information, and behaviors of women about the vulvo-vaginal microbiome
7. health data

The questionnaire lasted ten minutes and the 7,500 individuals had to complete the entire questionnaire in order to be included in the survey. The terms used in the questionnaire to talk about the microbiome have been translated and adapted to the terms used in each country.

BMI-26.42