Prevalence and factors associated with under nutrition among HIV-exposed uninfected children aged 6 to 18 months in Bushenyi District
| dc.contributor.author | Kumbowi Kumbakulu Patrick | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-08-27T08:33:16Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-08-27T08:33:16Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2021-10 | |
| dc.description | A research dissertation submitted to the Directorate of Research and Postgraduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Medicine in Pediatrics and Child Health of Kampala International University | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background: HIV-exposed children are vulnerable to undernutrition. Knowledge of feeding practices, prevalence and factors associated with undernutrition among HIV-exposed uninfected children remains the mainstay to elaborate efficient strategies, which can help to reduce the burden of undernutrition among this vulnerable group. Methods: This was a cross sectional, descriptive and analytical study to determine the prevalence, feeding practices and factors associated with undernutrition among HIV-exposed uninfected children aged 6 to 18 months in Bushenyi District, Uganda. The study involved 245 mother-child pairs in four antiretroviral treatment clinics from May to June 2021. Questionnaire interviews were used to obtain socio-demographic, medical, and dietary factors data. A digital weighing scale, stadiometer and mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) tape were used to measure body weight, length, and MUAC of participants respectively. Undernutrition was defined by either a length-for-age or a weight-for-length or a weight-for-age below -2 SD of the 2006 World Health Organization growth standards for stunting, wasting and underweight respectively. Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS 27.0 statistics for windows. The prevalence of undernutrition and feeding practices indicators were determined as proportions, whereas binary logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with undernutrition. A p-value <0.05 was considered for statistical significance at multivariable level. Results: Of the 245 participants, 43(17.6%) had undernutrition. The prevalence of stunting, wasting and underweight was 11%, 5.3% and 6.5% respectively. Most study participants 235(95.9%) were initiated on breastfeeding during their first hour of life, and 215(87.8%) were exclusively breastfed for 6 months. However, 93(38%) of study participant did not receive an acceptable meal frequency and 188 (76.7%) did not have an acceptable dietary diversity score during the last 24 hours. The mean dietary diversity score was 2.9±0.4, 2.7±0.8, 2.6±0.5, and 2.6±0.6 for study participants with normal nutritional status, stunting, wasting, and underweight respectively. Only 4(4%) continued breastfeeding after 1 year of age. Among HIV-positive mothers, 108(78.4 %) had ever been advised on feeding practices. Factors that were significantly associated with undernutrition included young age of the mother (aOR=2.51, 95% CI: 1.12-5.62, p=0.024), low birth weight (aOR=2.85, 95% CI: 1.12-7.23, p=0.028), child’s history of illness in the past two weeks (aOR=1.84, 95% CI: 1.04-5.53, p=0.039), maternal viral load of ≥ 1000 copies/μL (aOR=3.4, 95% CI: 1.13-10.19, p=0.029) and maternal undernutrition (aOR=9.35, 95% CI: 1.99-13.69, p=0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence of undernutrition among HIV-exposed uninfected children (6-18 months) in Bushenyi district was relatively low. The study revealed a high exclusive breastfeeding rate in the first 6 months, which may have offered a protective effect. On the other hand, complementary feeding practices were poor with regards to frequency and diversity. This study demonstrates the need for routine nutritional assessment of HIV-exposed uninfected children, especially those presenting with these risk factors | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12493/14955 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kampala International University | |
| dc.title | Prevalence and factors associated with under nutrition among HIV-exposed uninfected children aged 6 to 18 months in Bushenyi District | |
| dc.type | Thesis |