Abstract:
Introduction: malnutrition and HIV/AIDS are interconnected in a vicious circle, while HIV infection heightens vulnerability to malnutrition; malnutrition on the other hand degrades the immune system and heightens vulnerability to HIV transmission risk and disease progression. In order to get the targets of MDGs goal that aims to reduce malnutrition and child mortality, responsible bodies like governments and policymakers should address nutritional status of children particularly in those infected by HIV/AIDS.
Objectives: to assess prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among HIV positive children aged 6-59 months at Gondar university hospital, North Gondar.
Method : institution based cross-sectional study was conducted on 142 HIV positive children aged 6-59 months in the paediatric ART clinic at Gondar referral hospital, North west Ethiopia. Data was collected from patient chart review using a structured questionnaire. Data were processed using Epi-info software and exported to SPSS for analysis. Logistic regression analysis were used to determine the effect of factors on the variables representing malnutrition (height for age, weight for age and weight for height0 and to control confounders.
Result: 142 cases of HIV infected children were included and out of which the prevalence of malnutrition was 40.8% underweight, 46.5% stunted, and 31.7% wasted. Regression analysis shows that the significant associated factors of malnutrition were child age, residency, exclusive breast feeding, bottle feeding, family size, and birth order, and opportunistic infections, level of CD4 percentage, ART, and parental marital status.
Conclusion: From the findings of this study, it is concluded that malnutrition is still an important problem among HIV infected children aged 6-59 months. I recommend nutritional management and dietary counselling to improve the nutritional status of HIV infected children on the subsequent follow up in the paediatric ART clinic.
