title: Nutritional status of under-five children in HIV-affected households in western Kenya.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Households affected by HIV/AIDS are at an increased risk for food insecurity and malnutrition. Poor nutrition contributes to more than a third of all deaths associated with infectious diseases among children under 5 years of age in developing countries. With increased household food insecurity, and a greater disease burden associated with HIV/AIDS, the growth of children under five could be impacted, resulting in increased malnutrition for this vulnerable group.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether there is an association between the type of household (HIV-affected compared with HIV-unaffected) and the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age residing in these households.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was set in a Millennium Village Project site in western Kenya and used a cross-sectional design to compare the stunting, wasting, and underweight status among 102 and 99 under-five children living in HIV-affected and -unaffected households, respectively. Height-for-age, weight-for-age, and weight-for-age z-scores were calculated based on the World Health Organization growth standards and compared. Proportions, means, and standard deviations were used to describe the data. The data were analyzed with the use of the chi-square test for comparison of proportions and the independent t-test for comparison of means.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children in HIV-affected households had a significantly higher degree of stunting (height-for-age < -2 SD) than children in unaffected households (25.5% vs. 9.1%, p = .002). The degree of wasting and underweight did not differ significantly between HIV-affected and -unaffected households.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Residing in HIV-affected households is associated with stunting in children under 5 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutrition, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia 30302-3995, USA. mndirangu@gsu.edu
authors.forename: Murugi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndirangu
authors.forename: James O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Wariero
authors.forename: Sonia Ehrlich
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Sachs
authors.forename: Peninah
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Masibo
authors.forename: Richard J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Deckelbaum
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D054540:Child, Orphaned; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D019049:Developed Countries; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D015658:HIV Infections; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D019282:Wasting Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology