title: Stability of infant and child feeding index over time and its association with nutritional status of HIV exposed infants in Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia: a longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even though many studies showed that infant and child feeding index has a statistically significant association with nutritional status, there is paucity of studies on stability of infant and child feeding index over time and its association with nutritional status of HIV exposed infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate the stability of infant and child feeding index over time that is developed based on the current recommendations and its association with nutritional status of HIV exposed infants in Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A panel study design was conducted in health institutions in Sidama Zone from February to July, 2012. Three repeated measurements of data were collected from each HIV exposed infant aged 6-17 months over the 6 month follow-up period approximately per 2 month interval.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cross-sectional index was found stable overtime with the repeatability coefficient of 0.802 which differed significantly from zero (95% CI: 0.75-0.85). A longitudinal infant and child feeding index (L-ICFI) has a statistically significant association with length for age Z scores (LAZ) and weight for age Z scores (WAZ) at visit three (β=0.262, p=0.007; β=0.226, p=0.017), respectively. But the longitudinal index has no statistically significant association with WLZ score (p=0.552). There was no significant difference in change of LAZ and WAZ over time between L-ICFI tertiles for both female and male HIV exposed infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The index is stable overtime at individual level even though one third of the index components were not stable. The L-CFI was associated with LAZ and WAZ but not with WLZ. However there was no significant difference in change of HAZ and WAZ over time between L-ICFI tertiles for both female and male HIV exposed infants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Madawalabu University, Ethiopia. Electronic address: demewozhaile@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Demewoz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haile
authors.affiliation: Population and Family Health Department, College of Public Health and Medical Sciences, Jimma University, Ethiopia. Electronic address: teferabelachew@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tefera
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Belachew
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Human Nutrition, School of Nutrition, Food Science and Technology , Hawassa University, Ethiopia. Electronic address: geteneshbt@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Getenesh
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Berhanu
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia. Electronic address: tesfayesetegn@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Tesfaye
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Setegn
authors.affiliation: Independent Public Health Consultants, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Electronic address: sibhatu2005@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sibhatu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biadgilign
mesh_terms: D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D001942:Breast Feeding; D004032:Diet; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Ethiopia; HIV exposed infants; Infant and child feeding index; Stability