Condo JU, Gage A, Mock N, Rice J, Greiner T. Sex differences in nutritional status of HIV-exposed children in Rwanda: a longitudinal study.
Trop Med Int Health 2014;
20:17-23. [PMID:
25345559 DOI:
10.1111/tmi.12406]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To examine sex differences in nutritional status in relation to feeding practices over time in a cohort of HIV-exposed children participating in a complementary feeding programme in Rwanda.
METHODS
We applied a longitudinal design with three measurements 2-3 months apart among infants participating in a complementary feeding programme who were 6-12 months old at baseline. Using early feeding practices and a composite infant and child feeding index (ICFI) as indicators of dietary patterns, we conducted a multivariate analysis using a cross-sectional time series to assess sex differences in nutritional status and to determine whether there was a link to discrepancies in dietary patterns.
RESULTS
Among 222 boys and 258 girls, the mean (±SD) Z-score of stunting, wasting and underweight was -2.01 (±1.59), -0.15 (±1.46), -1.19 (±1.29) for boys; for girls they were -1.46 (±1.56), 0.22 (±1.29), -0.63 (±1.19); all sex differences in all three indicators were statistically significant (P < 0.001). However, there were only minor differences in early feeding practices and none in the ICFI by sex.
CONCLUSIONS
HIV-exposed male children may be at higher risk of malnutrition in low-resource setting countries than their female counterparts. However, at least in a setting where complementary foods are being provided, explanations may lie outside the sphere of dietary patterns.
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