Dietary Intake and Nutrition Status of HIV-infected Women in Kenya

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has become a serious health and development problem in sub-Saharan Africa. This is particularly true in Western Kenya where it exacerbates poverty by decreasing agricultural production, food and nutrition security especially in HIV/AIDS affected households. The purpose of this study was to assess dietary intake, health and nutrition status of HIV infected women attending patients support centers in Suba District.This was a cross-sectional where two patient support centers; Suba district hospital patient support Centre and Mbita health Centre patient support Centre were used to identify HIV infected women included in the study.There was no statistically significant relationship between morbidity and nutrition status; nutrition status and household food sharing dynamics, cultural beliefs and taboos at 0.05 level of significant among the HIV infected women attending patient support centers in Suba district. There is need to encourage and support good nutrition and proper health care support among the PLWHA. The study findings are useful in planning and implementing interventions that aim at improving health and nutrition status of HIV positive women.

Autorentext

Jane Naliaka Situma is an Assistant Lecturer at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.She is a registered nutritionist by profession,a researcher,national trainer and disaster management specialist. Jane has previously worked as a Provincial Nutrition Officer with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation in Rift Valley Province.