Nutritional status of food consumption patterns of young children living in Western Uganda

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this pilot study was to compare the nutritional status and food consumption
patterns of children under five years.
Design: Quantitative, exploratory, cross sectional study.
Setting: Kabarole district, western Uganda. Kabarole district is a rural district with subsistence
farming as the main income.
Subjects: Two hundred and five children between 12 and 72 months of age living in AIDS affected
homes versus children living in non-AIDS affected homes were examined.
Results: Fifty-five percent of all children were stunted and 20.5% were underweight. There was no
difference in the prevalence of malnutrition between children living in AIDS affected homes versus
non-AIDS affected homes. Only children between 12-35 months suffered from a daily deficit in
caloric intake. The older children consumed the basic recommended daily intake (RDI) for protein,
fat, iron and vitamin A. Due to frequent disease episodes and limitations in the estimations of
individual total energy expenditure, the results are likely underestimations of the children's true
nutritional requirements. The type of foods given to children in AIDS affected homes and controls
were quite similar.
Conclusion: Young children in Kabarole district suffer from severe chronic malnutrition rates, but
rates and feeding patterns are not different in AIDS affected versus non AIDS affected homes.

The East African Medical Journal Vol. 83 (11) 2006: pp. 619-626