Publications

Families affected by HIV/AIDS often face food insecurity and malnutrition. In impoverishednations, over a third of infectious disease-related deaths in children under five result frompoor nutrition. Household food insecurity and the impact of HIV/AIDS-related illnesses canhinder the growth of young children, leading to increased malnutrition. A study involving310 mother/infant pairs from various households was conducted using a convenientsampling method. Information was gathered through a structured questionnaire. Analysisrevealed that children in households affected by HIV had a significantly higher rate ofstunting (height-for-age < –2 SD) compared to those in unaffected households (25.5% vs.9.1%, p = .002). However, the rates of wasting and underweight did not significantly differbetween HIV-affected and unaffected households. Living in households affected by HIV isassociated with stunted growth in children under five.Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Children under 5 years of age, Malnutrition, Stunting