Abstract

The Role of Food Insecurity and Dietary Diversity on Recovery from Wasting among Hospitalized Children Aged 6-23 Months in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

Tsegaye AT, Pavlinac PB, Turyagyenda L, Diallo AH, Gnoumou BS, Bamouni RM, Voskuijl WP, van den Heuvel M, Mbale E, Lancioni CL, Mupere E, Mukisa J, Lwanga C, Atuhairwe M, Chisti MJ, Ahmed T, Shahid ASMSB, Saleem AF, Kazi Z, Singa BO, Amam P, Masheti M, Berkley JA, Walson JL, Tickell KD
Nutrients. 2022;14

Permenent descriptor

BACKGROUND: Current guidelines for the management of childhood wasting primarily focus on the provision of therapeutic foods and the treatment of medical complications. However, many children with wasting live in food-secure households, and multiple studies have demonstrated that the etiology of wasting is complex, including social, nutritional, and biological causes. We evaluated the contribution of household food insecurity, dietary diversity, and the consumption of specific food groups to the time to recovery from wasting after hospital discharge. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of the Childhood Acute Illness Network (CHAIN) cohort, a multicenter prospective study conducted in six low- or lower-middle-income countries. We included children aged 6-23 months with wasting (mid-upper arm circumference [MUAC]