Associated factors of undernutrition among women of reproductive age living with HIV in Mahama Refugee Camp, Rwanda.

introductionLow dietary diversity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) usually results from households basing their diets on a small number of food groups beyond their staple foods. Numerous studies have demonstrated that among people in both developed and developing nations, dietary diversity is a reliable indicator of dietary quality. Humanitarian crises over the past few decades have altered the patterns of food consumption in refugee camps, where the prevalence of food insecurity has significantly grown, resulting in undernutrition and chronic diseases. Therefore, our study determined the factors associated with undernutrition among women of reproductive age living with HIV in Mahama refugee camp, Rwanda.

methodsUsing a cross-sectional design, our study examined the association between undernutrition (outcome) and household diversity scores, access to kitchen gardens, and chronic illness. The study was conducted at the Mahama refugee camp, which was home to 58,248 people. Yemane's algorithm was used to recruit a sample size of 170 women of reproductive age living with HIV for this study, while utilizing a random sampling technique. Anthropometric measurements (BMI and MUAC) of the respondents were examined; SPSS version 25 was used for data analysis.

resultsAccording to this study, the majority of women in the refugee camp ate grains (98%) and pulses (86%). The majority had a 68% medium diversity score. Additionally, access to kitchen garden (AOR = 0.391, p = 0.014, 95% CI = 0.185-0.825), dietary scores of highest (AOR = 0.039, p = 0.001, 95% CI = 0.033-0.475) and medium (AOR = 0.125, p = 0.002, 95% CI = 0.006-0.242) were found to be significantly associated with lower odds of undernourishment in the camp. Though not statistically significant, having any other chronic illness was associated with a higher risk of undernourishment (AOR = 2.359, p = 0.102, 95% CI = 0.843-6.602).

conclusionsGrains, legumes, fruits, seeds, nuts, and vegetables made up the majority of the food consumed by the 170 sampled women refugees. The risk of undernutrition was also significantly reduced in women who had access to kitchen gardens and showed high and medium dietary scores; a tendency was also observed for the risk of undernutrition to increase in respondents with extra chronic conditions. To enhance dietary scores and promote fair access to the kitchen garden, comprehensive healthcare interventions should be implemented in the camp.