Morbidity and nutrition status of rural drug-na ïve Kenyan women living with HIV.

Morbidity and nutrition status of rural drug-naïve Kenyan women living with HIV. Afr J AIDS Res. 2016 Sep;15(3):283-91 Authors: Neumann CG, Nyandiko W, Siika A, Drorbaugh N, Samari G, Ettyang G, Ernst JA Abstract This paper describes morbidity in a group of HIV-positive drug-naïve rural women in western Kenya. A total of 226 drug-naïve HIV-positive women were evaluated for baseline morbidity, immune function, and anthropometry before a food-based nutrition intervention. Kenyan nurses visited women in their homes and conducted semi-structured interviews regarding symptoms and physical signs experienced at the time of the visit and during the previous week and physical inspection. Blood and urine samples were examined for determination of immune function (CD4, CD8, and total lymphocyte counts), anaemia, malaria, and pregnancy status. Intradermal skin testing with tuberculin (PPD), candida, and tetanus toxoid antigens was also performed to evaluate cell-mediated immunity. Anthropometry was measured, and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Seventy-six per cent of the women reported being sick on the day of the interview or within the previous week. Illnesses considered serious were reported by 13.7% of women. The most frequent morbidity episodes reported were upper respiratory tract infections (13.3%), suspected malaria (5.85%), skeletal pain (4.87%), and stomach pain (4.42%). The most common morbidity signs on physical inspection w...
Source: African Journal of AIDS Research - Category: African Health Tags: Afr J AIDS Res Source Type: research