Open AccessAssociation of maternal depression and infant nutritional status among women living with HIV in T anzania
Author(s) -
Kaaya Sylvia,
Garcia Maria E.,
Li Nan,
Lienert Jeffrey,
Twayigize William,
Spiegelman Donna,
Smith Fawzi Mary C.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
maternal and child nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.181
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1740-8709
pISSN - 1740-8695
DOI - 10.1111/mcn.12154
Subject(s) - medicine , underweight , depression (economics) , wasting , context (archaeology) , malnutrition , postpartum depression , confounding , cohort study , pediatrics , relative risk , cohort , pregnancy , body mass index , confidence interval , genetics , overweight , biology , paleontology , economics , macroeconomics
Antenatal and post‐natal depression has demonstrated a significant burden in sub‐ S aharan A frica, with rates ranging from 10% to 35%. However, perinatal women living with HIV in T anzania have reported an even greater prevalence of depression (43–45%). The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship between maternal depression and infant malnutrition among women living with HIV . The design was a retrospective cohort study within the context of a randomised controlled trial among women living with HIV and their infants. Within this trial, 699 mother–child pairs were analysed for the present study. Although antenatal depression was not associated with infant malnutrition and post‐natal depression was negatively associated [relative risk ( RR = 0.80, P = 0.04], cumulative depression demonstrated a positive association with infant wasting ( RR = 1.08, P < 0.01) and underweight ( RR = 1.03, P < 0.01) after controlling for confounding factors. Variation in the association between depression and infant nutritional status was observed for episodic vs. chronic depression. These findings suggest that providing evidence‐based services for persistent depression among women living with HIV may have an effect on infant malnutrition. In addition, other positive outcomes may be related to infant cognitive development as well as HIV disease prognosis and survival among women.