Browsing by Author "Iversen, Per O."

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    Housing, water and sanitation implications on food insecurity and diet diversity in landslide affected communities: A cross-sectional survey of two districts in Uganda
    (Clinical nutrition, 2019) Rukundo, Peter M.; Rukooko, Byaruhanga; Andreassen, Bård A.; Iversen, Per O.
    The major landslide of 2010 in Bududa district in Eastern Uganda is the most catastrophic natural disaster in Uganda's recorded history. An estimated 350 people died and some of the affected were resettled in Kiryandongo district. We assessed housing, water and sanitation practises of affected households and controls to establish possible implications on food insecurity and diet diversity. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed 1078 affected and control households in Bududa and Kiryandongo districts. The head of the households were either affected, selected from landslide disasteraffected communities, or controls from a random sub-county bordering the affected. Structured interviews were used and entries were tested statistically to report crude estimates based on the Pearson x2 and ANOVA, while adjusted analysis used multivariate analysis of co-variance (MANCOVA) and Wald's Odds Ratio (OR) of Binary Logistic Regression at the 95% CI. Results: On adjusting for the disaster and covariates, households who had insufficient access to water scored higher mean (SE) on food insecurity than those who reported sufficient access: 13.1 (0.4) vs. 9.5 (0.3) (P < 0.01). Intriguingly, households who owned a toilet and those who reported always using soap to wash hands scored higher food insecurity than their counterparts: 11.1 (0.3) vs. 9.0 (0.6) (P < 0.01) and 11.3 (0.3) vs. 9.1 (0.5) (P < 0.01), respectively. However, not owning a toilet increased the likelihood of being food insecure (OR 3.43; 95% CI 1.31, 8.97; P ¼ 0.02). In Kiryandongo, affected households scored higher food insecurity than controls: 9.5 (0.5) vs. 5.4 (0.5) (P < 0.01) and higher diet diversity scores (DDS): 6.7 (0.2) vs. 6.2 (0.2) (P ¼ 0.04). Type of housing also predicted food insecurity (P < 0.01) and DDS (P ¼ 0.03). Like Bududa, households with insufficient water access scored higher food insecurity while those owning toilet scored higher DDS. Uniquely, only number of rooms was linked to a high likelihood of being food insecure (OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.19, 2.15; P < 0.05). Conclusion: Disaster, food security and diet were sensitive to housing, water and sanitation and were integral to an adequate standard of living of victims of this landslide.
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    Malnutrition and Associated Risk Factors among Children 6–59 Months Old in the Landslide-Prone Bududa District, Eastern Uganda: A Cohort Study
    (Current developments in nutrition, 2022) Nahalomo, Aziiza; Iversen, Per O.; Andreassen, Bård A.; Natigo Kaaya, Archileo; Rukooko, Archangel B.; Tushabe, Gerald; Nateme, Nancy C.; Rukundo, Peter M.
    The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2.2 calls for an end to all forms of malnutrition. This might be derailed due to persistent landslide disasters in low-income countries like Uganda. Objectives: The prevalence of malnutrition and the impact of seasonal variations and associated factors were assessed among children aged 6– 59 mo in the landslide-affected households in Bududa District, eastern Uganda. Methods: A prospective cohort study using a 2-stage simple random technique was applied to select 422 households including 392 children during May–August (food-plenty season) 2019. After 6 mo, in January–March (food-poor season) 2020, 388 households and 366 children were assessed. Socioeconomic and demographic data were collected using structured questionnaires. Child malnutrition outcomes were defined according to WHO criteria. Factors associated with malnutrition outcomes were identified by bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Stunting, underweight, wasting, and overweight prevalences were 37.7%, 13.3%, 3.6%, and 4.3%, respectively, in the food-plenty season and 42.6%, 14.2%, 2.1%, and 2.7%, respectively, in the food-poor season. Residing in the landslide-affected sub-county increased the odds for stunting [adjusted OR (aOR): 1.68; 95% CI: 1.08, 2.59; P = 0.025] and underweight (aOR = 4.25; 95% CI: 1.10, 15.36; P = 0.032) for children in the food-plenty season. Child age, sex, breastfeeding status, a nonimproved drinking water source, migration of any household member, and parents’ education were significant risk factors in the food-plenty season. In the food-poor season, parents’ education status, loss of any household member, child sex, and child age were significant risk factors. Conclusions: Stunting and underweight were more prevalent in the food-poor season while wasting and overweight were more prevalent in the food-plenty season. With the exception of child age, child sex, and parents’ education, child malnutrition risk factors differed between food-plenty and food-poor seasons. There is a need to address seasonality factors in program interventions targeting children <5 y in landslide-prone areas.