Introduction: Tuberculosis
and malnutrition are major health problems in DR Congo, and children are
particularly vulnerable. The objective of this study is to determine the
incidence of malnutrition in tuberculous children in DR Congo and to identify
the associated factors. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted, and
concerned 22 Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Treatment Centers (TDTCs). It was carried out over
a period from 2013 to 2015 and involved 717 tuberculosis children less than 15
years of age. Nutritional status was assessed on the basis of the values of the
Z-score Weight for age (global malnutrition) according to the NCHS curves. Results:
Tuberculosis incidence was 8.2%. The prevalence of underweight (<﹣2 z-score)
is 20.8%, of which 8.4% is severely malnourished (<﹣3 z-score). An age of
less than 60 months is significantly associated with poor nutritional status
(OR = 0.3, CI 0.2 - 0.5). TB-HIV co-infection
is significantly associated with poor nutritional status (OR = 0.4, CI 0.2 - 0.6). It was noticed that the outcome is favorable
(recovery) in patients with good nutritional status (OR = 12, CI 8.0 - 18.9). Conclusion: Underweight is present in
Congolese tuberculosis children. An adequate nutritional policy is needed to
improve the prognosis of the disease.
Cite this paper
Dieu, B. N. D. , Gray, K. A. W. , Augustin, M. M. , Robert, L. M. , Erick, T. , Stanislas, W. O. and Oscar, L. N. (2017). Nutritional Status of Tuberculous Children Diagnosed and Treated in an Urban Area in DR Congo. Open Access Library Journal, 4, e3557. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/oalib.1103557.
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