Fig. 5: Path diagrams depicting influences of HIV on post-discharge anthropometry.

A MUAC SEM framework. B WAZ SEM framework. C WHZ SEM framework. D HAZ SEM framework. The SEMs incorporated HIV status, HIV infection-related protein modules associated with 90-day post-discharge anthropometry, post-discharge anthropometric measurements, baseline anthropometry at discharge, site, sex, and age at discharge. Green and red coloured lines depict significant positive and negative associations, respectively, with asterisk indicating significant coefficient estimates. Grey coloured lines show non-significant associations. Singe-headed arrows depicts a path linking exogenous to endogenous variable while double-headed arrows represent covariance between protein modules. Path coefficients are standardised estimates of individual relationship within the structural equation model resulting from a simple linear regression. The overall model fit was assessed using the chi-square test and supplemented by additional fit indices; comparative fit index (CFI), root mean square error for approximation (RMSEA) and standardised root mean squared residual (SRMR) to confirm model adequacy, see the method section. Abbreviations: HIV, Human immunodeficiency virus – the primary exogenous variable of the structural equation framework; SEMs, structural equation models; MUAC, mid-upper arm circumference; WAZ, weight-for-age z score; WHZ, weight-for-height z score; HAZ, height-for-age z score; PM, protein module; site, enrolment site; and sex defined by biological attribute. The asterisks indicate significance gradient: *; p-value less than or equal to 0.01; **, p-value less than or equal to 0.001; and ***, p-value less than or equal to 0.0001.