Malnutrition status and associated factors among HIV-positive patients enrolled in ART clinics in Zimbabwe

• Published in: BMC nutrition 2017-01, Vol.3 (1), p.1, Article 15
• Main Authors: Takarinda, Kudakwashe C, Mutasa-Apollo, Tsitsi, Madzima, Bernard, Brilliant Nkomo, Chigumira, Ancikaria, Banda, Mirriam, Muti, Monica, Harries, Anthony D, Owen Mugurungi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; AIDS; Antiretroviral drugs; Body mass index; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Nutrition; Womens health
• ISSN: 2055-0928; 2055-0928
• DOI: 10.1186/s40795-017-0132-8

Background Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from a high burden of undernutrition, affecting 23.2% of its population, and in 2015 constituted 69% of the estimated people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) globally. Zimbabwe, in Southern African has a HIV prevalence of 14.7%, but malnutrition (under- and over-nutrition) in this population has not been characterized. A nationally representative survey was therefore conducted to determine malnutrition prevalence and associated factors among HIV-positive adults (≥15 years) enrolled at antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinics in Zimbabwe. Methods Height and weight measurements were taken for all enrolled participants who had attended their scheduled clinic review visits. Malnutrition was determined using body mass index (BMI) calculations and classified as undernutrition ( 350 cells/mL[aOR = 4.85 (95% CI, 1.03-22.77)]. Conclusion Zimbabwe faces two types of nutritional disorders; undernutrition and overweight / obesity, in its HIV-infected population, both of which are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This may reflect a shift in the pattern of HIV/AIDS from being a highly fatal infectious disease to a chronic manageable condition.