Food Insecurity is Associated with Poor HIV Outcomes Among Women in the United States

• Published in: AIDS and behavior 2017-12, Vol.21 (12), p.3473-3477
• Main Authors: Spinelli, Matthew A., Frongillo, Edward A., Sheira, Lila A., Palar, Kartika, Tien, Phyllis C., Wilson, Tracey, Merenstein, Daniel, Cohen, Mardge, Adedimeji, Adebola, Wentz, Eryka, Adimora, Adaora A., Metsch, Lisa R., Turan, Janet M., Kushel, Margot B., Weiser, Sheri D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; Adult; AIDS; Anti-HIV Agents - therapeutic use; Brief Report; CD4 antigen; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Clinical outcomes; Confidence intervals; Female; Food; Food security; Food Supply; Health Psychology; HIV; HIV Infections - drug therapy; HIV Infections - epidemiology; HIV Infections - virology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Hunger; Infectious Diseases; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medication Adherence; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Prospective Studies; Public Health; Regression models; Statistical analysis; Treatment Outcome; Treatment outcomes; United States - epidemiology; Viral Load; Women; Womens health
• ISSN: 1090-7165; 1573-3254
• DOI: 10.1007/s10461-017-1968-2

Women in the general population experience more food insecurity than men. Few studies have examined food insecurity’s impact on HIV treatment outcomes among women. We examined the association between food insecurity and HIV outcomes in a multi-site sample of HIV-infected women in the United States (n = 1154). Two-fifths (40%) of participants reported food insecurity. In an adjusted multivariable Tobit regression model, food insecurity was associated with 2.08 times higher viral load (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 4.15) and lower CD4+ counts (− 42.10, CI: − 81.16, − 3.03). Integration of food insecurity alleviation into HIV programs may improve HIV outcomes in women.