Abstract:
There is lacking information on changes in body composition along with dietary
pattern among People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) attending clinic at Chulaimbo Sub-
district hospital, Kenya. In most HIV clinics in Kisumu, patients are weighed almost at every
visit; however this practice alone does not distinguish between fat and lean mass. Hence making
it difficult to understand clearly the effectiveness of treatment or other interventions.
To assess the body composition changes and nutrient intake of HIV sero-positive
patients.
A prospective cohort study was conducted on 497 PLWHA attending clinic at
Chulaimbo Sub-district hospital, Kenya. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to assess body
composition and a 24-hour dietary recall survey to capture the average macronutrient and
micronutrient intake of the patients. The mean
probability of adequacy across 9 nutrients was
calculated using
the Dietary Reference Intakes.
Anthropometric data including current weight,
height and BMI were collected. Nutrient intake was estimated using a diet history in combination
with a standardised food frequency questionnaire.
Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS (AMPATH) clinic at
Chulaimbo Sub-district hospital, Kisumu West District, Kenya.
Subjects: 497 adults aged 18–60 years.
After 6 months, it was found that the percentage of under weights (BMI <18.5) was
20.3%. The men were leaner (BMI = 20.5 ±3.67) than the women (BMI = 21.7 ±3.87) and
patients with a CD4+ T cell count < 200 tended to have the lowest median values for all
anthropometric measurements. The mean energy intake of the patients was 1574 ±578 (male) and
1636 ±621 (female), a protein 42 ±16 (male) and 39 ±12 (female). No significant correlation was
found between the macronutrient intake and body composition at the baseline. More than half the
patients had a low intake (< 90% of the recommended dietary allowances) of energy, protein,
calcium, iron (female), vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin and niacin.
The results confirm that majority of the HIV/AIDS patients
from this population are malnourished. Nutritional supplementation of HIV/AIDS patients should
be considered, as this might lead to improved immune function in these patients.
