DIETARY DIVERSITY AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG HIV POSITIVE ADULT PATIENTS ATTENDING ART CLINICS IN WOLKITE UNIVERSITY SPECIALIZED HOSPITALS, GURAGE, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA, 2024

Abstract

Introduction: Nutrition is one of the necessary elements of comprehensive care for people living with HIV/AIDS. Poor individual dietary diversity in People living with HIV is more urgent issues they are highly prone to opportunistic infections. This significant public health problem is highly prevalent in Africa especially Ethiopia. Despite the government is taking many interventions, the problem is rampant and evidence regarding the burden and associated factors of this problem are limited in Gurage zone, central Ethiopia. Objective: to assess diversified diet consumption and associated factors among HIV positive adult patients attending wolkite university specialized hospitals in, Gurage zone, central Ethiopia. Methods: Institutional based cross- sectional study was conducted at wolkite university specialized hospital from 3rd December, 2024 to 18th January, 2024. Total of 368 HIV positive adults who were attending ART clinic was selected by systemic random sampling technique. Data was collected by pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires using interview data collection method. Data was entered into Epi.Data software version 7.02 and transferred and analyzed by SPSS version 27.0. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify associated factors. Variables with a p-value < 0.25 in binary logistic regression was a candidate for multivariable logistic regression. Multivariable logistic regression analysis with backward likelihood ratio method was conducted. Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic was used to check model fitness. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and corresponding p-value was used to identify statistically significant factors. P-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Results: This study shows 64.4% of patients have poor dietary diversity. Greater than five year duration cotrimoxazole (AOR: 0.532, 95% CI: 0.318-0.890) and poor dietary counseling (AOR=0.185, 95% CI: 0.068-0.504) were factors associated with poor dietary diversity. Conclusion: Good dietary diversity is low in HIV-positive patients attending ART clinic in our study area. Taking cotrimoxazole and dietary counseling were the factors associated with low dietary diversity. To alleviate these problems, exceptional attention in nutritional care should be given to HIV-positive patients and they require appropriate counseling and support during early initiation of ART