Food Insecurity, Dietary Diversity, and Body Mass Index of HIV-Infected Individuals on Antiretroviral Therapy in Rural Haiti

Food rations are increasingly offered as part of HIV programs in resource-poor settings, often targeted solely to those with under-nutrition by low body mass index (BMI). This practice does not consider food insecurity, another important risk factor for poor outcomes in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH). 

Food insecurity was present in 89 % of individuals. 

• Among those with severe food insecurity, 86 % had a BMI ≥ 18.5 kg/m2. 
• Severe food insecurity was associated with illiteracy, having no income. 
• Compared with those with little to no food insecurity, individuals with severe food insecurity had a less diverse diet. 

We found that food insecurity was highly prevalent in PLWH receiving antiretroviral therapy in rural Haiti. Using BMI as a sole criterion for food supplementation in HIV programs can exclude highly vulnerable individuals who may benefit from such support.

Via:http://ht.ly/Sdaa3 

By: Rebick GW1,2, Franke MF3,4, Teng JE4,5, Gregory Jerome J4,6, Ivers LC7,8,9.

• 1Division of Infectious Diseases, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, MSC 1240, 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11231, USA
• 2Department of Medicine, State University of New York-Downstate, Brooklyn, NY, USA. 
• 3Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
• 4Partners In Health, Boston, MA, USA.
• 5Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 641 Huntington Ave, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, USA.
• 6Zanmi Lasante, Saint Marc, Haiti.
• 7Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
• 8Partners In Health, Boston, MA, USA
• 9Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 641 Huntington Ave, 4th Floor, Boston, MA, USA