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An Assessment of the Nutritional Knowledge, Practice and Status of Adult HIV/Aids Patients Attending an Art Centre in Jos, North Central Nigeria

Mathilda E Banwat

Abstract

Background: The intimately multidirectional relationship between nutrition and HIV/AIDS has been established. Although adequate nutrition can neither cure nor prevent the infection, it plays a major role in the maintenance and improvement of the immunological status of PLWHA thus delaying disease progression and improving patients’ quality of life. This study aimed at assessing the factors affecting knowledge and practice of adequate nutrition among adult HIV/AIDS patients attending an AIDS Out-Patient clinic in Jos, North-Central Nigeria.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study where 250 patients on treatment in APIN Clinic were selected using a systematic sampling technique. Structured interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to gather data from them which were collated and analyzed using EPI info version 3.5.3 Statistical software. Chi-square statistical test was used to assess association and a p-value of less than or equal to 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results: Majority of the respondents (55.9%) felt protein was the most important food nutrient in their diet. Many of the respondents (48%) reported spending up to 25-50% of their monthly income to ensure they have adequate nutrition. A small proportion of the respondents (22.9%) reported early satiety as the main factors affecting their daily dietary intake while the cost of a food item was the major hindrance to ingesting a preferred food group. Forty-five percent of the respondents reported fruits and vegetables as the major components of their daily diet. There was a statistically significant relationship between the BMI of the respondents and the duration on ART prior to the study.

Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of adequate nutritional intake was fairly good among studied HIV/ AIDS patients. It, however, needs to be improved through more involvement of health workers, the media, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations in nutrition education and poverty alleviation.