Prevalence of overweight and obesity and associated factors among HIV infected adult patients on antiretroviral therapy at Kasangati Health Centre IV, Wakiso district

Abstract

Introduction: Scaling-up of HIV treatment and care services in sub Saharan Africa (SSA) has resulted in a large number of patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART), reducing the deaths due to HIV/AIDS. However, a new burden of overweight and obesity has emerged among this population that predisposes them to the non-communicable diseases. Studies have provided information on the burden of HIV-infection in Uganda as well the burden of overweight and obesity in the general population. However, currently there is limited published studies on the prevalence of overweight and obesity and associated factors among HIV-infected adults on ART at Kasangati Health Centre IV. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity and associated factors among HIV-infected adult patients on ART at Kasangati Health Centre IV, Wakiso district. Methods: This was a cross sectional study among HIV-infected adult patients enrolled on ART at Kasangati Health Centre IV, Wakiso district who were randomly selected. Data was collected using face-to-face interviewer administered, pre-tested questionnaires having sections on socio-demographic factors (age, sex, education, occupation, marital status), dietary practices (dietary diversity and meal frequency), substance use (alcohol and tobacco use), physical activity (activity at work, travel to and from places, recreation activities), individual clinical factors (duration on ART and CD4+ cell count), and anthropometry (weight in kg and height in cm). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were run using STATA version 14 software to estimate prevalence ratios and their 95% confidence intervals using modified Poisson regression with level of statistical significance at p < 0.05. Results: The study involved 254 participants (female 62.2% and male 37.8%). The prevalence of overweight was 18.9% and obesity 7.1%. Duration on ART of 49 – 168 months was associated with overweight, adjusted prevalence ratio 0.55 [95% CI 0.31 – 0.98] p value = 0.042 and the age of 35 – 68 years was associated with obesity, adjusted prevalence ratio 4.78 [95% CI 1.93 – 11.82] p value = 0.001. Conclusion and Recommendations: The prevalence of overweight was 18.9% and obesity was 7.1%. Duration on ART (49-168 months) was associated with overweight and this association was protective while age (35-68 years) was associated with obesity respectively. More attention should be given to patients who have been on ART for a short duration as well as those of advanced age to control and prevent overweight and obesity for every clinic visit to reduce their risk for non-communicable diseases.