PACT Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Pact Inc., Washington, DC, United States.
Front Public Health. 2022 Feb 21;9:719485. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.719485. eCollection 2021.
The association between hunger and adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) is less known especially in vulnerable populations receiving HIV care and treatment services. Caregivers of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) are vulnerable and likely to experience hunger due to additional economic pressure in caring for OVC. Using data from the community-based, USAID-funded Kizazi Kipya project, this study assesses the association between hunger and ART adherence among caregivers of OVC in Tanzania. HIV positive caregivers enrolled in the project from January to July 2017 were analyzed. The outcome variable was adherence to ART, defined as "not having missed any ART dose in the last 30 days," and household hunger, measured using the Household Hunger Scale (HHS), was the main independent variable. Data analysis included multivariable logistic regression. The study analyzed 11,713 HIV positive caregivers who were on ART at the time of enrollment in the USAID Kizazi Kipya project in 2017. Aged 48.2 years on average, 72.9% of the caregivers were female. While 34.6% were in households with little to no hunger, 59.4 and 6.0% were in moderate hunger and severe hunger households, respectively. Overall, 90.0% of the caregivers did not miss any ART dose in the last 30 days. ART adherence rates declined as household hunger increased ( < 0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that the odds of adhering to ART was significantly lower by 42% among caregivers in moderate hunger households than those in little to no hunger households (OR = 0.58, 95% CI 0.50-0.68). The decline increased to 47% among those in severe hunger households (OR = 0.53, 95% CI 0.41-0.69). Hunger is an independent and a significant barrier to ART adherence among caregivers LHIV in Tanzania. Improving access to adequate food as part of HIV care and treatment services is likely to improve ART adherence in this population.
饥饿与抗逆转录病毒疗法(ART)依从性之间的关系鲜为人知,特别是在接受艾滋病毒护理和治疗服务的弱势群体中。孤儿和弱势儿童(OVC)的照顾者由于照顾 OVC 的额外经济压力而处于弱势地位,并且可能会经历饥饿。本研究使用基于社区、美国国际开发署资助的 Kizazi Kipya 项目的数据,评估了坦桑尼亚 OVC 照顾者的饥饿与 ART 依从性之间的关联。分析了 2017 年 1 月至 7 月期间参加该项目的 HIV 阳性照顾者。因变量是 ART 依从性,定义为“在过去 30 天内未错过任何 ART 剂量”,家庭饥饿感使用家庭饥饿量表(HHS)测量,是主要的独立变量。数据分析包括多变量逻辑回归。该研究分析了 2017 年参加美国国际开发署 Kizazi Kipya 项目时正在接受 ART 治疗的 11713 名 HIV 阳性照顾者。照顾者的平均年龄为 48.2 岁,其中 72.9%为女性。虽然 34.6%的家庭处于轻度至无饥饿状态,但分别有 59.4%和 6.0%的家庭处于中度饥饿和严重饥饿状态。总体而言,90.0%的照顾者在过去 30 天内没有错过任何 ART 剂量。随着家庭饥饿程度的增加,ART 依从率下降(<0.001)。多变量分析显示,与处于轻度至无饥饿状态的家庭相比,处于中度饥饿状态的家庭的照顾者坚持 ART 的可能性低 42%(OR=0.58,95%CI 0.50-0.68)。在严重饥饿家庭中,这一比例下降了 47%(OR=0.53,95%CI 0.41-0.69)。饥饿是坦桑尼亚 HIV 阳性照顾者坚持 ART 的一个独立且重要的障碍。改善获得充足食物的机会,作为艾滋病毒护理和治疗服务的一部分,可能会提高这一人群的 ART 依从性。