Nelsensius Klau Fauk, Ify Achebe, Sukma Putra, Maria Silvia Merry and Lillian Mwanri
Objective: This review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of food interventions in improving the nutritional status (weight and body mass index/BMI) of adults living with HIV who are on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in developing countries
Methods: A systematic search of English language publications between 1st January 1998 and 3rd November 2015 was performed on 3rd and 4th November 2015. The following databases were searched: PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane and Embase. A hand search of reference lists was also conducted. Nine studies were selected for the systematic review. The inclusion criteria included studies with weight and/or BMI as the outcome measure, HIV positive adults on ART treatment, studies conducted in developing countries between 1998 and 2015 and studies providing food support in the form of free food packages or nutritional supplements.
Results: Three of four studies with significant results reported significant differences in both weight and BMI between the intervention group and the control group. Of the three studies, one each had a small effect size, a negligible effect size and did not provide sufficient data for an effect size to be calculated, respectively. Four other studies showed positive improvements in body weight and BMI of the intervention group, but results were not statistically significant. The results of one study were excluded because the control group used corn-soy blended flour, which is a food supplement used in the treatment group in other studies. This review acknowledges limitations especially due to the differences between studies such as: study design, attrition rates and the length of time that participants were on ART before they commenced food interventions.
Conclusions: Food support intervention is effective in improving the nutritional status of people living with HIV in developing countries. However, the limited number of studies and evidence make it necessary to draw cautious conclusions. However, we recommend further research in area.
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