Under nutrition and associated factors among adult on highly active antiretroviral therapy in Wolaita Sodo teaching and referral hospital, southern nations nationalities peoples region, Ethiopia

Malnutrition can be defined as a state of nutrition in which there is a deficiency, excess or imbalance of energy, protein and other nutrients. This study was conducted to assess the magnitude of under nutrition and associated factors among adult on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in Wolaita Sodo teaching and referral hospital, SNNPR, Ethiopia. Institutional based cross sectional study design was used among randomly selected 519 adult patients on HAART at Wolaita Sodo University referral Hospital. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and weight and height measurements were taken to determine the levels of nutritional status. Data were entered on to Epi Info version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS version 16.0 for cleaning and further analysis. Both binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the factors associated with nutritional status of people on HAART. Odds ratios along with 95%CI was estimated to measure the strength of association and p value less than 0.05 was used as a cut-off point to declare level of statistical significance. The magnitude of underweight (BMI <18.5 kg/m2) was 26.6% 95%CI: (22.8 to 30.4%). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that, not having food aid (AOR=2.76, 95%CI: (1.77-4.30)), low baseline CD4 count (AOR=2.12, 95%CI: (1.31-3.42)) being male (AOR=1.80, 95%CI: (1.10-2.93)) and lack of formal education (AOR=2.48, 95%CI: (1.48-4.17) were significantly associated with under nutrition. The burden of underweight was high among adult on HAART lack of food aid and formal education, decrease in CD4 count and male gender have influenced nutritional status of the study participants. Nutritional assessment, management and nutritional support and timely initiation of ART should be the key intervention during the course of chronic HIV care. Follow up and ART service provision monitoring are also important to improve the nutritional status of HIV/AIDS patient.