Effect of nutrition education on nutritional status and serum zinc level of HIV and AIDS clients: implication for care in resource-limited settings

Abstract

Background: People living with HIV or AIDS in resource-limited settings are faced with challenges in their nutrition and micronutrient levels. This study aimed to determine the effect of nutrition education on the nutrition status and serum zinc level of HIV and AIDS clients, and its implication for HIV care in resource-limited settings.

Methods: This intervention study was conducted among HIV clients at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital and Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, which served as the intervention and control groups respectively. A nutrition education programme was delivered to the intervention group. In both groups, before and after the intervention, the body mass index of participants was calculated using their height (m2) and weight (kg) while their serum zinc levels were analysed using spectrophotometry. Chi-square and McNemar chi-square tests were used in the analysis.

Results: A total of 185 respondents was studied in each group, with the majority in the 30–39 and 40–49 age groups, respectively (65.4% of the study group and 64.4% of the control group). Larger proportions of respondents in both groups were females (72.4% vs 75.1% respectively). Three months after the intervention, the proportion of respondents with normal serum zinc levels improved significantly from 20.5% to 51.9% in the intervention group (χ2 McNemar, p < 0.001), whereas the control group had no appreciable improvement (16.8% vs 22.7%) (χ2 McNemar, p = 0.117). Furthermore, the post-intervention serum zinc level difference between the intervention and control groups was statistically significant (χ2 = 33.699; p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference existed in the nutritional status between the groups (χ2 = 3.469; p = 0.325).

Conclusion: Nutrition education had a positive effect on the serum zinc levels of HIV clients. Integrating nutrition education programmes as a key component of HIV care in resource-limited settings will help improve the serum zinc level of people living with HIV, which ultimately improves their immune status and life expectancy.