Food Insecurity and Adherence to ART among People Living with HIV/Aids
1
Institute of Collective Health, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A1352
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Studies on the relationship between Food Insecurity (FI) and adherence to HIV treatment have focused on associated factors, with few addressing the association while considering gender and sexual identity, and using confounding and effect-modifying variables in the analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the association between FI and treatment adherence among people living with HIV.
METHODS:
To this end, we administered a questionnaire to 332 participants in two cities in the Northeast of Brazil, Salvador and Lauro de Freitas, after providing ethical guidelines and obtaining their free and informed consent. Data analyses were performed using R software and the RStudio interface. We performed logistic regression for multivariate analysis, with a 5% significance level. In the predictive association model, the primary exposure variable (FI) and the primary outcome variable (ART adherence) were identified, along with covariates considered potential confounders: drug use, education, income, race, housing, alcohol use, mental health, employment, social benefits, stigma, and discrimination.
RESULTS:
The percentage of good and adequate adherence (71.7%) was higher than low adherence (28.3%). FI in the studied sample showed a positive and statistically significant association (ORb = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.15 - 3.02). We did not identify confounding variables in our analyses. However, effect modifiers were housing, family income, number of children, and use of illicit substances; yet, the effect of FI did not vary across strata, which reinforced an 86% greater chance of low treatment adherence among people with FI.
CONCLUSIONS:
In this study, the sampled people living with HIV are experiencing food insecurity and social and gender inequalities, with consequences for low treatment adherence due to preventable conditions. Disparities were perceived according to the social and financial situation of the families.
Studies on the relationship between Food Insecurity (FI) and adherence to HIV treatment have focused on associated factors, with few addressing the association while considering gender and sexual identity, and using confounding and effect-modifying variables in the analysis. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the association between FI and treatment adherence among people living with HIV.
METHODS:
To this end, we administered a questionnaire to 332 participants in two cities in the Northeast of Brazil, Salvador and Lauro de Freitas, after providing ethical guidelines and obtaining their free and informed consent. Data analyses were performed using R software and the RStudio interface. We performed logistic regression for multivariate analysis, with a 5% significance level. In the predictive association model, the primary exposure variable (FI) and the primary outcome variable (ART adherence) were identified, along with covariates considered potential confounders: drug use, education, income, race, housing, alcohol use, mental health, employment, social benefits, stigma, and discrimination.
RESULTS:
The percentage of good and adequate adherence (71.7%) was higher than low adherence (28.3%). FI in the studied sample showed a positive and statistically significant association (ORb = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.15 - 3.02). We did not identify confounding variables in our analyses. However, effect modifiers were housing, family income, number of children, and use of illicit substances; yet, the effect of FI did not vary across strata, which reinforced an 86% greater chance of low treatment adherence among people with FI.
CONCLUSIONS:
In this study, the sampled people living with HIV are experiencing food insecurity and social and gender inequalities, with consequences for low treatment adherence due to preventable conditions. Disparities were perceived according to the social and financial situation of the families.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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