Obesity and adherence to recommended fruits and vegetable intake among the HIV-positive population in Zambia

The problem of obesity among People Living with HIV (PLHIV) receiving Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not yet explained with regard to gender, rural or urban location. This study assessed the prevalence of obesity and intake of fruits and vegetables to explain the problem within the Zambian context. Participants above 18 years old from health facilities with a minimum of 300 registered HIV patients were recruited and interviewed. Stata 18 SE (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA) was used for analysis. Participants’ characteristics were summarized using frequency and proportion for categorical variables while continuous variables were firstly checked for normality, if normally distributed then means and standard deviation were reported. The prevalence and corresponding 95% confidence intervals of risk factors were estimated. Over one tenth (10.8%) of the participants were obese. Women had a higher prevalence of overweight (26.4%) compared to men (15.2%) and more females (13.9%) were obese than males (4.5%). BMI was lower in rural (23.6 kg/m ² ) than in urban areas (24.2 kg/m ² ). Overweight was slightly lower in rural (21.3%) than urban communities (23.2%). Similarly, obesity was higher in urban (12.4%) than in rural areas (9.2%). The majority (74.8%) of respondents were not consuming enough fruits and vegetables with little difference between males (76.9%) and females (73.8%). The limited fruit and vegetable consumption and high salt intake indicates a dietary challenge in the management of obese HIV positive patients. It is recommended that health promotion should be incorporated in routine screening for overweight and obese individuals receiving ART. Individuals found with BMI above normal should be advised on lifestyle changes in relation to medication and diet.