Assessment of nutritional status and body image perception among people living with human immunodeficiency virus in a tertiary center, Southwest Nigeria

Background: Malnutrition is a global problem affecting all, irrespective of age and race. However, countries in Africa are disproportionately affected due to endemic poverty and war. The problem of malnutrition is worsened by the high burden of the human immunodeficiency virus in the region, which also significantly alters the body image of people affected. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the nutritional status and body image perception among people living with human immunodeficiency virus in a tertiary center in Southwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A total of 258 participants were recruited for this descriptive cross-sectional study conducted between March and July 2022 using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and analyzed using IBM® SPSS version 23. Chi-square test was used to assess for associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the outcome variables, while kappa statistic was used to measure agreement between participants’ actual and perceived nutritional status. Results: The mean age of respondents was 44.6 ± 11 years. A Close to half (48.1%) of the respondents had normal body mass index, while 17.1% and 6.6% were obese and underweight, respectively. Most respondents (72.9%) perceived their body image as “just right,” with another 14.3% perceiving theirs as “too thin.” Of most respondents, 78.3% were satisfied with their perceived body image. Conclusion: Most of the respondents in this study had positive body image perception; however, a sizable proportion suffers from overweight and obesity, which may increase their risk of cardiovascular events. Consequently, clinic managers should encourage routine nutritional assessment and education for early detection and prevention of overnutrition in all antiretroviral therapy clinics.