MALNUTRITION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

Abstract

Objective: To explore the association between nutritional status and aspects related to quality of life in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) under antiretroviral treatment. Material and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 83 adults. Subjects were randomly selected at the infectious diseases outpatient’s clinics at a reference institute for the treatment of HIV/AIDS. Nutritional status (subjective global assessment - SGA) and issues relating to quality of life (questionnaire Short-Form Health Survey Item -SF-36) were assessed by a trained physiotherapist of the nutritional therapy multidisciplinary team. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee and all participants signed an informed consent form. Results: Most study subjects were males (56.6%), had completed high school (54.2%), were professionally active (54.2%), with an income of at least one minimum wage (92.8%). A third of the sample had mild or moderate malnutrition and reported presence of some gastrointestinal symptoms. Most patients showed loss of subcutaneous fat (65%) and muscle mass (34.9%), and 40.9% of them had functional impairment related to nutritional status. As expected, patients classified as malnourished showed worse results in relation to SGA components and lower scores in some domains of quality of life (functional capacity, energy, and physical, emotional and social limitations). Conclusion: Malnutrition appears to interfere negatively on PLHA’s quality of life, and the use of a rapid screening tool to assess nutritional status, such as SGA, by an interdisciplinary team can early identify patients in need of a quick nutritional intervention. DESCRIPTORS: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome. HIV. Antiretroviral Therapy. Malnutrition. Quality of Life.