Implementation of a nutrition assessment, counseling and support program and its association with body mass index among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana

Sackey, Joachim; Zhang, Fang Fang; Rogers, Beatrice Lorge; Aryeetey, Richmond; Wanke, Christine

doi:10.1080/09540121.2017.1420137

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…We used a prospective cohort study design with data collection at baseline, three and six months after recruitment. The study was carried out in the HIV clinics of six district hospitals in Accra, Ghana whose names are anonymized to protect the identities of the staff as explained previously (Sackey et al, 2017). For this pilot study, we recruited 152 participants (25 PLWH per clinic).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food security and dietary diversity are associated with health related quality of life after 6 months of follow up among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana

et al. 2018

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With the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV (PLWH) are surviving longer and improving their health related quality of life (HRQol) has become an important long-term HIV treatment and management indicator. HRQol has been associated with various factors, including food insecurity (FI). The objective of this prospective study was to examine the association between FI and dietary diversity (HDDS) and HRQol among PLWH in Accra, Ghana. We recruited 152 PLWH from the HIV clinics of six district hospitals Accra, Ghana and utilized a prospective cohort study design with data collection at baseline, three and six months after recruitment for this study. Participants completed questionnaires measuring HRQol, FI and HDDS. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the associations between FI and HRQol as well as HDDS and HRQol separately and then together. Being food secure [0.035 (95% CI = 0.005, 0.065)] and having a high dietary diversity score [0.029 (95% CI = 0.004, 0.053)] were independently associated with an improvement in quality of life scores over time after adjusting for other covariates and each other. Interventions to improve dietary diversity and food security among PLWH have the potential to improve nutritional status as well as HRQol.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Food security and dietary diversity are associated with health related quality of life after 6 months of follow up among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana

et al. 2018

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“…Culturally appropriate nutritional counselling involves tailored content to the local cultural context, incorporating local knowledge, expertise and lifestyle choices, distributing locally and culturally appropriate food and adapting the nutritional counselling to the local people's educational level [19,20] The evidence base regarding the availability and practice of nutritional counselling in HIV care is mixed. While a study in sub-Saharan African countries found the inclusion of nutritional counselling in 95% of the study sites [21], another study from Ghana reported a lack of nutritional counselling in HIV care programs [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Experience of Nutritional Counselling in a Nutritional Program in HIV Care in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia Using the Socio-ecological Model

Tesfay

Ziersch

Mwanri

et al. 2020

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Background: In many resource-poor settings, nutritional counselling is one component of nutrition support programs aiming to improve nutritional and health outcomes amongst people living with HIV. Counselling methods, contents, and recommendations that are culturally appropriate, locally tailored, and economically affordable are essential to ensure desired health and nutritional outcomes are achieved. However, there is little evidence showing the effectiveness of counselling in nutritional programs in HIV care, and the extent to which counselling policies and guidelines are translated into practice and utilised by people with HIV suffering from undernutrition. This study aimed to explore these gaps in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Methods and participants: A qualitative study was conducted in Tigray Region Ethiopia between May and August 2016. Forty-eight individual interviews were conducted with 20 undernourished adults living with HIV and 15 caregivers of children living with HIV enrolled in a nutritional program in three hospitals, as well as 11 health providers, and 2 program managers. Data analysis was undertaken using the Framework approach and guided by the socio-ecological model. Qualitative data analysis software (QSR NVivo 11) was used to assist data analysis. The study findings are presented using the consolidated criteria for the reporting of qualitative research (COREQ). Result: The study highlighted that nutritional counselling as a key element of the nutritional program in HIV care varied in scope, content, and length. While the findings clearly demonstrated the acceptability of the nutritional counselling for participants, a range of challenges hindered the application of counselling recommendations in participants’ everyday lives. Identified challenges included the lack of comprehensiveness of the counselling in terms of providing advice about the nutritional support and dietary practice, participants’ poor understanding of multiple issues related to nutrition counselling and the nutrition program, lack of consistency in the content, duration and mode of delivery of nutritional counselling, inadequate refresher training for providers, and the absence of socioeconomic considerations in nutritional program planning and implementation. Evidence from this study suggests that counselling in nutritional programs in HIV care was not adequately structured and lacked a holistic and comprehensive approach. Conclusion: Nutritional counselling provided to people living with HIV lacks comprehensiveness, consistency, and varies in scope, content, and duration. To achieve program goal of improved nutritional status, counselling guidelines and practices should be structured in a way that takes a holistic view of patient’s life and considers cultural and socioeconomic situations. Additionally, capacity development of nutritional counsellors and health providers is highly recommended to ensure counselling provides assistance to improve the nutritional wellbeing of people living with HIV.

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“…The evidence regarding the availability and the practice of nutritional counselling in HIV care is inconsistent. Whilst a study in sub-Saharan African countries found the inclusion of nutritional counselling in 95% of the study sites [ 21 ], another study from Ghana reported a lack of nutritional counselling in HIV care programmes [ 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experience of nutritional counselling in a nutritional programme in HIV care in the Tigray region of Ethiopia using the socio-ecological model

Tesfay

Ziersch

Mwanri

et al. 2021

J Health Popul Nutr

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Background In many resource-poor settings, nutritional counselling is one of the key components of nutrition support programmes aiming to improve nutritional and health outcomes amongst people living with HIV. Counselling methods, contents and recommendations that are culturally appropriate, locally tailored and economically affordable are essential to ensure desired health and nutritional outcomes are achieved. However, there is little evidence showing the effectiveness of counselling in nutritional programmes in HIV care, and the extent to which counselling policies and guidelines are translated into practice and utilised by people with HIV suffering from undernutrition. This study aimed to explore these gaps in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Methods and participants A qualitative study was conducted in Tigray region Ethiopia between May and August 2016. Forty-eight individual interviews were conducted with 20 undernourished adults living with HIV and 15 caregivers of children living with HIV enrolled in a nutritional programme in three hospitals, as well as 11 health providers, and 2 programme managers. Data analysis was undertaken using the Framework approach and guided by the socio-ecological model. Qualitative data analysis software (QSR NVivo 11) was used to assist data analysis. The study findings are presented using the consolidated criteria for the reporting of qualitative research (COREQ). Result The study highlighted that nutritional counselling as a key element of the nutritional programme in HIV care varied in scope, content, and length. Whilst the findings clearly demonstrated the acceptability of the nutritional counselling for participants, a range of challenges hindered the application of counselling recommendations in participants’ everyday lives. Identified challenges included the lack of comprehensiveness of the counselling in terms of providing advice about the nutritional support and dietary practice, participants’ poor understanding of multiple issues related to nutrition counselling and the nutrition programme, lack of consistency in the content, duration and mode of delivery of nutritional counselling, inadequate refresher training for providers and the absence of socioeconomic considerations in nutritional programme planning and implementation. Evidence from this study suggests that counselling in nutritional programmes in HIV care was not adequately structured and lacked a holistic and comprehensive approach. Conclusion Nutritional counselling provided to people living with HIV lacks comprehensiveness, consistency and varies in scope, content and duration. To achieve programme goal of improved nutritional status, counselling guidelines and practices should be structured in a way that takes a holistic view of patient’s life and considers cultural and socioeconomic situations. Additionally, capacity development of nutritional counsellors and health providers is highly recommended to ensure counselling provides assistance to improve the nutritional well-being of people living with HIV.

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Implementation of a nutrition assessment, counseling and support program and its association with body mass index among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana

Cited by 10 publications

References 5 publications

Food security and dietary diversity are associated with health related quality of life after 6 months of follow up among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana

Food security and dietary diversity are associated with health related quality of life after 6 months of follow up among people living with HIV in Accra, Ghana

Experience of Nutritional Counselling in a Nutritional Program in HIV Care in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia Using the Socio-ecological Model

Experience of nutritional counselling in a nutritional programme in HIV care in the Tigray region of Ethiopia using the socio-ecological model

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