Assessment Of Dietary Patterns And Nutritional Status Of People Living With HIV/AIDS Attending Some Voluntary And Counselling Test (VCT) Units

Assessment Of Dietary Patterns And Nutritional Status Of People Living With Hiv/aids Attending Some Voluntary And Counselling Test (Vct) Units

Chapter One

Preface

Background Of The Study

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, popularly known as AIDS, is caused by the contagion, mortal Immunodeficiency Contagion( HIV). This is a bitsy origin that’s unnoticeable to the eye that attacks the vulnerable system of the body. AIDS is a condition in which the contagion damages the body vulnerable system and renders it helpless against any infection,( Hawkes etal., 2002). According to the World Health Organization( 2005), AIDS is the most dreaded, most stressed and the most talked about complaint in the worldtoday.It’s a deadly complaint that has no cure. According to Ojedokun( 2004), there are two main sub types HIV I and HIVII. HIV I is the most common type each over the world while HIV II is only common in West- Africa. The intensity and the pattern with which HIV/ AIDS affects nutritive status are veritably much different from that in other infections and in ordinary case of shy nutrients input( Piwoz and Preble, 2000). Due to lack of cure for HIV/ AIDS, the vulnerable system of infected cases is under constant exposure to infections which negatively affect the nutritive status and vulnerable capability of the subjects in question( Piwoz and Preble, 2000). Malnutrition is a serious peril for people living with HIV/ AIDS. Indeed at the early stages of HIV infection when no symptoms are apparent, HIV makes demands on the body ‘s nutritive status( Walsh etal., 2003), the threat of malnutrition increases significantly during the course of the infection. Good nutrition can not cure AIDS or help HIV infection, but it can help to maintain and ameliorate the nutritive status of a person with HIV/ AIDS and delay the progression from HIV to AIDS- related conditions( Piwoz and Preble, 2000). It can thus ameliorate the quality of life of people living with HIV/ AIDS. nutritive care and support are important from the early stages of the infection to help the development of nutritive scarcities. A healthy and balanced diet will help to maintain body weight and fitness. Eating well helps to maintain and ameliorate the performance of the vulnerable system the body ‘s protection against infection – and thus helps a person to stay healthy( Bartlett, 2003). numerous of the conditions associated with HIV/ AIDS affect food input, digestion and immersion, while others impact the functions of the body( Bartlett, 2003). numerous of the symptoms of these conditions(e.g. diarrhoea, weight loss, mouth and throat blisters, nausea or vomiting) are manageable with applicable nutrition. Good- nutrition will round and support the effect of any drugtaken.In Kaduna state, there are many data on the micro nutrient status, lipid profile, frequence of under weight and fat among PLWHA. Hence, there’s a need to study their nutritive status.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

Although weight loss and wasting remain common in HIV infection, nutrition related problems similar as rotundity, diabetes, hyperlipideamia and hypertension also decreasingly affect people living with HIV( Piwoz and Preble, 2000). A shift in causes of death from acute opportunistic infections to other causes similar as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes and rotundity indicates the need for a further comprehensive approach to healthy nutrition for persons infected with HIV( Walsh etal., 2003). Research has also revealed that micro nutrients can modify the course of viral infection and restore the functionality of the vulnerable system( Jariwalla etal., 2011). Studies conducted with both single and multiple nutritive supplements have shown that micro nutrients act to control HIV/ AIDS by; repression of contagion addition and spread, restoration of cell- intermediated vulnerable responses and, decelerating the rate of progression and reducing the inflexibility of AIDS( Jariwalla etal., 2011).

defense

There are numerous publications on the epidemiology of the HIV/ AIDS and the factors fueling the epidemic in Nigeria, but there’s deficit of data on the nutritive status of people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.Assessment of nutrition and medical status is pivotal to quality nutrition care for every person living with HIV; thus, there’s a need to carry out a comprehensive study on the salutary pattern, biochemical parameters, an thropometric characteristics and micro nutrient status for quality nutrition care for persons living with HIV in Kaduna megalopolis.

AIM AND objects

Aim

To probe the salutary pattern and nutritive status of People Living with HIV/ AIDS( PLWHA) attending voluntary and comforting test( VCT) units of some Hospitals in Kaduna megalopolis.

Specific objects

The specific objects of the study arei. To assess the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of People Living with HIV/ AIDS attending voluntary and comforting test units in Kaduna megalopolis.

ii. To determine the anthropometric characteristics of People Living with HIV/ AIDS attending voluntary and comforting test units in Kaduna megalopolis.

iii. To assess some biochemical parameters of People Living with HIV/ AIDS attending voluntary and comforting test units in Kaduna megalopolis.

iv. To relate the micro nutrient status with some biochemical parameters of People Living with HIV/ AIDS attending voluntary and comforting test units in Kaduna megalopolis.

To determine the salutary pattern of People Living with HIV/ AIDS attending voluntary and comforting test units in Kaduna megalopolis