Abstract
BACKGROUND: HIV/AIDS may cause malnutrition, both directly and indirectly, through common infections. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the effects of nutritional interventions on nutritional status, immunological status, adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART), and food security among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHOD: Five databases-MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and CENTRAL-were searched for articles on August 17, 2021, with an updated search conducted on September 30, 2023 to identify new records. Studies were considered eligible if they included adults living with HIV/AIDS who recently initiated ART, if they were controlled trials that provided nutritional interventions, and if they assessed the relevant nutritional, immunological and adherence outcomes. The effects of nutritional interventions were analyzed using a random-effects model. RESULTS: The systematic review comprised 22 articles from 12 LMICs, while the meta-analysis included 19 articles. The interventions provided lipid-based nutrient supplements, corn-soy blends, food baskets, conditional cash, prepared meals, micronutrient supplementation, and functional foods to PLWHA. Compared to controls, nutritional interventions for PLWHA significantly improved their body mass index (standardized mean difference, 95% confidence interval) (SMD 0.42; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.81; p = 0.03), fat mass (SMD 0.21; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.34; p = 0.002), fat-free mass (SMD 0.33; 95% CI: 0.19, 0.46; p < 0.0001), and CD4 (SMD 0.54; 95% CI: 0.01, 1.07; p = 0.05), but had no effect on their weight, viral load, or adherence to ART. The baseline nutritional and immunological characteristics of PLWHA, as well as the intervention characteristics, further modified these effects. CONCLUSION: Nutritional interventions improved some nutritional and immunological indicators but not ART adherence among PLWHA. Additionally, their effects were modified by some baseline characteristics and the type and duration of interventions which require consideration before its scaling up.