Objectives: The study aimed to see predictors of undernourished and its implication towards HIV continuum care.
Study design: unmatched case-control study was conducted among 678 individuals in Jimma zone, southwest Ethiopia.
Methods: Randomly selected data of 339 PLWHA who had poor nutritional outcomes (cases) and 339 without undernourished (controls) were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to identify forecasters of undernutrition. The quantitative results were supplemented from key informants who work closely on HIV care, then data were coded and analyzed thematically.
Results: Rural residence (AOR:1.8; 95% CI: 1.2, 6.4), female (AOR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.1, 4.3), unstable livelihood (AOR: 5.1; 95% CI: 4.2, 19.6), low meal frequency (AOR: 6.6; 95% CI: 5.2, 21.1), less diversified foods (AOR: 3.5; 95% CI: 1.2, 14.3), and advanced WHO clinical stage (AOR: 4.3; 95% CI: 3.6, 13.7) and were found to be independent predictors of undernourishment. No social support advanced clinical stage, and unstable livelihood adversely affect nutritional status of PLWHA from the qualitative data.
Conclusions: The socio-cultural, economic, and health-system factors inhibit ideal patient nutritional status. Better tracking, enhanced livelihood and social support along with drug therapy, food aid needs to consider for PLWHA.
Keywords: BMI; PLWHA; adult; public hospitals; undernutrition.