(P16-032-25) Dietary Pattern and Prevalence of Anemia Among Adolescents Living With HIV/AIDS Attending Clinics at Government Teaching Hospitals, Enugu, Nigeria

Objectives: This study assessed dietary patterns and anemia prevalence among adolescents living with HIV/AIDS attending clinics at government teaching hospitals in Enugu, Nigeria.

Methods: University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku and Enugu State University Teaching Hospital were purposely selected for the study. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, involving randomly selected participants using proportionate sampling. Ethical approval was obtained from UNTH's research ethics committee, and consent from respondents was secured. Data were collected using validated structured questionnaires covering socio-demographics, dietary patterns, & nutrition knowledge. Hemoglobin level and packed cell volume (PCV) were analyzed using standard laboratory methods and classified using WHO cut-offs. Data analysis employed SPSS Version 25, and results were presented as means & percentages. Relationships between variables were tested using Chi-square and Pearson correlation.

Results: The study included 234 adolescents, with 24 participating in biochemical tests. Most respondents (70.9%) were female, 56.8% lived with their mothers, and 78.2% were in secondary school. A significant proportion (65.4%) ate twice daily, 74.4% skipped meals (56.3% skipped breakfast, 23% skipped lunch). While 84.6% avoided no food, none smoked. Nutrition knowledge was high, with 38% having very good and 35% good knowledge. Dietary recall showed 79.1% consumed vitamin A-rich foods, starchy staples (94.4%), and legumes (79.5%). About 66.6% had high dietary diversity scores. Biochemical tests revealed 66.7% had normal hemoglobin levels, and 33.3% were mildly anemic. PCV analysis showed 62.5% normal and 37.5% mildly low values.

Mild anemia was more prevalent among females (20.8%) than males (12.5%), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.759). Dietary diversity scores were significantly associated with hemoglobin levels (p = 0.001) and PCV (p = 0.004). Age correlated significantly with meal skipping (p = 0.029) and snacking habits (p = 0.047), while educational level inversely related to meal frequency (p = 0.005). Meal skipping (p = 0.009) and snacking (p = 0.001) negatively impacted hemoglobin levels.

Conclusions: Overall, most adolescents had diversified diets, good nutrition knowledge, and low mild anemia incidence.

Funding Sources: No funding received