Micronutrient intake of HIV-infected women in Mangaung, Free State

Background. Poor nutritional status in HIV/AIDS patients can affect immune function profoundly, leading to faster disease progression and earlier death. Objective. To determine the micronutrient intake of HIV-infected women in Mangaung. Design and setting. A cross-sectional study was undertaken in Mangaung, Bloemfontein, Free State. Subjects and methods. A representative group of 500 pre-menopausal women (25-44 years) was randomly selected to participate in the study. Micronutrient intake was determined using a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (QFFQ). Median micronutrient intakes were compared with the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or Adequate Intake (AI) values. The prevalence of women with intakes ≤ 67% of the RDA or AI was calculated. Median micronutrient intakes were compared between HIV-infected and uninfected women using non-parametric 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and the Mann-Whitney test. Results. Sixty-one per cent of women in the younger age group (25-34 years) and 38% of older women (35-44 years) were HIV-infected. Between 46.6% and 70.7% of all women consumed ≤ 67% of the RDA or Al for calcium, total iron, selenium, folate and vitamin C. At least 25% of HIV-infected women did not meet either the RDA or the AI for vitamins A, D and E. Younger HIV-infected women had significantly higher intakes of calcium (p=0.046), phosphorus (p=0.04), potassium (p=0.04), vitamin B12 (p=0.01), vitamin D (p=0.03) and vitamin E (p=0.04) than their HIV-uninfected counterparts. Older HIV-infected women had significantly lower intakes of haem iron (p=0.03), non-haem iron (p=0.04) and selenium (p=0.04) than their HIV-uninfected counterparts. Conclusions. Insufficient micronutrient intakes are common in both HIV-infected and uninfected women. A well-balanced diet and micronutrient supplementation seem warranted to ensure optimal health and survival, particularly in HIV-infected women.