Nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, practice, and mental health status of people living with HIV in Dubai, United Arab Emirates: A cross-sectional descriptive study

BACKGROUND: Despite significant advancements in management, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection remains a global health concern. Limited research exists on the nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in the Middle East. This study assessed nutrition-related KAP and mental health status among PLHIV attending an HIV management clinic in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was used to assess HIV/AIDS nutrition-related KAP. The total KAP scores ranged from 13-69, with scores between 13-32 representing poor, 33-51 average, and 52-69 good KAP. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to screen the patients for anxiety and depression. Data was collected face-to-face from August to November 2023. RESULTS: Data were collected from 63 patients attending an outpatient clinic. The mean age of the participants was 40 ± 12.4 years, and 80% were men. Most participants (87.3%) demonstrated good KAP (84.6%% and 89.8% for females and males, respectively). Mental health screening for depression and anxiety showed mean total scores of 4.73 ± 3.6 and 4.9 ± 4.9, respectively, which correspond to normal levels. The prevalence of abnormal HADS depression and HADS Anxiety were 8.0% and 17.%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that the participants had good nutrition-related KAP scores, with the prevalence of depression and anxiety less than 20% which is significantly lower than estimates for PLHIV worldwide. This is the first study to explore KAP and mental health status among PLHIV in the Arabian Gulf region.