Prevalence and Risk Factors of Generalized and Abdominal Obesity among People Living with HIV on Antiretroviral Therapy: A Cross-sectional Study from a Tertiary Care ART Centre, Bangalore, India
Aug 2026· National Journal of Community Medicine· Vol 17, pp. 660-666· 0 citations
TL;DR
High CD4 count was the risk factor for generalized obesity and female sex, being married and high CD4 count were risk factors for abdominal obesity among PLHIV.
Abstract
Background: The proportion of obesity is increasing among PLHIV worldwide. As Indians are genetically prone for obesity and its complications. The objectives were to determine the prevalence of generalised and abdominal obesity and assess its risk factors among PLHIV on ART.
Methods: This Cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at an ART Centre, tertiary care hospital from February to April 2023. 496 study subjects were recruited. Data was collected using pre-tested standardized, semi-structured questionnaire. Results were expressed in both descriptive and inferential statistics using Stata 14.
Results: Among 496 subjects, majority 51.5% were females. More number of subjects, 45.3% were in the age group of 40-50 years and 71.4% were married. Greater number of study subjects belonged to upper socioeconomic class, i.e. 68.3%. The burden of generalized & abdominal obesity was 64.5% & 75.4% respectively. Significant association of generalized obesity was observed with CD4 count. Significant association of abdominal obesity was observed with sex, marital status and CD4 count.
Conclusions: More than two third of the PLHIV had abdominal obesity and more than three fifth had generalized obesity. High CD4 count was the risk factor for generalized obesity and female sex, being married and high CD4 count were risk factors for abdominal obesity among PLHIV.
Background: As the global roll-out of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) continues to improve survival, the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) poses new challenges to HIV care. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors, and predictors of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus among adult patients on ART in tertiary hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Materials and Methods: A hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 416 adult PLHIV using a multistage sampling method. Data was obtained using a pre-tested structured questionnaire adapted from the World Health Organization (WHO) STEPS Instrument, in addition to anthropometric and biomedical measurements. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were done using IBM SPSS version 27.
Results: The majority of the respondents, 70.2% (n=292) were female, and 54.1% (n=225) married, with a mean age of 49.1±10.2 years. The prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes was 37.3%, 52.6%, and 7.2% respectively. More than 70% of the respondents had at least one NCD. Multivariate analysis revealed that the high-income earners had 2 times higher odds of being obese, compared with the low-income category (aOR=2.018, 95% CI: 1.244-3.273, p=0.004); and respondents in the oldest age-groups had 4 to 5 times higher odds of having hypertension, compared with the youngest age-group (aOR=4.185, 95% CI: 1.280-13.684, p=0.018) and (aOR=5.783, 95% CI: 1.692-19766, p=0.005).
Conclusion: NCDs were more prevalent among the patients on ART compared with the general population, as almost three-quarters had at least one NCD. This study suggests that age, income and vegetable consumption are predictors of NCDs among PLHIV.
O. Ekekezie, M. Odofin, F. Olatona· Tanzania Journal of Health R...· 0 citations
Dyslipidemia was prevalent among approximately two in three HIV‐positive patients receiving long‐term ART at two tertiary hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, highlighting the need for routine lipid monitoring and integrated cardiovascular risk management within HIV care settings in similar urban, tertiary‐care contexts.
Nebiat Adane, Mekoya Mengistu, Tariku Fekadu et al.· AIDS Research and Treatment· 0 citations
BACKGROUND
Hyperuricemia is an emerging metabolic complication among people living with HIV in the era of antiretroviral therapy (ART), yet evidence from sub-Saharan Africa remains limited.
METHODS
A cross-sectional study was conducted at the LRRH Infectious Disease Centre between December 2024 and March 2025. A total of 385 adults living with HIV were selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected on sociodemographic, clinical, behavioral, and biochemical variables through interviews, physical examination, and laboratory testing. Serum uric acid, lipid profile, creatinine, and blood pressure were measured. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid > 7.0 mg/dL in males and > 6.0 mg/dL in females. Logistic regression was used to identify associated factors. Cardiovascular risk was assessed using the Framingham Risk Score (FRS).
RESULTS
The prevalence of hyperuricemia was 21.8%. Significant predictors included comorbidities (AOR=2.16, 95% CI 1.18-3.97), elevated total cholesterol (AOR=1.79, 95% CI 1.02-3.14), overweight/obesity (AOR=4.92, 95% CI 2.73-8.84), elevated systolic blood pressure (AOR=2.12, 95% CI 1.18-3.82), and cigarette smoking (AOR=4.89, 95% CI 2.59-9.23). Hyperuricemia was significantly associated with high cardiovascular risk according to FRS classification (p<0.001).
CONCLUSION
Hyperuricemia is prevalent among adults living with HIV at LRRH and is strongly associated with modifiable cardiometabolic and behavioral risk factors. These findings support routine screening and integrated cardiovascular-metabolic management within HIV care services.
Fatima Ibrahim Nor, M. Jayte, Ezera Agwu et al.· AIDS Research and Therapy· 0 citations
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a major public health challenge, with clinical manifestations and risk-related behaviors influencing disease progression and transmission. A retrospective cross-sectional hospital-based study of the socio-demographic characteristics, clinical profiles, treatment patterns, and behavioral risk factors among 196 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in El-Obeid city, with a complete response rate of 100% (total coverage). Data were analyzed and processed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 23.0, and Microsoft Excel 2010, and results were presented using tables and figures. The majority of participants were aged between 26 and 45 years. Male participants constituted 56.1% of the study population. Almost all participants-initiated ART immediately after diagnosis. Nearly half of the participants reported suffering from chronic diseases. TB was the most prevalent comorbidity, affecting 50% of those with chronic conditions. Sexual transmission was identified as the primary risk factor, accounting for nearly 60% of infections. Approximately 15% of respondents reported having more than three sexual partners. HIV/AIDS among PLWHA is associated with low condom utilization the first time they had sex, multiple sexual partners, alcohol consumption, early sexual debut, substance abuse, and socio-economic vulnerability.
Radi Mahmoud Hassan Hammad, Mohammed Salaman Gumaa Fadalla, M. Mohammed· Center of Medicine· 0 citations
Metabolic and morphological changes caused in people living with HIV (PLHIV) by infections and antiretroviral therapy increase cardiovascular risk. Anthropometric indicators are low-cost tools for cardiovascular risk assessment. This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between 11 anthropometric indicators and cardiovascular risk in 354 cis-gender PLHIV of both sexes ≥18 years, attending a public outpatient clinic in northeastern Brazil. Sociodemographic, clinical, personal, and anthropometric data were collected. Cardiovascular risk was determined using the Framingham risk score, and sex-stratified multivariable regression analyses adjusted for confounders were performed (p < 0.05). Participants were predominantly male (58.8%) with a mean age of 42.7±13.0 years. Cardiovascular risk was low in 70.1%, moderate in 16.7% and high 13.3%. Conicity index (CI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), body shape index (BSI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body roundness index (BRI) were significantly associated with cardiovascular risk only in men (standardized beta (β*) = 0.4985, β* = 0.4861, β* = 0.4645, β* = 0.4320 and β* = 0.4204, respectively) after adjustment for relevant confounders. No significant associations wereobserved in women. In conclusion, anthropometric indicators, particularly CI and WHR, were independently associated with cardiovascular risk in men living with HIV. These findings support the use of simple anthropometric measures for cardiovascular risk assessment in men with HIV.
Marcilene Glay Viana Pessoa, L. C. Melo, F. A. Moura et al.· AIDS Care· 0 citations
COPD is a worldwide public health problem; approximately 5% of all global deaths are attributed to COPD. Among chronic respiratory conditions, COPD contributes to 50% of the disease burden and 70% of DALYs in India. In India, it accounted for 9.5% of all deaths. There is limited community-based data on the prevalence of COPD and its risk factors in India.
A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in an urban poor locality of Bangalore. Sample size was calculated to be 1560. Population proportion to size (PPS) sampling technique was used. Information was collected from subjects aged >30 years through the interview method using a pretested semistructured questionnaire. A spirometry test was used to diagnose COPD.
Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and percentages were used. A Chi-square test was used to assess the association between categorical variables. Multivariate logistic regression was done.
The prevalence of COPD among individuals aged above 30 years was 10.38%. The prevalence among males was 14.4% and among females was 7.1%. The majority (74.06% had a moderate to severe stage of COPD. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the association of the risk factors for COPD was found to be statistically significant with age, history of tobacco smoke, smokeless tobacco, type of fuel used, biomass fuel exposure, ETS exposure, and indoor air pollution.
The prevalence of COPD among the population aged more than 30 years in an urban poor locality of a metropolitan city is high, with males having a higher prevalence than females.
G. Gowda, Sunil M Guruoadaswamy, S. Athani et al.· Indian Journal of Community...· 0 citations