Non-communicable disease risk factors among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA) – A relook during the covid-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND: The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in syndemic due to factors like overcrowding, loneliness, poor nutrition, and lack of access to health care services. With the ongoing pandemic, people with NCDs, including PLHA, are at high risk for developing severe and even fatal Covid-19 infections. Our study, which was carried out prior to the pandemic gives us an insight into the NCD risk factors profile of PLHAs so that effective interventions could be initiated to protect them from Covid-19 severity and NCDs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was carried out among PLHA in western Maharashtra, where PLHA were selected from five ART centers by means of a systematic random sampling method. Data were collected by means of a pretested questionnaire to assess NCD risk factors and anthropometric measurements were done. Data were collected at the baseline during the time of ART initiation and then after one year. Analysis was done by means of SPSS software (version 20.0). Results: The mean age of the study participants was 41.73 years. 59% belonged to rural areas, 21% were illiterate, and 12% belonged to the lower class as per the Modified BG Prasad scale. 33% were laborers by occupation, 66% were married, and 22% were widowed. At baseline, during the start of ART, 26% of the subjects were found to be overweight or obese, 36% had tobacco or smoking habits, and 15% had alcohol consumption habits. Even after one year, despite repeated counseling, about 32% of the subjects were found to be overweight or obese, 28% had tobacco and 8% had alcohol consumption habits, pointing to the need to integrate NCD prevention measures, such as screening routinely as per the national program, even in the PLHAs. 34% had normal BMI, while 35% were underweight, 14% overweight, and 17% obese after one year. 24% of PLHA had abnormal waist circumference at the end of one year. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate the incorporation of early screening for NCD risk factors among PLHA and effective behavior change communication (BCC) strategies to prevent and manage the same at the earliest before it can aggravate the already compromised immune status in these subjects, particularly during this Covid 19 pandemic. It will also act as a guiding article for family physicians or primary care physicians to help them look at specific basic parameters while screening of NCDs among PLHAs.