Food insecurity and the risk of depression in people living with HIV/AIDS: a systematic review and meta-analysis

• Main Authors: Getinet Ayano, Light Tsegay, Melat Solomon
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2020-06-01
• Series: AIDS Research and Therapy
• Subjects: Food insecurity; Depression; HIV; AIDS; Systematic review; Meta-analysis
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12981-020-00291-2

Abstract Background The link between food insecurity and depression in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has been explored in numerous studies; however, the existing evidence is inconclusive due to inconsistent results. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the relationship between food insecurity and depression in PLWHA. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Scopus to identify relevant studies. A random-effect model was used for conducting the meta-analysis. We assessed the risk of publication bias by funnel plot and Egger’s regression asymmetry test. Results In this review, seven studies were included in the final analysis. Our meta-analysis revealed that food insecurity significantly increased the risk of depression in PLWHA [RR 2.28 (95% CI 1.56–3.32)]. This association remained significant after adjusting for the confounding effects of drug use [RR 1.63 (95% CI 1.27–2.10)], social support [RR 2.21 (95% CI 1.18–4.16)] as well as ART drugs [RR 1.96 (95% CI 1.17–3.28)]. Our subgroup and sensitivity confirmed the robustness of the main analysis. Conclusion This systematic review and meta-analysis suggest a significant association between food insecurity and increased risk of depression PLWHA. Therefore, early screening and management of food insecurity in PLWHA seem to be necessary.