Perceptions of body size and non-communicable disease risk among people with HIV in Nairobi, Kenya: an explanatory...

Burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) continues to rise in low- and middle-income countries like Kenya. People with HIV (PWH) may be at greater risk for obesity and NCDs. National health policies recommend integrated approaches to manage these conditions, but have not been widely implemented. To inform implementation, we characterised PWH's knowledge, attitudes and practices related to NCDs, perceptions of body size and NCD risk, and experiences of weight-related stigma and discrimination.

We conducted a cross-sectional, sequential explanatory, mixed-methods study among PWH attending the Comprehensive Care Centre of Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya. We surveyed 101 patients and interviewed 24 based on body mass index, NCD status and sex. We conducted descriptive statistics and Student's t-tests with the survey data and employed a rapid qualitative analysis approach to the interview data. We triangulated quantitative and qualitative results using joint displays.

Participants had high levels of awareness and concern about NCDs. Women reported greater worry about NCDs than men; this difference was significant for cancer and hypertension (p<0.05). Participants were aware that higher weight can increase NCD risk, though often did not think of themselves as at risk. Additionally, 50% of participants underestimated their actual body size, and most (74%) tried gaining or losing weight within the last year. Weight-related discrimination and stigma were low overall, though underweight individuals expressed these concerns most. Some participants expressed a desire for integrated HIV-NCD care.

Our results provide context for future weight management and HIV-NCD service integration initiatives in Kenya. NCDs are a major health concern for PWH. Many participants did not think of themselves as at risk, perhaps because half underestimated their actual body size. Future work should focus on understanding motivations for weight management to improve efforts to address HIV and NCDs in clinics and health systems.