Nutritional care and support among adults living with XXXX at Hawassa Referral Hospital, southern Ethiopia: A qualitative study.

@entity1 @entity791 @entity645 @entity1585
Background Improving nutritional care and support for @entity1 living with @entity645 (PLHIV) is an integral part of comprehensive @entity645 treatment according to the National Nutritional Strategy of Ethiopia. However, there is no adequate published study that assesses the nutritional care and support services for adult @entity1 living with @entity645 / @entity791 (PLHIV) in this setting. Objective The objective of the study was to identify the existing nutritional care and support services and determine the challenges facing adults living with @entity645 at Hawassa Referral Hospital in southern Ethiopia. Methods A qualitative study was carried out using @entity1585 ( @entity1585 ), in-depth interviews and @entity1 observation. Four FDGs were held and five in-depth interviews were conducted. A two-week @entity1 observation was also conducted by trained nurses. All interviews and FDGs were tape-recorded and transcribed; those conducted in Amharic were translated back to English. Finally thematic analysis of the transcripts was performed. Results Most of the FDG @entity1 were unsatisfied with their nutritional care and support services and expressed difficulty with disclosing their @entity645 status for fear of stigma and discrimination. The in-depth interviews and @entity1 observation showed results similar to those of the FDG. Some key informants expressed a fear that such poor nutritional care and support may threaten the quality of life of @entity1 living with @entity645 and suggested that all stakeholders work on improving the services. Conclusion Current nutritional care and support services for @entity1 living with @entity645 are not well coordinated. They focus mainly on monthly supplementation of antiretroviral drugs and occasional handouts of food. The need to provide health education on antiretroviral drugs and nutrition, and to emphasise strategies aimed at improving the nutritional status of @entity1 living with @entity645 is critical. Furthermore, the study recommended strengthening the initiatives of some organisations regarding sustainable income-generating activities.
