Household food security, HIV knowledge and dietary patterns among Trinidadian adults: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between food consumption patterns and prevalence of food insecurity among Trinidadian adults. METHODS: A convenience sample of two hundred and twenty selected households participated in the study. Data were collected over a three-month period in the year 2015. A structured paper-based questionnaire was used to collect data on HIV knowledge, food consumption frequency, food security status and sexual risk behaviours. Principal component analysis was used to derive dietary patterns. Multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association between household food security and HIV knowledge and dietary pattern scores. All models were adjusted for gender, age, ethnicity, employment status and educational status. RESULTS: Two dietary consumption patterns were identified, namely westernized and prudent patterns. Overall, household food insecurity was approximately 65%, with food insecurity with children being that of 41% and without children 63%. Average HIV knowledge was 61.48 ± 15.16% among participants. Higher HIV knowledge (OR = 0.84; p = 0.002) and prudent dietary factor scores (OR = 0.64; p < 0.001) were associated with a greater odds of being food secure. Conversely, higher westernized dietary factor scores (OR = 1.33; p = 0.008) were associated witha greater likelihood of being food insecure. CONCLUSION: Greater awareness to HIV and healthier dietary patterns were seen among individuals from food secure households while persons who had westernized lifestyles were more likely to be from food insecure households. A greater effort is needed by governmental and public health institutions to help reduce the burden of food insecurity in the Caribbean.