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Food Insecurity, CD4 Counts, and Incomplete Viral Suppression Among HIV+ Patients from Texas Children’s Hospital: A Pilot Study

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Abstract

Determine the relationship between food insecurity and CD4 counts and viral suppression among pediatric HIV-positive patients. Food insecurity was assessed by validated survey. CD4 counts and viral load were abstracted from patients’ charts. We used linear regression for the dependent variable of the natural log of CD4 counts and logistic regression for viral suppression, with backward deletion of covariates with p > 0.1. Food insecurity (β = −0.23, 95 % CI [−0.40, −0.01]) was associated with lower CD4 counts and higher odds of incomplete viral suppression (OR = 4.07, 95 % CI [1.02, 13.92]). Food insecurity may adversely impact pediatric HIV outcomes.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

ARV:

Antiretroviral

CD:

Cluster of differentiation

HIV:

Human immunodeficiency virus

PCR:

Polymerase chain reaction

TCH:

Texas Children’s Hospital

US(A):

United States (of America)

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the study participants and the clinic staff for their cooperation. The authors acknowledge the efforts of the two anonymous reviewers. This study was supported by the Texas Children’s Hospital Pediatric Pilot Research Fund to the first author. The first author was also supported, in part, by a career development award (K07CA131178) and by the US Department of Agriculture Cooperative Agreement (6250-51000-053). The funders had no role in the design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data or writing/submission of this report. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Texas Children’s Hospital, the National Cancer Institute, US Department of Agriculture, or Baylor College of Medicine, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement from the funders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates St, Houston, TX, 77030-2600, USA

    Jason A. Mendoza, Yan Liu, Richard Martinez, Theresa A. Nicklas & Tom Baranowski

  2. Baylor-UTHouston Center for AIDS Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Jason A. Mendoza & Mary E. Paul

  3. Dan L Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Jason A. Mendoza & Tom Baranowski

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Retrovirology and Global Health, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates St, Suite 630, Houston, TX, 77030-2600, USA

    Mary E. Paul

  5. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Community Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 2450 Holcombe Blvd, Suite 39G, Houston, TX, 77021, USA

    Heidi Schwarzwald

Authors
  1. Jason A. Mendoza
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  2. Mary E. Paul
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  3. Heidi Schwarzwald
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  4. Yan Liu
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  5. Richard Martinez
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  6. Theresa A. Nicklas
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  7. Tom Baranowski
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jason A. Mendoza.

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Mendoza, J.A., Paul, M.E., Schwarzwald, H. et al. Food Insecurity, CD4 Counts, and Incomplete Viral Suppression Among HIV+ Patients from Texas Children’s Hospital: A Pilot Study. AIDS Behav 17, 1683–1687 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0419-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-013-0419-y

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