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

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.