Dietary intake and body mass index in HIV-positive and HIV-negative drug abusers of Hispanic ethnicity

OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition in drug abusers has been attributed to poor diet. However, previous studies are conflicting. Many studies have not considered possible concurrent HIV disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between drug abuse and dietary intake in Hispanic Americans with and without HIV infection. DESIGN: Dietary intake was measured using 3-day food records and 24-hour dietary recalls in three groups: HIV-positive drug abusers, HIV-negative drug abusers and HIV-positive persons who do not use drugs ('non-drug abusers'). SETTING: The baseline data from a prospective cohort study of the role of drug abuse in HIV/AIDS weight loss and malnutrition conducted in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. SUBJECTS: The first 284 participants to enroll in the study. RESULTS: HIV-positive drug abusers had a body mass index (BMI) that was significantly lower than that of HIV-positive non-drug abusers. Reported energy, fat and fibre intakes did not differ between groups. All groups had median reported intakes of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium and zinc that were in excess of the dietary reference values (DRI). Intakes of alpha-tocopherol were below the DRI, but did not differ from intakes of the general US population. However, increasing levels of drug abuse were associated with lower reported intakes of vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium and zinc. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study does not support the notion that dietary intake can explain the lower BMI of HIV-positive drug abusers. Further studies examining non-dietary determinants of nutritional status in drug abusers are warranted.