Objective: To evaluate nutritional status and dietary intakes in HIV-outpatients in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: In the Outpatients and Counselling Unit in the University Hospital in Treichville, and in the follow-up Unit of Blood Donors. Subjects: 100 HIV-infected patients at different stages of the infection recruited consecutively in the two consultation services. Main outcome measures: Clinical, biological and anthropometric data were collected: weight, baseline weight, height, triceps skinfold (TS), arm circumference (AC), body mass index (BMI), muscular circumference (MC) and weight loss (WL). Dietary intake was estimated by the 24 h recall method. Results: The M:F sex ratio was 1.1:1. Mean age was 32.5 y (30.7-34.4); 64% of the patients were symptomatic (S+). Mean weight was 58.7 kg (56.8-60.6) and mean BMI, 20.9 k/m2 (20.7-21.1); 67% of the patients had a BMI < 21.5 kg/m2. S+ patients had mean weight, BMI, AC and MC significantly lower than asymptomatic patients (P < 0.0001 = 0.001, 0.0003 and 0.004 respectively) and had suffered a more important WL (P < 0.0001). Immunodepressed patients had mean weight, AC and MC significantly lower than patients with a CD4 count ≤ 200/mm3 (P = 0.04, 0.005 and 0.04 respectively). WL was independent of CD4 count. Protein, carbohydrate and fat intakes were respectively 59 g/24 h (52-66), 266 g/24 h (240-292) and 59 g/24 h (51-66). Energy mean intake was 7.6 MJ/24 h (6.9-8.4) and lower than WHO recommended intakes. Conclusions: In Abidjan, anthropometric parameters and dietary intakes of HIV-infected patients are worsened by clinical events. Nutritional intakes are generally lower than recommendations. Further studies are needed to determine if, in the African context, a causal relationship could exist between dietary intakes and nutritional status in HIV-infected patients. Sponsorship: This study has been presented in part at the IXth International Conference on AIDS and STD in Africa, Kampala, Ouganda, December 10-14, 1995 (Abstract no. Tu B123), and was supported in part by the Universite de Bordeaux II, Bordeaux (France) and the Centre ORSTOM Petit-Bassam, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire.
