UCSF

PURPOSE: Little is known about food insecurity and unmet subsistence needs and their association with antiretroviral therapy adherence among youth and young adults living with HIV (YLWH). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey to examine this association in 101 YLWH (aged 18-29 years). Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to estimate adjusted risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Approximately 51.7% of participants experienced at least one unmet subsistence need (difficulty finding enough to eat [36.6%], clothing [22.8%], place to sleep [21.8%], place to wash [17.8%], and bathroom [15.8%]), and 64.2% reported being food insecure. For every additional unmet need, the risk of very good/excellent adherence was reduced by 15% (RR = .85; 95% CI = .72-.99; p value = .04). The risk of very good/excellent adherence was lowered by 39% (RR = .61; 95% CI = .43-.87; p value = .005) among food insecure youth, compared with those who were food secure. CONCLUSIONS: These data highlight the need for more research and structural interventions targeting food assistance strategies among YLWH.