Citation
Celeste-Villalvir, Alane; Then-Paulino, Amarilis; Armenta, Gabriela; Jimenez-Paulino, Gipsy; Palar, Kartika; Wallace, Deshira D.; & Derose, Kathryn P. (2023). Exploring Feasibility and Acceptability of an Integrated Urban Gardens and Peer Nutritional Counseling Intervention for People with HIV in the Dominican Republic. Public Health Nutrition, 26(12), 3134-3136. PMCID: PMC Journal - In ProcessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Food security interventions with people living with HIV (PLHIV) are needed to improve HIV outcomes. This process evaluation of a pilot intervention involving urban gardening and peer nutritional counseling with PLHIV assesses feasibility, acceptability, and implementation challenges to inform scale-up.DESIGN: Mixed methods were used, including quantitative data on intervention participation and feasibility and acceptability among participants (n=45) and qualitative data from a purposive sample of participants (n=21). Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed and coded using a codebook developed iteratively.
SETTING: An HIV clinic in the northwest-central part of the Dominican Republic.
RESULTS: The intervention was feasible for most participants: 84% attended a garden workshop and 71% established an urban garden; 91% received all three core nutritional counseling sessions; and 73% attended the cooking workshop. The intervention was also highly acceptable: nearly all participants (93-96%) rated the gardening as "helpful" or "very helpful" for taking HIV medications, their mental/emotional wellbeing, and staying healthy; similarly high percentages (89-97%) rated the nutrition counseling "helpful" or "very helpful" for following a healthy diet, reducing unhealthy foods, and increasing fruit/vegetable intake. Garden barriers included lack of space and animals/pests. Transportation barriers impeded nutritional counseling. Harvested veggies were consumed by participants' households, shared with neighbors and family, and sold in the community. Many emphasized that comradery with other PLHIV helped them cope with HIV-related marginalization.
CONCLUSION: An urban gardens and peer nutritional counseling intervention with PLHIV was feasible and acceptable; however, addressing issues of transportation, pests, and space is necessary for equitable participation and benefit.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1368980023002264Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2023Journal Title
Public Health NutritionAuthor(s)
Celeste-Villalvir, AlaneThen-Paulino, Amarilis
Armenta, Gabriela
Jimenez-Paulino, Gipsy
Palar, Kartika
Wallace, Deshira D.
Derose, Kathryn P.