Table 2 Comparison of baseline sociodemographic, economic, sexual risk behavior, dietary intake, clinical, mental health, gender empowerment, clinical and laboratory findings of participants enrolled in Shamba Maisha at the intervention and control sites

Sociodemographic variables

n (%)

n (%)

Mean age in years (SE)

37 (0.80)

38 (0.80)

0.16

Female gender

37 (51)

35 (51)

0.92

Education ≥ secondary school

14 (19)

12 (18)

0.82

Current married

54 (75)

54 (79)

0.25

Mean number of people in household (SE)

6 (0.2)

7 (0.3)

0.12

Food security level

Moderately food insecure

14 (20)

14 (21)

0.86

Severely food insecure

57 (80)

53 (78)

0.86

Body Mass Index (BMI) <18.5

13 (18)

5 (7)

0.054

Economic indicators

Mean (SE) Monthly Household Income (USD*)

104 (21.3)

273 (53.1)

0.008

Land ownership (Self or Jointly)

60 (83)

49 (73)

0.14

Sexual risk behavior

Any unprotected sex

13 (18)

12 (18)

0.95

Sex exchange (ever)

15 (21)

28 (41)

0.009

Sex exchange (last 3 months)

2 (3)

6 (9)

0.12

>1 Sexual partners in the past 3 months

9 (13)

9 (13)

0.92

Dietary intake (frequency of consumption - times/week)

Grains mean (SE)

19.0 (0.8)

20.8(0.8)

0.1320

Vege`s mean (SE)

20.3 (0.9)

25.9 (0.7)

<0.0001

Fruit mean (SE)

9.0 (0.6)

10.6 (0.9)

0.1352

Meat, Poultry mean (SE)

3.4 (0.3)

5.3 (0.3)

<0.00001

Eggs mean (SE)

0.9 (0.1)

1.3 (0.2)

0.117

Dairy mean (SE)

1.9 (0.3)

4.5 (0.5)

<0.0001

Cooking fat mean (SE)

5.0 (0.3)

6.8 (0.1)

<0.00001

Sweets mean (SE)

7.1 (0.7)

11.9 (0.7)

<0.00001

Mental health

Depression score ≥1.75 (clinical depression)

1 (1)

4 (6)

0.2

Mental health summary score (SE)

57.1 (3.4)

42.8 (5.6)

0.15

Mean internalized AIDS related stigma scale (SE)

14.1 (0.2)

13.7 (0.2)

0.19

Disclosed to husband/wife/partner

65 (97)

63 (95)

0.68

Mean Social Support Score (SE)

53.4 (10.8)

35.8 (8.3)

0.2

Problem drinking based on audit C

1 (1)

2 (3)

0.53

Gender empowerment

Mean sexual relationship power scale (women only) (SE)

54 (10)

47 (8)

0.59

Mean decision making dominance scale (SE)

46 (5)

42 (4)

0.46

Clinical, Laboratory and antiretroviral (ART) adherence

WHO clinical stage 3 or 4

15 (21)

22 (33)

0.12

Median CD4 (IQR) cells/mm³

446 (330–629)

475 (356–679)

0.33

Baseline CD4 ≤ 350 cells/mm³

20 (29)

16 (24)

0.467

Viral load above the limit of detection (≥20 copies/mL)

34 (49)

19 (28)

0.010

Physical health summary score (SE)

54.3 (3.6)

45.5 (4.0)

0.03

Hospitalized in the last three months

3 (4)

5 (7)

0.4

Reported ART adherence per Visual Analogue Scale < 90%

0 (0)

6 (9)

0.01