Body Image and Its Associated Factors among People Living with HIV: A Scoping Review and Implications for Integrated Care

People living with HIV (PLWH) face unique biopsychosocial challenges due to both infection and antiretroviral therapy (ART), one of which is body image disruption. This study comprehensively reviewed relevant studies to explore body image issues, identify associated factors, and describe assessment methods and interventions targeting body image in this population. Guided by the PRISMA, a thorough search of PsycINFO, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science was conducted in November 2024, using search terms relevant to HIV and Body image. NIH Study Quality Assessment Tools were used to assess the quality of the included studies, and a narrative synthesis was conducted to identify common themes, including definitions of body image, associated factors, measurement instruments, and interventions targeting body image among PLWH. From 2197 publications, 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. The majority of studies demonstrated an association between negative body image and psychosocial factors, including depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, and substance use. Body image dissatisfaction was also associated with physical health factors such as lipodystrophy. Sixteen distinct body image measurement tools were used across studies. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Body Image and Self-Care (CBT-BISC) was the only target intervention that showed effectiveness in mitigating body image disturbance and improving ART adherence among PLWH. This is the first comprehensive scoping review to exclusively consider body image, associated factors, measurements, and target interventions among PLWH, which highlighted the need for comprehensive, culturally sensitive interventions that address both the physical and psychological dimensions of body image concerns.