Associations Between Disordered Eating Behaviour and Sexual Behaviour Amongst Emerging Adults Attending a Tertiary Education Institution in Coastal Kenya

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2024 Jun 11

PMID 38861516

Authors

Stevenson K Chea

Adama Kazienga

Eunice A Oyugi

Isaac Menza

Carophine Nasambu

Fauz Ibrahim

Osman A Abdullahi

Amin S Hassan

Amina Abubakar

Kristien Michielsen

Souheila Abbeddou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Sexual behavior (SB) is a well-documented pathway to HIV acquisition in emerging adults and remains common amongst African emerging adults. Previous research in high-income countries indicates a correlation between disordered eating behavior (DEB) and engaging in sexual behaviors. We aimed to describe the relationship between DEB and SB amongst emerging adults attending a tertiary educational institution at the Kenyan Coast.

Methods: We applied a cross-sectional design nested in a young adults' cohort study. Eligibility included sexually active emerging adults aged 18-24 years. Three DEBs (emotional, restrained and external eating) were assessed using the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire and analysed using exploratory factor analysis. Seven SB indicators were assessed: non-condom use, casual sex, multiple sex partners, transactional sex, group sex, age-disparate relationship and anal sex, and grouped into low vs. high SB using latent class analysis. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between DEB and SB.

Results: Of 273 eligible participants (female, n = 110 [40.3%]), the mean of emotional, restrained and external eating was 1.9 [0.6], 2.0 [0.6] and 3.0 [0.5] respectively. Overall, 57 (20.9%) were grouped into the latent high SB class. Emotional (Adjusted odds ratio, AOR [95% confidence interval, CI]: 1.0 [0.9-1.0], p = 0.398), restrained (AOR, 1.0 [CI: 0.9-1.1], p = 0.301) and External (AOR, 1.0 [CI: 0.8-1.2], p = 0.523) eating were not independently associated with latent high SB.

Conclusion: There was no significant association between DEB and SB in this study sample. In low- and middle-income countries like Kenya, interventions targeted at DEB among emerging adults towards controlling SB are unnecessary.

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