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. 2024 Jun 11;19(6):e0301436.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301436. eCollection 2024.

Associations between disordered eating behaviour and sexual behaviour amongst emerging adults attending a tertiary education institution in Coastal Kenya

Stevenson K Chea  1   2 , Adama Kazienga  3 , Eunice A Oyugi  4 , Isaac Menza  4 , Carophine Nasambu  4 , Fauz Ibrahim  5 , Osman A Abdullahi  6 , Amin S Hassan  4   6 , Amina Abubakar  4   6   7   8 , Kristien Michielsen  9 , Souheila Abbeddou  2
Affiliations

Associations between disordered eating behaviour and sexual behaviour amongst emerging adults attending a tertiary education institution in Coastal Kenya

Stevenson K Chea et al. PLoS One. .

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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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Flow diagram showing enrolment of young adults aged 18–24 years recruited from Pwani University.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Distribution of participants by SB indicators and SB indicators by SB latent class.
(a) Distribution of participants by SB indicators; (b) distribution of SB indicators between participants that were defined to belong to latent high SB class, [SB, Red] with those in latent low SB class, [SB, blue], (Chi-square test p < 0.05 [***], n = 273.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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