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

## TL;DR

This study explores whether disordered eating behaviors are linked to risky sexual behaviors in young adults in Kenya but finds no significant connection.

## Contribution

The study provides novel evidence on the relationship between disordered eating and sexual behavior in a low-income African context.

## Key findings

- No significant association was found between disordered eating behaviors and sexual behaviors in the study sample.
- Approximately 20.9% of participants were classified into a high-risk sexual behavior group.
- Findings suggest interventions targeting disordered eating to control sexual behavior may not be necessary in this population.

## Abstract

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.

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.

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.

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.