Food Insecurity and Risky Sexual Behaviors among University Students in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Dados Bibliográficos

ID19543545
AutoresTrishka Govender (0000-0002-0127-2249, Mangosuthu University of Technology, autor correspondente), Nalini Govender (0000-0002-4047-6340, Durban University of Technology), Poovendhree Reddy (0000-0003-0197-8951, Durban University of Technology)
Ano2022
Volume34
Fascículo4
Páginas540-549
Data de publicação2022-10-02
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Journal of Sexual Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1931-7611 • E-ISSN: 1931-762X
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/19317611.2022.2117257
PMID38596390
OpenAlexW4294287450
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências citadas26

Objective: Risky sexual behavior (RSB) is associated with increased rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, and unwanted pregnancies among university students. In view of its global impact on public health, the potential association between food insecurity and RSBs among university students requires investigation. This study aimed to determine the association between food security status and the likelihood to engage in RSBs amongst university students in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa (SA). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at four public sector higher educational institutions (HEIs) in KZN. A convenience sampling strategy was used to recruit participants (N = 375). All data were analyzed using STATA version 15 software. Results: Our data shows that food insecurity increased the odds of students engaging in transactional sex for “money” or “to meet basic material needs.” Participants who were food insecure were two times more likely to have multiple sexual partners. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate a significant association between food insecurity and RSBs. It is recommended that interventions targeting the alleviation of food insecurity, should be developed and implemented by HEIs to reduce RSB participation

Environmental health · Family medicine · Food insecurity · Food security · Geography · Logistic regression · Odds · Political science · Population · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Public health · Public university · Risky sexual behavior · Sexually active · Transactional sex · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Homelessness and Social Issues · Medicine · Nursing · Psychology