TY - JOUR
PY - 2019//
TI - Food insecurity, sexual risk taking, and sexual victimization in Ghanaian adolescents and young South African adults
JO - International journal of public health
A1 - Masa, Rainier
A1 - Graham, Lauren
A1 - Khan, Zoheb
A1 - Chowa, Gina
A1 - Patel, Leila
SP - 153
EP - 163
VL - 64
IS - 2
N2 - OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to examine whether food insecurity is associated with sexual risk taking and victimization in young people (aged 16-24); and to investigate whether the relationship of food insecurity with sexual risk taking and victimization is moderated by gender.
METHODS: Cross-sectional data were obtained in 2014 from a sample of Ghanaian adolescents (nā=ā773) and in 2015 from young South African adults (nā=ā823). We used multilevel logistic regression given the study's binary outcome and clustered data. We tested a moderation effect of gender by including an interaction between gender and food insecurity.
RESULTS: Food insecurity was highly prevalent (72% in Ghana and 83% in South Africa). Food insecurity was significantly associated with unwanted sexual contact among Ghanaian adolescents (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02, 1.08) and age-disparate sex among young South African adults (OR 1.03, 95% CI 1.00, 1.06).
RESULTS indicated no moderating effect of gender.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings underscore the importance of food access on young people's sexual health, regardless of gender. Prevention efforts may be more relevant when integrated with food security interventions that target vulnerable adolescents and young adults, irrespective of gender.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1661-8556 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00038-018-1155-x ID - ref1 ER -