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

Abstract

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.

Keywords:

• Risky sexual behavior
• food insecurity
• HIV/AIDS
• university students
• South Africa

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Mr. Cornelius Nattey for providing the statistical support.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Data availability statement

Data is not available due to ethical restrictions. Due to the nature of the sensitive areas covered in this research, data cannot be shared publicly. Deidentified data is available upon request but cannot be used for other purposes apart from data confirmation.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Mangosuthu University of Technology Capacity Development Grant 2021, and the Post-graduate Research Grant from the Durban University of Technology.