Food insecurity, sexual risk taking, and sexual victimization in Ghanaian adolescents and young South African adults

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 (n = 773) and in 2015 from young South African adults (n = 823). 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.