Disordered Eating and Forced Sex Among Adolescent Males

Abstract

Abstract Background: Eating disorders among adolescent males are an understudied public health problem. Although a number of factors may contribute to disordered eating within this population, experiences of forced sexual intercourse among adolescent males may be a significant risk factor. This study sought to examine the independent association between experiences of forced sexual intercourse and disordered eating among adolescent males. Methods: Using data from a nationally representative sample (n=3,161), three logistic regression models were fit to the data to examine the association between forced sexual intercourse and disordered eating among sexually active adolescent males. Race/ethnicity and grade in school were included as control variables. Number of sexual partners, sports team participation, depressive symptoms, weight perceptions, and body mass index (BMI) were included as potentially confounding covariates. Results: Overall, 12.6% of adolescent males in the sample reported at least one diso...