Data for: Associations between mental health disorders and nutritional indicators with self-reported sexually transmitted infections amongst emerging adults in a tertiary education institution in Coastal Kenya

Background: Globally, absolute incidence cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on an increase with emerging adults, especially from Sub-Saharan African (sSA) settings, being disproportionately affected. Mental health disorders and abnormal nutritional indicators are also prevalent among emerging adults in sSA but their associations with STI has not been determined. We aimed to elucidate associations between mental health and nutritional indicators with self-reported STIs among emerging adults in Coastal Kenya.Methods: A longitudinal study design was used. Emerging adults (18.0-24.9 years old) attending a tertiary education institution were recruited and followed up three-monthly for 12 months. At enrolment, volunteers were screened for mental health disorders (depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and alcohol and substance abuse), and abnormal nutritional indicators (disordered eating behavior, body mass index [BMI] and waist-hip ratio WHR]). At enrolment and during all follow up visits, STIs were determined as volunteers reporting at least one of 10 common STI symptoms. Sexual behavior (SB), defined as a composite variable from seven indicators using latent class analysis, was considered an a-priori effect modifier. Associations between mental health and nutritional indicators with prevalence (at enrolment) and incidence (during follow up) STIs were determined using Logistic and Cox proportional hazard models, respectively.Results: Of 572 volunteers, 97 (16.9% [95% CI: 13.9–20.2]) reported an STI at enrolment. GAD (adjusted odds ratio, aOR [95% CI], p-value: 2.7 [1.4–5.2], 0.002]) and alcohol binge drinking (aOR [95% CI], p value]: 2.6 [1.4–4.7], 0.001]) were independently associated with self-reported STIs at enrolment. Nutritional indicators were not associated with self-reported STIs at enrolment. Of 475 volunteers without an STI at enrolment, 60 reported an STI during follow up across 1865.1 person months observations (incidence rate, 3.2/100 [95% CI: 2.4–4.1] pmo). Baseline mental health disorders and abnormal nutritional indicators did not predict incidence of self-reported STIs.Conclusion: The high burden of self-reported STIs suggest a need for targeted interventions among emerging adults in institutions of tertiary education. Integration of support systems for GAD and alcohol binge drinking among emerging adults reporting an STI are also warranted at STI clinics in Kenya.