ArticleBMC public health2006
Body mass index, sexual behaviour, and sexually transmitted infections: an analysis using the NHANES 1999-2000 data.
Article in BMC public health, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 58 citations in OpenAlex.
- A meta-analysis of the association between male dimorphism and fitness outcomes in humans.eLife · 2022Pooled it
- HSV-2 serology can be predictive of HIV epidemic potential and hidden sexual risk behavior in the Middle East and North Africa.Epidemics · 2010Pooled it
- Heavy metals and prevalence of sexually transmitted infections: a cross-sectional study using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2016.BMC infectious diseases · 2026Article
- Bayesian Factor Analysis for Inference on Interactions.Journal of the American Statistical Association · 2021Article
- IDENTIFYING MAIN EFFECTS AND INTERACTIONS AMONG EXPOSURES USING GAUSSIAN PROCESSES.The annals of applied statistics · 2020Article
- Risky sexual behaviors and their association with overweight and obesity among adolescent students: a cross-sectional study.Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil) · 2019Article
- Prevalence, Patterns and Self-Perceived Effects of Pornography Consumption in Polish University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2019Article
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- The skinny on sexual risk: the effects of BMI on STI incidence and risk.AIDS and behavior · 2011Article
- Sexual behaviors among adults in Puerto Rico: a population-based study.The journal of sexual medicine · 2011Article
- Sexuality and obesity, a gender perspective: results from French national random probability survey of sexual behaviours.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2010Article
- Article
- Obesity and the likelihood of sexual behavioral risk factors for HPV and cervical cancer.Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) · 2008Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFactors determining human sexual behaviour are not completely understood, but are important in the context of sexually transmitted disease epidemiology and prevention. Being obese is commonly associated with a reduced physical attractiveness but the associations between body mass index, sexual behaviour and the risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections has never been studied.
methodsThe National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) files of 1999-2000 were used. Linear regression was used to relate the reported number of sex partners in the last year and lifetime to Body Mass Index (BMI). Logistic regression was used to relate Herpes Simplex Virus type II (HSV-2) antibodies to BMI and other variables.
resultsData on 979 men and 1250 women were available for analysis. Obese (mean number of partners for men:1.12, women: 0.93) and overweight (mean for men: 1.38, women: 1.03) individuals reported fewer partners than individuals of normal BMI (mean for men: 2.00, women: 1.15) in the last year (p < .0.01 & p < 0.05 for men, p < 0.05 & n.s. for women). The same relationship held for lifetime partners in men (mean 11.94, 18.80, and 22.08 for obese, overweight and normal BMI respectively (p < 0.05 & n.s. for obese and overweight vs normal respectively), but not in women (mean 7.96, 4.77, and 5.24 respectively). HSV-2 antibodies were significantly correlated with the number of lifetime partners in both men and women, with the odds of being HSV-2 positive increasing by 0.6% (p < 0.01) and 2.7% (p < 0.01) for men and women respectively. HSV-2 antibodies increased with age, even after adjustment for lifetime partners (p < 0.01). Being obese (HSV-2 prevalence 15.9 and 34.9% for men and women respectively) or overweight (HSV-2 prevalence 16.7 and 29.3 for men and women respectively) was not associated with HSV-2 antibodies (HSV-2 prevalence for normal BMI: 15.6 and 23.2% respectively), independent of whether the association was adjusted for life time sexual partners or not. There was evidence of substantial misreporting of sexual behaviour.
conclusionObese and overweight individuals, especially men, self report fewer sex partners than individuals of normal weight, but surprisingly this is not reflected in their risk of HSV-2 infection. HSV-2 antibodies provide information not contained in self-reported number of partners and may better estimate sexual risk than self-reported behaviour.
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