Background: The relationship between contraceptive use, past mental health problems, and current disordered eating behaviors is an emergent area of exploration in behavioral health research. With...Show moreBackground: The relationship between contraceptive use, past mental health problems, and current disordered eating behaviors is an emergent area of exploration in behavioral health research. With the evolution of contraceptive methods over time, understanding their potential interplay with mental health conditions is pivotal, especially among younger populations, for whom reproductive decisions and disordered eating behaviors are most prevalent. Objective: This exploratory study sought to determine if contraceptive use has an influence on current disordered eating behaviors and if past mental health problems serve as a mediating factor in this relationship. Methods: A nationally representative sample of students from occupational, applied science, and university institutions was utilized. Employing a cross-sectional design, extensive baseline data were collected through questionnaires. Respondents were classified into hormonal oral contraception and non-hormonal contraception groups. Mediation analyses were conducted to ascertain if any direct or indirect effects of contraceptive use on disordered eating behaviors were mediated through past mental health problems. Results: The mediation analyses did not identify significant direct or indirect effects of contraceptive use on current disordered eating behaviors through the lens of past mental health problems. Influential factors shaping the relationship between the studied variables included age, social support, and cognitive and behavioral coping mechanisms. No evidence was found to suggest past mental health issues mediated the connection between contraceptive use and current disordered eating. Limitations: The cross-sectional design of the study hampers causation or directional conclusions. The broad categorization of contraceptive methods and the aggregate scoring for past mental health problems may obfuscate specific influences. Relying on self-reported data also raises concerns of potential biases like recall and social desirability biases. Conclusion: This exploratory study offers an in-depth assessment of the proposed relationships between contraceptive use, past mental health conditions, and disordered eating behaviors in a student demographic. Although no significant associations were unearthed, the findings should be interpreted with circumspection due to the study's inherent constraints. Future research should emphasize longitudinal frameworks, delve into the granularities of contraceptive types and mental health conditions, and encompass more diverse cohorts to foster a richer understanding of these complex interrelationships.Show less
