Premium
Determinants of sexual dysfunction among middle‐aged women
Author(s) -
Cabral Patrícia U.L.,
Canário Ana C.G.,
Spyrides Maria H.C.,
Uchôa Severina A.C.,
Eleutério José,
Gonçalves Ana K.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2012.09.023
Subject(s) - medicine , climacteric , logistic regression , sexual dysfunction , quality of life (healthcare) , incidence (geometry) , sexual function , demography , cross sectional study , gynecology , gerontology , menopause , physics , nursing , pathology , sociology , optics
Objective To assess the determinants of sexual dysfunction among middle‐aged women. Methods In a cross‐sectional, questionnaire‐based study of middle‐aged women (aged 40–65 years) attending a public healthcare facility in Natal, Brazil, data on sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral characteristics were collected between May and October 2011. The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Blatt–Kupperman Menopausal Index (BKMI), International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and WHO quality of life questionnaire (WHOQOL‐Bref) were used to collect data, which were analyzed by relative frequency and percentage of variables, followed by Pearson χ 2 test and logistic regression analysis. Results Among 370 study participants, 67% exhibited sexual dysfunction (FSFI ≤ 26.55). Women who were in the oldest age group (56–65 years) ( P < 0.001), were divorced or separated ( P < 0.001), were sedentary ( P = 0.006), had undergone a hysterectomy ( P = 0.016), had strong climacteric symptoms ( P < 0.001), or had low quality of life ( P < 0.001) had a significantly higher incidence of sexual dysfunction. Logistic regression showed that the eldest group of women (55–65 years) (95% CI, 3.4–15.7; P < 0.001), with the strongest climacteric manifestations (95% CI, 3.4–15.7; P < 0.001) and lowest quality of life (95% CI, 3.2–13.8; P < 0.001), were most likely to develop sexual dysfunction. Conclusion Sexual dysfunction was found to be substantially influenced by sociodemographic, biologic, and behavioral variables.