Sexuality: Measures of Partnerships, Practices, Attitudes, and Problems in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Study
Open accessAbstract
Objectives The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) was designed to examine the relationship between sexual behavior, sexual problems, and health among older women and men. We describe measures of sexual partnerships, sexual practices, sexual problems, attitudes toward sex, and nonsexual intimacy in the first wave of NSHAP. Methods We compare measures of sexuality for those 57-85 years old, by age, separately for men and women. We construct scales of sexual mores, sexual interest, and relationship satisfaction and discuss properties of each scale. Results Sexuality among older adults tends to vary with age and gender. At all ages in this study, men are more likely than women to have a partner, more likely to be sexually active with that partner, and tend to have more positive and permissive attitudes toward sex. The proportions in a sexual partnership, behavior, problems, and attitudes all differ substantially by age. And these age patterns often differ for men and women. Discussion Data obtained in the NSHAP can be used to construct key measures of sexuality among older adults; to examine sexuality itself; and to explore the link between sexuality, health, well-being, and other dimensions of the lives of older adults.
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In the past few years, a number of well-publicized studies have investigated the sexual activity of those as old as 94.
“In the past few years, however, a number of well-publicized studies have investigated the sexual activity of those as old as 94.”
From Medicalization and the Refashioning of Age-Related Limits on Sexuality (2012) · cites this paper as Waite, Laumann, Das, & Schumm, 2009
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“Lindau et al. (2007) reported results from NSHAP, based on face-to-face interviews with a national probability sample of 3005 adults aged 57 85.”
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“Behaviors that older adults consider as sexual activity are often broader than those of younger people (Bouman, 2013; Hinchliff & Gott, 2004a; Waite et al., 2009), encompassing physical intimacy more than traditional modes of sexual activity like penetrative sexual intercourse.”
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“2 These include the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project at the University of Chicago (Laumann, Das, & Waite, 2008 ; Lindau et al, 2007 ; Waite, Laumann, Das, & Schumm, 2009 ) and the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behaviour (Herbenick et al, 2010 ; Schick et al, 2010 ).”
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“In the medical literature, these include studies from the United States (Lindau et al. 2007; Waite et al. 2009), Finland (Koskimaki et al. 2008), the Netherlands (Korfage et al. 2008), and a Pfizer-sponsored cross-national survey (Nicolosi 2004), all of which were widely reported on in the popular…”
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“Given research suggesting men and women in their later years often want to remain intimate (AARP, 2010; Chao et al., 2011; Waite et al., 2009; WoloskiWruble et al., 2010), it is important to acknowledge barriers to sexual expression beyond physiological limitations.”
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“This may be a result of internalized ageism in the female participants, although the younger cohorts were more positive than the older (Waite et al., 2009), suggesting that the grip of ageist sexism might be loosening with new generations of women growing old.”
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“The exclusion criterion on the diagnosis period and age of active treatment was based on the fact that adults are generally sexually active through 74 years old([32]) and 67.”
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“In fact, the rate of sexual activity in older adults is comparable to that of the young adults previously identified in general population studies (Lindau et al. 2007, Huang et al. 2009; Waite et al. 2009).”
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MethodAttitudes toward online sexual activities
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ResultThe Sexuality and Sexual Health of LGBT Elders
Hillman, J. L. (2017) · Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics · doi:10.1891/0198-8794.37.13 · Cited by 20
“Unfortunately, most of the current large-scale, national surveys of sexual activity (e.g., the NSHAP; Waite et al., 2009) fail to gather information about anal sex.”
BackgroundInfluentialMiddle-aged female sexual dysfunction and multimorbidity: a population-based study
Valadares, A., Lui-Filho, J., Costa-Paiva, L., & Pinto-Neto, A. (2016) · Menopause · doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000000533 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Taylor, T., Weedon, J., Golub, E. T., Karpiak, S. E., Gandhi, M., Cohen, M. H., Levine, A. M., MINKOFF, H. L., Adedimeji, A., Goparaju, L., et al. (2014) · AIDS and Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10461-014-0901-1 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
The psychosocial sources of sexual interest in older couples
Iveniuk, J., & Waite, L. J. (2018) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/0265407517754148 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Self-citationLee, D., Nazroo, J., & Pendleton, N. (2015) · International journal of impotence research · doi:10.1038/ijir.2015.4 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Marital Quality and Older Men's and Women's Comfort Discussing Sexual Issues With a Doctor
Adams, S. A. (2013) · Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy · doi:10.1080/0092623x.2012.691951 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Indeed, marriage provides most older adults with a stable social and emotional context for sexual relations (Waite, Laumann, Das, & Schumm, 2009 ).”
BackgroundPromoting a discussion on later life sexuality: Lessons from sexologist physicians
Gewirtz-Meydan, A., Levkovich, I., Mock, M., Gur, U., & Ayalon, L. (2019) · Sexual & Relationship Therapy · doi:10.1080/14681994.2018.1437258 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Sanctified Sexual Relationships in Marriage: Reflections from Religious Wives and Husbands
Leavitt, C. E., Allsop, D. B., Clarke, R. W., Marks, L. D., & Dollahite, D. C. (2021) · Review of Religious Research · doi:10.1007/s13644-020-00440-z · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Das, A., & Sawin, N. (2016) · Archives of Sexual Behavior · doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0815-2 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Data on sexual problems were collected in NSHAP through dichotomous response items,eachaskingtheparticipantabout thepresenceofa sexual problem for‘‘several months or more’’over the preceding 12 months (Laumann, Das, & Waite, 2008; Waite et al., 2009).”
MethodSelf-citationSexual Activity and Satisfaction in Older Adult Dyads: The Role of Perceptions of Aging
Skoblow, H., Drewelies, J., & Proulx, C. M. (2022) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnac099 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Most adults over the age of 50 who are in a committed relationship are sexually active, and many remain sexually active into their oldest years (DeLamater, 2012; Kolodziejczak et al., 2019; Waite et al., 2009).”
BackgroundSchwartz, P., & Diefendorf, S. (2014) · American Psychological Association eBooks · doi:10.1037/14193-017 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Using online methods to interview older adults about their romantic and sexual relationships
Malta, S. (2012) · Palgrave Macmillan UK eBooks · doi:10.1057/9781137271372_9 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Perspectives from Highly Religious Families on Boundaries and Rules About Sex
Allsop, D., Leavitt, C. E., Clarke, R. W., Driggs, S. M., Gurr, J. B., Marks, L., & Dollahite, D. (2021) · Journal of religion and health · doi:10.1007/s10943-020-01171-9 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Fischer, N., Štulhofer, A., Hald, G. M., Carvalheira, A. A., & Træen, B. (2020) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2020.1809615 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“Loss of sexual desire appear to be especially prevalent among older women (Lindau & Gavrilova, 2010; Waite et al., 2009).”
BackgroundSexual Well-Being in Older Women: The Relevance of Sexual Excitation and Sexual Inhibition
Bell, S., & Reissing, E. D. (2016) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2016.1250147 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Finkel, D., Franz, C., Horwitz, B. N., Christensen, K., Gatz, M., Johnson, W., Kaprio, J., Korhonen, T., Niederheiser, J., Petersen, I., et al. (2015) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10519-015-9758-y · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“50—women are less likely to remarry after divorce or bereavement (Waite et al. 2009); thus marital status during”
Manning, W. D. (2015) · Journal of Economic and Social Measurement · doi:10.3233/jem-150419 · Cited by 14
“Research relying on the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) have provided opportunities to assess relationships among older Americans with about 14% of single older Americans are in a dating relationship [15] and older Americans remaining sexual active [102].”
Rokach, A., & Patel, K. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-819174-3.00012-7
Swann, S. A., Kaida, A., Nicholson, V., Brophy, J. C., Campbell, A. R., Carter, A., Elwood, C. N., Gebremedhen, T., Gormley, R., King, E. M., et al. (2021) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046558 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Odlum, M., Davis, N., Owens, O., Preston, M., Brewer, R., & Black, D. E. (2018) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020962 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“MethODs Participants The second wave of the NSHAP survey, a national sample of US adults ages 57–85, was used in our analysis, was conducted from 2010 to 2011.(12) The survey focused on exploring interpersonal connections and overall health outcomes as they relate to: culture, gender and socioeconomic status; health b…”
MethodThe benefits (and costs) of sexual responsiveness in romantic relationships.
Muise, A., Kovacevic, K., Shoikhedbrod, A., & Uppot, A. (2023) · Current Opinion in Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101644 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Miller, L. R. (2020) · Sexualities · doi:10.1177/1363460720922754 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
“Quantitative researchers also document age-related patterns in sexual attitudes and behaviors (Das et al., 2012; Waite et al., 2009).”
BackgroundKołodziejczak, K., Drewelies, J., Pauly, T., Ram, N., Hoppmann, C., & Gerstorf, D. (2022) · The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbac037 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
- Authors
- Waite, L. J., Laumann, E. O., Das, A., & Schumm, L. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Venue
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2009-06-04
- Volume
- 64B
- Issue
- Supplement 1
- Pages
- i56-i66
- ISSN
- 1079-5014 (ISSN-L)
- 1758-5368
- PMC
- PMC2763521
- OpenAlex
- W2159010740
- Cited by
- 278
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 30 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 6.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- The Journals of Gerontology Series B (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (P30AG012857, R01AG033903, R37AG030481, R01AG021487)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
- Keywords
- sexuality, older adults, sexual partnerships, sexual practices, sexual dysfunction, sexual attitudes, sexual mores, sexual interest, relationship satisfaction, gender differences, age differences, scale development
- MeSH terms
- Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Attitude, Cross-Sectional Studies, Data Interpretation, Statistical, Female, Health Status, Health Surveys, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological, Sexual Partners, Social Behavior, Social Change, Social Values, United States
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