Sexual Dysfunction among Older Adults: Prevalence and Risk Factors from a Nationally Representative U.S. Probability Sample of Men and Women 57–85 Years of Age
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Introduction: Despite increasing demand for clinical interventions into sexual problems in an aging population, epidemiological data on the subject are scarce. Aims: To examine the prevalence of sexual problems across different sociodemographic groups, and risk factors for these problems in multiple domains of life. Methods: Statistical analysis of data from the 2005–2006 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative U.S. probability sample of 1,550 women and 1,455 men aged 57–85 at the time of interview. Main Outcome Measures: Likelihood of experiencing sexual dysfunction in the preceding 12 months. Results: Sexual problems among the elderly are not an inevitable consequence of aging, but instead are responses to the presence of stressors in multiple life domains. This impact may partly be gender differentiated, with older women's sexual health more sensitive to their physical health than is true for men. The mechanism linking life stress with sexual problems is likely to be poor mental health and relationship dissatisfaction. The NSHAP results demonstrate the consistent impact of poor mental health on women's reports of sexual problems and the less consistent association with men's problems. Conclusion: The results point to a need for physicians who are treating older adults experiencing sexual problems to take into account not simply their physical health, but also their psychosocial health and satisfaction with their intimate relationship.
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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 Laumann, Das, & Waite, 2008
The Introduction discusses studies of sexual activity and sexual problems among older adults, and the Methods describe this study’s sample of adults aged 57–85. Our copy does not substantiate the claim that the studies investigated people as old as 94 or that they were well-publicized. (LLM, conf=0.85)
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Psychological and interpersonal dimensions of sexual function and dysfunction
Brotto, L., Atallah, S., Johnson-Agbakwu, C., Rosenbaum, T., Abdo, C., Byers, E. S., Graham, C., Nobre, P., & Wylie, K. (2016) · The Journal of Sexual Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.01.019 · Cited by 439 · see citing works
Sexual dysfunctions among young men: Prevalence and associated factors
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Erectile dysfunction and correlated factors in Brazilian men aged 18–40 years
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Medicalization and the Refashioning of Age-Related Limits on Sexuality
Marshall, B. L. (2012) · The Journal of Sex Research · doi:10.1080/00224499.2011.644597 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
- Authors
- Laumann, E. O., & Waite, L. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Laumann, Edward O.
- ORCID
- Waite, Linda J.
- Venue
- The Journal of Sexual Medicine
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-10-01
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 10
- Pages
- 2300-2311
- ISSN
- 1743-6095 (ISSN-L)
- 1743-6109
- PMC
- PMC2756968
- OpenAlex
- W2126327043
- Cited by
- 279
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 18 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 21 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 25 · 2012: 9
- FWCI
- 9.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model (vor)
- Locations
- The Journal of Sexual Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (5R01 AG021487)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Marriage and Sexual Relationships
- Keywords
- sexual dysfunction, older adults, prevalence, risk factors, life events, mental health, relationship satisfaction, gender differences, aging, psychosocial health, National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Genital Diseases, Female, Genital Diseases, Male, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Risk Factors, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Dysfunction, Physiological, Stress, Psychological, United States, Confidence Intervals, Logistic Models, Odds Ratio, Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological
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