Correlation between general health and sexual function in older women in an Iranian setting
نویسندگان
1 PhD Student of Health Education and Health Promotion, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
2 Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
3 Department of Public Health, School of Health, Ardabil University of Medical Science, Ardabil, Iran
4 Department of Health Promotion and Education, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran
5 Department of Nutrition, Khalkhal University of Medical Sciences, Khalkhal, Iran
doi
چکیده
INTRODUCTION: The world’s population is aging and this trend continues. Older adults are livinghealthier and longer than in the last decades and their sexual function should also be consideredalong with their general health. This study aimed to examine the correlation between general healthand sexual function in elderly women.MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross‑sectional correlation study, 1245 women over 60 yearsold were selected in Ardabil health‑care centers by a convenient sampling method. Demographicdata of all participants were noted and general health and sexual function were evaluated by theGoldberg General Health Questionnaire and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) Questionnaire.RESULTS: The participants’ mean ± standard deviation age was 75.1 ± 7.2 years, most of thewomen (40.08%) were illiterate, and the majority of them were living with their married (44.81%)or single children (27.14%). The general health score for 380 older women (30.52%) was under22 (healthy). About 60% of the women had engaged in sexual activity during the past 4 weeks,and the total mean score of FSFI was 17.36 ± 1.44. In addition, 84.33% of the women hadsexual dysfunction (FSFI < 26.55). The age (P < 0.05), educational level (P < 0.001), living withchildren (P < 0.01), and general health status (P < 0.01) were found to be significantly related tosexual function. The total scores for FSFI and the scores for all domains except for satisfactionwere in positive correlation with the score for the total and all domains of general health (P < 0.001).CONCLUSION: Sexual function in elderly women is affected by several factors, such as generalhealth. Therefore, to promote successful aging in women, sexual function and general health requiremore attention when implementing women’s health initiatives.
