Determinants of sexual dysfunction among middle‐aged women

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.