(566) Physical Activity Level in Men with and Without Erectile Dysfunction: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction Physical activity is a factor that may influence erectile function by improving blood circulation and reducing risk factors such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Objective This study investigates the physical activity level of men with and without erectile dysfunction. Methods This is a cross-sectional study in which two validated instruments were applied: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and the International Index of Erectile Function – short version (IIEF-5). Participants were classified by the IIEF-5 into five categories of erectile function: no dysfunction, mild, mild to moderate, moderate, and severe. Physical activity level, assessed using the IPAQ, was categorized into four levels: sedentary, insufficiently active, active, and very active. The association between degrees of erectile dysfunction and physical activity levels was analyzed using the chi-square test. Results A total of 90 individuals were analyzed, divided into a group without erectile dysfunction (n = 43) and a group with erectile dysfunction (n = 47). The mean age of participants showed minimal variation across groups, with averages of 43.82 years in the group without dysfunction, 45.62 in the mild dysfunction group, 46.10 in the mild to moderate group, 44.69 in the moderate group, and 43.00 in the severe group, with no statistically significant difference observed (p = 0.915).Regarding physical activity levels, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p = 0.118), although some variations were observed: the group with erectile dysfunction showed a higher proportion of sedentary individuals (19.1%) compared to the group without dysfunction (9.3%). Conversely, the group without erectile dysfunction had a greater proportion of very active individuals (32.6%) compared to the group with dysfunction (12.8%). Despite these differences, the chi-square test did not indicate a statistically significant association between the presence of erectile dysfunction and physical activity level (χ2 = 5.88; p = 0.1175). In the subgroup analysis based on the severity of erectile dysfunction, participants classified with mild dysfunction showed 38.5% active individuals; those with mild to moderate dysfunction, 30%; and those with moderate dysfunction, 43.8%. The group with severe dysfunction presented the highest proportion of active individuals (50.0%), followed by insufficiently active (37.5%), with no participants classified as very active. Despite these variations, no statistically significant differences were observed in physical activity levels across the five degrees of erectile dysfunction (χ2 = 9.38; p = 0.67). Conclusions Although existing literature suggests that physical activity may improve erectile function, the results of this study did not demonstrate a statistically significant association between physical activity level and the presence or severity of erectile dysfunction. Some proportional differences were observed, such as a higher prevalence of sedentary behavior among men with erectile dysfunction and a greater proportion of very active individuals among those without dysfunction. Disclosure No