Document Type : Original Article
Authors
Psychosocial Injuries Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Sexual problems in elder people are considered as a public health concern and
can affect their overall health and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the sexual quality of
life and its relationship with general health in older men in the west of Iran.
METHODS: This was a cross‑sectional study among 362 older men aged 60 years or older attending
Comprehensive Health Care Centers in Ilam, Iran. Samples selected through Quota sampling method
and simple random sampling. Data were collected using the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire‑Male
and General Health Questionnaire‑28.
RESULTS: The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of age was 69.9 ± 8.1 years. The mean ± SD
score of sexual quality of life and general health of older men was 46.6 ± 14.6 and 19.2 ± 9.7,
respectively. A positive and significant association was found between sexual quality of life and
general health (P < 0.001, r = −0.41). Moreover, general health, age, sleep problems, and the level
of education were the important predictors for sexual quality of life in elder men (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: According to the results, the sexual quality of life of participants was at a moderate
level. Since only some factors influencing the sexual quality of life were ascertained, further studies
are required to investigate all factors influencing older men’s sexual quality of life.
Keywords
1. Kanasi E, Ayilavarapu S, Jones J. The aging population:
Demographics and the biology of aging. Periodontol
2000 2016;72:13‑8.
2. Noroozian M. The elderly population in Iran: An ever growing
concern in the health system. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci
2012;6:1‑6.
3. Safarkhanlou H, Rezaei Ghahroodi Z. The evolution of the elderly
population in Iran and the world. Statistics J 2017;5(3):8‑16.
In Persian.
4. Molavi R, Alavi M, Keshvari M. Relationship between general
health of older health service users and their self‑esteem in Isfahan
in 2014. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2015;20:717‑22.
5. Bozorgmehri S, Fink HA, Parimi N, Canales B, Ensrud KE,
Ancoli‑Israel S, et al. Association of sleep disordered breathing
with erectile dysfunction in community dwelling older men.
J Urol 2017;197:776‑82.
6. Rezaei N, Azadi A, Pakzad R. Prevalence of andropause among
Iranian men and its relationship with quality of life. Aging Male
2018:1‑8.
7. Skałacka K, Gerymski R. Sexual activity and life satisfaction in
older adults. Psychogeriatrics 2019;19:195‑201.
8. Çayan S, Kendirci M, Yaman Ö, Aşçı R, Orhan İ, Usta MF, et al.
Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men over 40 years of age
in Turkey: Results from the Turkish Society of Andrology Male
Sexual Health Study Group. Turk J Urol 2017;43:122‑9.
9. Janik MR, Bielecka I, Kwiatkowski A, Janik PE, Drazba T, Bujok J,
et al. Cross‑sectional study of male sexual function in bariatric
patients. Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne 2016;11:171‑7.
10. Geerkens MJ, Al‑Itejawi HH, Nieuwenhuijzen JA, Meuleman EJ,
Lissenberg‑Witte BI, van Moorselaar RJ, et al. Sexual dysfunction
and bother due to erectile dysfunction in the healthy elderly male
population: Prevalence from a systematic review. Eur Urol Focus
2019; pii: S2405‑4569(19)30079‑3.
11. Hyde Z, Flicker L, Hankey GJ, Almeida OP, McCaul KA,
Chubb SA, et al. Prevalence and predictors of sexual problems
in men aged 75‑95 years: A population‑based study. J Sex Med
2012;9:442‑53.
12. R a m e z a n i M A , A h m a d i K , G h a e m m a g h a m i A ,
Marzabadi EA, Pardakhti F. Epidemiology of sexual dysfunction
in iran: A systematic review and meta‑analysis. Int J Prev Med
2015;6:43.
13. Malakouti SK, Salehi M, Nojomi M, Zandi T, Eftekhar M. Sexual
functioning among the elderly population in Tehran, Iran. J Sex
Marital Ther 2012;38:365‑77.
14. Koh S, Sewell DD. Sexual functions in older adults. Am J Geriatr
Psychiatry 2015;23:223‑6.
15. Erens B, Mitchell KR, Gibson L, Datta J, Lewis R, Field N, et al.
Health status, sexual activity and satisfaction among older people
in Britain: A mixed methods study. PLoS One 2019;14:e0213835.
16. Taylor A, Gosney MA. Sexuality in older age: Essential
considerations for healthcare professionals. Age Ageing
2011;40:538‑43.
17. Lew‑Starowicz M, Rola R. Sexual dysfunctions and sexual quality
of life in men with multiple sclerosis. J Sex Med 2014;11:1294‑301.
18. Gareri P, Castagna A, Francomano D, Cerminara G, de Fazio P.
Erectile dysfunction in the elderly: An old widespread issue with
novel treatment perspectives. Int J Endocrinol 2014;2014:1‑14.
19. Wang V, Depp CA, Ceglowski J, Thompson WK, Rock D, Jeste
DV. Sexual health and function in later life: A population‑based
study of 606 older adults with a partner. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
2015;23:227‑33.
20. Forbes MK, Eaton NR, Krueger RF. Sexual quality of life and
aging: A prospective study of a nationally representative sample.
J Sex Res 2017;54:137‑48.
21. Charandabi SM, Rezaei N, Hakimi S, Khatami S, Valizadeh R,
Azadi A. Sleep disturbances and sexual function among men
aged 45‑75 years in an urban area of Iran. Sleep Sci 2016;9:29‑34.
22. Corona G, Rastrelli G, Maseroli E, Forti G, Maggi M. Sexual
function of the ageing male. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab
2013;27:581‑601.
23. Flynn KE, Lin L, Bruner DW, Cyranowski JM, Hahn EA,
Jeffery DD, et al. Sexual satisfaction and the importance of sexual
health to quality of life throughout the life course of U.S. Adults.
J Sex Med 2016;13:1642‑50.
24. Smith L, Grabovac I, Veronese N, Soysal P, Isik AT, Stubbs B, et al.
Sleep quality, duration, and associated sexual function at older
age: Findings from the english longitudinal study of ageing. J Sex
Med 2019;16:427‑33.
25. Sadat Z. Validity and reliability of farsi male sexual quality of life
questionnaire. JIIHSR 2017;1:73‑80.
26. Abraham L, Symonds T, Morris MF. Psychometric validation of a
sexual quality of life questionnaire for use in men with premature
ejaculation or erectile dysfunction. J Sex Med 2008;5:595‑601.
27. Fisher TD. The impact of socially conveyed norms on the reporting
of sexual behavior and attitudes by men and women. J Expl Soc
Psychol 2009;45:567‑72.
28. Goldberg DP, Hillier VF. A scaled version of the general health
questionnaire. Psychol Med 1979;9:139‑45.
29. Shayan Z, Pourmovahed Z, Najafipour F, Abdoli AM,
Mohebpour F, Najafipour S. Factor structure of the general health
questionnaire‑28 (GHQ‑28) from infertile women attending the
yazd research and clinical center for infertility. Int J Reprod
Biomed (Yazd) 2015;13:801‑8.
30. Hjelle EG, Bragstad LK, Zucknick M, Kirkevold M, Thommessen B,
Sveen U. The general health questionnaire‑28 (GHQ‑28) as an
outcome measurement in a randomized controlled trial in a
Norwegian stroke population. BMC Psychol 2019;7:18.
31. Ploubidis GB, Abbott RA, Huppert FA, Kuh D, Wadsworth ME,
Croudace TJ. Improvements in social functioning reported by
a birth cohort in mid‑adult life: A person‑centred analysis of
GHQ‑28 social dysfunction items using latent class analysis. Pers
Individ Dif 2007;42:305‑16.
32. Zare N, Sharif F, Dehesh T, Moradi F. General health in the
elderly and younger adults of rural areas in fars province, Iran. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery 2015;3:60‑6.
33. Nazifi M, Mokarami H, Akbaritabar A, Faraji Kujerdi M,
Tabrizi R, Rahi A. Reliability, validity and factor structure of the
persian translation of general health questionnire (GHQ‑28) in
hospitals of kerman university of medical science. J Fasa U Med
Sci 2014;3:336‑42.
34. Barati M, Fathi Y, Soltanian A, Moeini B. Assessment of mental
health status and health promoting behaviors in the elderly living
in Iran, Hamadan. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2012;20:12‑9.
35. Nejati V, Izadi‑Najafabadi S, Shoja O, Javadi M, Rezaei F.
Cognitive and general health status in elderly with and without
history of falling. Yektaweb J 2013;8:7‑15.
36. Smith L, Yang L, Veronese N, Soysal P, Stubbs B, Jackson SE.
Sexual activity is associated with greater enjoyment of life in older
adults. Sex Med 2019;7:11‑8.
37. Naeinian MR, Shaeiri MR, Hosseini FS. General health and quality
of life in patients with sexual dysfunctions. Urol J 2011;8:127‑31.
38. Lee DM, Vanhoutte B, Nazroo J, Pendleton N. Sexual health and
positive subjective well‑being in partnered older men and women.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2016;71:698‑710.
Demographics and the biology of aging. Periodontol
2000 2016;72:13‑8.
2. Noroozian M. The elderly population in Iran: An ever growing
concern in the health system. Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci
2012;6:1‑6.
3. Safarkhanlou H, Rezaei Ghahroodi Z. The evolution of the elderly
population in Iran and the world. Statistics J 2017;5(3):8‑16.
In Persian.
4. Molavi R, Alavi M, Keshvari M. Relationship between general
health of older health service users and their self‑esteem in Isfahan
in 2014. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2015;20:717‑22.
5. Bozorgmehri S, Fink HA, Parimi N, Canales B, Ensrud KE,
Ancoli‑Israel S, et al. Association of sleep disordered breathing
with erectile dysfunction in community dwelling older men.
J Urol 2017;197:776‑82.
6. Rezaei N, Azadi A, Pakzad R. Prevalence of andropause among
Iranian men and its relationship with quality of life. Aging Male
2018:1‑8.
7. Skałacka K, Gerymski R. Sexual activity and life satisfaction in
older adults. Psychogeriatrics 2019;19:195‑201.
8. Çayan S, Kendirci M, Yaman Ö, Aşçı R, Orhan İ, Usta MF, et al.
Prevalence of erectile dysfunction in men over 40 years of age
in Turkey: Results from the Turkish Society of Andrology Male
Sexual Health Study Group. Turk J Urol 2017;43:122‑9.
9. Janik MR, Bielecka I, Kwiatkowski A, Janik PE, Drazba T, Bujok J,
et al. Cross‑sectional study of male sexual function in bariatric
patients. Wideochir Inne Tech Maloinwazyjne 2016;11:171‑7.
10. Geerkens MJ, Al‑Itejawi HH, Nieuwenhuijzen JA, Meuleman EJ,
Lissenberg‑Witte BI, van Moorselaar RJ, et al. Sexual dysfunction
and bother due to erectile dysfunction in the healthy elderly male
population: Prevalence from a systematic review. Eur Urol Focus
2019; pii: S2405‑4569(19)30079‑3.
11. Hyde Z, Flicker L, Hankey GJ, Almeida OP, McCaul KA,
Chubb SA, et al. Prevalence and predictors of sexual problems
in men aged 75‑95 years: A population‑based study. J Sex Med
2012;9:442‑53.
12. R a m e z a n i M A , A h m a d i K , G h a e m m a g h a m i A ,
Marzabadi EA, Pardakhti F. Epidemiology of sexual dysfunction
in iran: A systematic review and meta‑analysis. Int J Prev Med
2015;6:43.
13. Malakouti SK, Salehi M, Nojomi M, Zandi T, Eftekhar M. Sexual
functioning among the elderly population in Tehran, Iran. J Sex
Marital Ther 2012;38:365‑77.
14. Koh S, Sewell DD. Sexual functions in older adults. Am J Geriatr
Psychiatry 2015;23:223‑6.
15. Erens B, Mitchell KR, Gibson L, Datta J, Lewis R, Field N, et al.
Health status, sexual activity and satisfaction among older people
in Britain: A mixed methods study. PLoS One 2019;14:e0213835.
16. Taylor A, Gosney MA. Sexuality in older age: Essential
considerations for healthcare professionals. Age Ageing
2011;40:538‑43.
17. Lew‑Starowicz M, Rola R. Sexual dysfunctions and sexual quality
of life in men with multiple sclerosis. J Sex Med 2014;11:1294‑301.
18. Gareri P, Castagna A, Francomano D, Cerminara G, de Fazio P.
Erectile dysfunction in the elderly: An old widespread issue with
novel treatment perspectives. Int J Endocrinol 2014;2014:1‑14.
19. Wang V, Depp CA, Ceglowski J, Thompson WK, Rock D, Jeste
DV. Sexual health and function in later life: A population‑based
study of 606 older adults with a partner. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry
2015;23:227‑33.
20. Forbes MK, Eaton NR, Krueger RF. Sexual quality of life and
aging: A prospective study of a nationally representative sample.
J Sex Res 2017;54:137‑48.
21. Charandabi SM, Rezaei N, Hakimi S, Khatami S, Valizadeh R,
Azadi A. Sleep disturbances and sexual function among men
aged 45‑75 years in an urban area of Iran. Sleep Sci 2016;9:29‑34.
22. Corona G, Rastrelli G, Maseroli E, Forti G, Maggi M. Sexual
function of the ageing male. Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab
2013;27:581‑601.
23. Flynn KE, Lin L, Bruner DW, Cyranowski JM, Hahn EA,
Jeffery DD, et al. Sexual satisfaction and the importance of sexual
health to quality of life throughout the life course of U.S. Adults.
J Sex Med 2016;13:1642‑50.
24. Smith L, Grabovac I, Veronese N, Soysal P, Isik AT, Stubbs B, et al.
Sleep quality, duration, and associated sexual function at older
age: Findings from the english longitudinal study of ageing. J Sex
Med 2019;16:427‑33.
25. Sadat Z. Validity and reliability of farsi male sexual quality of life
questionnaire. JIIHSR 2017;1:73‑80.
26. Abraham L, Symonds T, Morris MF. Psychometric validation of a
sexual quality of life questionnaire for use in men with premature
ejaculation or erectile dysfunction. J Sex Med 2008;5:595‑601.
27. Fisher TD. The impact of socially conveyed norms on the reporting
of sexual behavior and attitudes by men and women. J Expl Soc
Psychol 2009;45:567‑72.
28. Goldberg DP, Hillier VF. A scaled version of the general health
questionnaire. Psychol Med 1979;9:139‑45.
29. Shayan Z, Pourmovahed Z, Najafipour F, Abdoli AM,
Mohebpour F, Najafipour S. Factor structure of the general health
questionnaire‑28 (GHQ‑28) from infertile women attending the
yazd research and clinical center for infertility. Int J Reprod
Biomed (Yazd) 2015;13:801‑8.
30. Hjelle EG, Bragstad LK, Zucknick M, Kirkevold M, Thommessen B,
Sveen U. The general health questionnaire‑28 (GHQ‑28) as an
outcome measurement in a randomized controlled trial in a
Norwegian stroke population. BMC Psychol 2019;7:18.
31. Ploubidis GB, Abbott RA, Huppert FA, Kuh D, Wadsworth ME,
Croudace TJ. Improvements in social functioning reported by
a birth cohort in mid‑adult life: A person‑centred analysis of
GHQ‑28 social dysfunction items using latent class analysis. Pers
Individ Dif 2007;42:305‑16.
32. Zare N, Sharif F, Dehesh T, Moradi F. General health in the
elderly and younger adults of rural areas in fars province, Iran. Int J Community Based Nurs Midwifery 2015;3:60‑6.
33. Nazifi M, Mokarami H, Akbaritabar A, Faraji Kujerdi M,
Tabrizi R, Rahi A. Reliability, validity and factor structure of the
persian translation of general health questionnire (GHQ‑28) in
hospitals of kerman university of medical science. J Fasa U Med
Sci 2014;3:336‑42.
34. Barati M, Fathi Y, Soltanian A, Moeini B. Assessment of mental
health status and health promoting behaviors in the elderly living
in Iran, Hamadan. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res 2012;20:12‑9.
35. Nejati V, Izadi‑Najafabadi S, Shoja O, Javadi M, Rezaei F.
Cognitive and general health status in elderly with and without
history of falling. Yektaweb J 2013;8:7‑15.
36. Smith L, Yang L, Veronese N, Soysal P, Stubbs B, Jackson SE.
Sexual activity is associated with greater enjoyment of life in older
adults. Sex Med 2019;7:11‑8.
37. Naeinian MR, Shaeiri MR, Hosseini FS. General health and quality
of life in patients with sexual dysfunctions. Urol J 2011;8:127‑31.
38. Lee DM, Vanhoutte B, Nazroo J, Pendleton N. Sexual health and
positive subjective well‑being in partnered older men and women.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2016;71:698‑710.
)