Posted by
intelligent
503 days ago
(http://www.medicalnewstoday.com)
Category: Health and Medical Care |
The study is published in the August 23rd issue of the New England Journal of Medicine and is the work of Drs Stacy Tessler Lindau and Linda Waite and colleagues from the University of Chicago.
A key finding of the study was that physical health, not age, was most strongly linked to sexual problems.
This and other findings are from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP), sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NSHAP is the first comprehensive population-based study of social and health factors on a nationwide scale and aims to shed light on the wellbeing of older Americans (57 to 85 year olds). The home based survey examines physical health, illness, cognitive health, emotional health, use of medication, sensory function, social connectedness, and health behaviours.
Richard J. Hode, Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the NIH, said:
"Despite the aging of the population, little had been known about the intimate lives of older adults."
"This study expands our knowledge by reporting, on a national scale, data about sexual functioning and health among older adults," he added.
NSHAP assesses the prevalence of sexual activity, sexual problems and conditions such as arthritis, heart conditions, diabetes, and high blood pressure. It looks at the relationship between health problems and other limitations and sexual activity and whether people talk to their doctors about sexual problems as they get older.
Dr Richard Suzman, Director of the Behavioral and Social Research Program at the NIA said that the study broke new ground in social and behavioural research, and revealed an aspect of the lives of older Americans that:
"Suggests a previously uncharacterized vitality and interest in sexuality that carries well into advanced age, which perhaps has not been appreciated as an important part of late life."
The study surveyed 3,005 male and female participants aged from 57 to 85 years. It asked questions about their marital or other relationship status, how often they engaged in sexual activity and of what type, during the previous 12 months.
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