ArticleJournal of women's health (2002)2019
Body Image, Attractiveness, and Sexual Satisfaction Among Midlife Women: A Qualitative Study.
Article in Journal of women's health (2002), 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 27 papers.
What it found
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Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 86 citations in OpenAlex.
- A virtual, group-based mindfulness intervention for midlife and older women with low libido lowers sexual distress in a randomized controlled pilot study.The journal of sexual medicine · 2023Trial
- Body Image in Women During the Menopausal Transition: Associations with Self-Perceived Attractiveness in Partner Relationships.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Clinical review of how glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist obesity medications decrease sexual desire, and a biopsychosocial model for why we don't 'see' it.Obesity pillars · 2026Review
- Relationship between body image and sexual function in peri and postmenopausal women: A systematic review.Journal of education and health promotion · 2026Review
- The Effect of Body Perception and Marital Adjustment on Cosmetic Surgery Acceptance in Married Women.Aesthetic plastic surgery · 2025Article
- Choosiness as a Predictor of Sexual (In)frequency in Single Heterosexual Adults.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Cultural Determinants of Body Image: What About the Menopausal Transition?Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Feminizing genital gender affirmation surgery: Patient-reported outcomes of urethral flap and classical penile inversion techniques.International journal of transgender health · 2025Article
- Women's experiences of their sexuality during their menopausal transition and the support offered to them by healthcare providers: A systematic review and meta-synthesis.European journal of midwifery · 2025Review
- A Meta-Ethnography of Women's Intimate and Sexual Experiences Across the Menopause Continuum.International journal of women's health · 2025Review
- Experiences of women with symptoms of vaginal laxity - a qualitative study.BMC women's health · 2024Article
- Body Perceptions and Psychological Well-Being: A Review of the Impact of Social Media and Physical Measurements on Self-Esteem and Mental Health with a Focus on Body Image Satisfaction and Its Relationship with Cultural and Gender Factors.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Sexuality and self-concept of morbidly obese women who are sexually attracted to men after bariatric surgery: a phenomenological study.BMC women's health · 2024Article
- Review
- Medical aesthetic awareness among public in Malaysia and the factors that may influence it: A cross-sectional study.Malaysian family physician : the official journal of the Academy of Family Physicians of Malaysia · 2024Article
- A comprehensive interventional program for promoting sexual function in postmenopausal women: Protocol for a mixed methods study.Journal of education and health promotion · 2024Article
- Sexuality, quality of life and psychological well-being in older adults: A correlational study.European journal of obstetrics & gynecology and reproductive biology: X · 2023Article
- The relationship between depression and sexual satisfaction: An equation model analysis.Journal of education and health promotion · 2023Article
- Limitations of the protective measure theory in explaining the role of childhood sexual abuse in eating disorders, addictions, and obesity: an updated model with emphasis on biological embedding.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2022Review
- The association between sexual function and body image among postmenopausal women: a cross-sectional study.BMC women's health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundWomen often undergo physical changes during the menopause transition, but the relationship between body image and sexual function in midlife is unclear. We used a qualitative approach to explore how body image relates to sexual function and satisfaction in midlife women. MATERIALS AND
methodsWe conducted 19 individual interviews and 3 focus groups (total N = 39) among sexually active women 45-60 years of age using a semistructured guide. Sessions were audiorecorded and transcribed. Two investigators developed a codebook using an iterative process; the primary investigator then coded all data. Codes relating to body image were examined to identify key themes.
resultsThe mean age was 58 (range 46-59); 54% were White, 36% Black, and 10% were of another race. Most (72%) were peri- or postmenopausal. All but two women identified as heterosexual. Feeling attractive was an important reason for sexual activity. Changes in appearance, especially weight gain and breast changes, were common among these women. Women's body image impacted their sexual satisfaction; women who felt self-conscious about their bodies reported that these concerns had a negative impact on their sexual satisfaction, whereas women who felt confident discussed better sexual satisfaction, even in the face of bodily changes. Black women were more likely to discuss feeling confident than White women.
conclusionsFeeling attractive is important to sexual satisfaction in midlife women. Bodily changes, especially weight gain, are common during midlife. While many women are self-conscious about their appearance, some women develop increased self-acceptance. Supporting positive body image may help midlife women maintain sexual satisfaction with aging.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.