ArticleArchives of sexual behavior2020
Declines in Sexual Activity and Function Predict Incident Health Problems in Older Adults: Prospective Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.
Article in Archives of sexual behavior, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 60 citations in OpenAlex.
- Risk factors for erectile dysfunction in diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024Pooled it
- Sexual problems in patients with hematological diseases: a systematic literature review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Pooled it
- Social environmental impact of COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction: an explorative review.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2022Pooled it
- The prediction of mortality by quality of life assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF: a longitudinal analysis at the domain and item levels using a seven-year follow-up period.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2021Trial
- Analysis of patients with erectile dysfunction undergoing coronary angiography in Austria-a cross-sectional study.Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2026Article
- Successful sexual aging: A narrative review using the multidimensional theoretical paradigm of systems sexology to explore sexual health in midlife and older adults.Journal of endocrinological investigation · 2026Review
- Sexual Response Problems and Their Correlates Among Older Adults From the Sexual Well-Being (SWELL) Study in China: Multicenter Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR aging · 2025Article
- Association between overactive bladder and female sexual frequency: a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and nutrition examination survey data.BMC women's health · 2025Article
- Relationship between autonomic dysfunction and sexual dysfunctions in Parkinson's patients.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2025Article
- Sexual Expression and Subsequent Marital Quality Among Partnered Older Adults.Archives of sexual behavior · 2025Article
- Better sleep, lower blood pressure, and less stress following sex: Findings from a large-scale ecological momentary assessment study.Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association · 2024Article
- Sexual health among the oldest old: a population-based study among people aged 85 years and older in Stockholm, Sweden.Sexual medicine · 2024Article
- Evaluation of Sexual Function According to Gender and Sexual Orientation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: A National Online Survey Study.Turk psikiyatri dergisi = Turkish journal of psychiatry · 2024Article
- Sexual activity, sexual satisfaction and their correlates among older adults in China: findings from the sexual well-being (SWELL) study.The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific · 2023Article
- Sexual Satisfaction and Quality of Life in Cardiovascular Patients: The Mediating Role of Anxiety.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Sexual Function, Behavior, and Satisfaction in Masters Athletes.International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health · 2023Article
- Factors influencing intercourse frequency among the young and middle-aged men.Zhong nan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Central South University. Medical sciences · 2022Article
- Article
- What Influences Coital Frequency Among Chinese Men?: A Cross-Sectional Study.Sexual medicine · 2021Article
- The Impact of Social Distancing Measures Due to COVID-19 Pandemic on Sexual Function and Relationship Quality of Couples in Greece.Sexual medicine · 2021Article
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6 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between declines in sexual activity and function and health outcomes in a large population-based sample of older adults. Data were from 2577 men and 3195 women aged ≥ 50 years participating in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Past-year changes in sexual desire, frequency of sexual activity, and ability to have an erection (men)/become sexually aroused (women) were assessed at baseline by self-completion questionnaire. Health outcomes (self-rated health, limiting long-standing illness, doctor-diagnosed diseases of the vascular system, and cancer) were self-reported at baseline (2012/2013) and 4-year follow-up (2016/2017). Data were analyzed using logistic regression, adjusted for sociodemographics, health behaviors, and depressive symptoms. Prospectively, men who reported a decline in sexual desire had higher odds of incident limiting long-standing illness (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.04-1.91) and incident cancer (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.06-2.50) than those who maintained their sexual desire. Men who reported a decline in the frequency of sexual activities had higher odds of deterioration in self-rated health (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.04-2.08) and incident limiting long-standing illness (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.20-2.37). In women, a decline in frequency of sexual activities was associated with deterioration of self-rated health (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.07-2.51). Erectile dysfunction was longitudinally associated with poorer health outcomes including incident cancer (OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.11-2.70), coronary heart disease (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.29-4.07), and fair/poor self-rated health (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.19-2.32). Practitioners should be mindful that a decline in sexual activity, desire, or function in older age may be an important indicator of future adverse health outcomes.
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