Relationship between life satisfaction and sexuality among community-dwelling elderly

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the reported patterns of sexuality and life satisfaction of the elderly. Methods: Study participants were 490 older than 60 years of age who participated in a sexuality education program over five provinces. Data were collected from August to October, 2009 by using a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using PASW/WIN 18.0 program. Results: 163 participants (33.3%) reported being sexually active with a frequency on an average of 3.16 times per month. The reported life satisfaction of the participants was significantly different in terms of education level (p<.001), health status (p<.001), economic status (p<.001), sexual behaviors (p<.001), and attitude on the sexuality (p=.023). The reported life satisfaction was significantly associated with sexual attitudes and the frequency of sexual behaviors. Conclusion: These results suggest that the elderly person has a positive sexual attitude although not all elderly people are sexually active. There are several influencing factors on life satisfaction of the elderly. Therefore, it is needed to investigate the sexuality of the elderly more closely to enhance their life satisfaction.