Sexual Conservatism and Sexual Satisfaction in Older Women: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Analysis

ABSTRACT

Objectives: The present study aims to assess the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction in older women and testing the potential mediating role of conservative sexual beliefs on this association.

Methods: A total of 106 women (M_age = 68.71; SD = 6.31) completed measures of sexual beliefs (SDBQ), sexual functioning (FSFI), and sexual satisfaction (GMSEX). Bivariate correlation analyses were performed to assess the association between age, sexual conservatism, sexual satisfaction, and sexual function. Mediation analysis with bootstrap samples was performed to test the mediating effect of sexual conservatism.

Results: Findings suggest a mediating effect of conservative sexual beliefs on the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction in a community-based sample of older women (F(3,102) = 9.31, p <.001, R² = .215).

Conclusions: The negative association between sexual conservatism and sexual satisfaction of the participants, and the non-significance of the direct effect of age in sexual satisfaction when including sexual conservatism in the mediation model, highlight the relevance of cognitive factors in sexual health in later life.

Clinical Implications: Results such as the mediating role of sexual conservatism on the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction provide opportunities for developing and testing sexual health programs based on the demystification of sexual beliefs.

KEYWORDS:

• Older age
• conservative sexual beliefs
• sexual satisfaction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.