Relationship Between Sexual Satisfaction and Mental Health in Married Older Women

Background: The aging population is increasing rapidly; therefore, paying attention to the needs of older people is necessary. Sexual satisfaction, which is needed to feel happy, is often neglected in older women.  Objective: This study aims to evaluate the relationship between sexual satisfaction and mental health in older women. Materials and Methods: In this analytical study with a cross-sectional design, 195 married women aged ≥60 years covered by urban and rural health centers of Guilan, Iran were recruited using a cluster sampling method. A demographic form, the 28-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and a Sexual Satisfaction Questionnaire were completed by participants and collected data were analyzed in SPSS v. 22 software using descriptive statistics (frequency, mean, standard deviation, median), and Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlation tests. Results: There was a significant relationship between sexual satisfaction and mental health in older women (P<0.0001). 51.2%, 27.7% and 21.08% of participants had low, moderate and high sexual satisfaction, respectively. Sexual satisfaction was directly related to monthly income (P<0.0001) and women’s and their husbands’ education (P<0.0001 and 0.006) while it was inversely related to physical illness (P=0.030), medication use (P=0.009), age (P<0.0001), number of children (P=0.022), and duration of marriage (P<0.0001). The median score of mental health in participants was 38 (ranging 24-53) and the percentage of participants with mental problems (79.4%) was higher than those without mental problems (20.6%).  Conclusion: Mental health and sexual satisfaction in older women are directly related to each other; therefore, providing effective and appropriate sexual care programs is recommended for them.