Analysis of factors that influence the quality of sexual life of climacteric women in China

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to identify the factors associated with the sexual lives of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in China.

Methods: A total of 426 participants were approached about this study from May 2012 to August 2013. In total, 252 cases were included in this study. One hundred and ninety-seven women who filled out the Quality of Sexual Life Questionnaire for Women (QSLQW) and the modified Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) had an active sexual life. Pearson’s coefficient index was used to determine the correlation between the KMI and different domains of the QSLQW. Multivariable statistical analysis was performed to determine the correlation between different factors and the sexual life of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Results: When the participants reported a higher KMI, they suffered lower sexual satisfaction (r = −0.16, p = 0.035), more severe sexual anxiety (r = −0.367, p = 4.9 × 10⁻⁷), and less sexual response (r = −0.21, p = 0.004). No correlation was found between the KMI and sexual communication, sexual attitude, and self-image. Multivariable statistical analysis showed that menopause status and higher KMI scores are associated with a decrease in sexual satisfaction among Chinese women (β = −9.76, 95% CI −16.89 to −2.64 and β = −0.41, 95% CI −0.68 to −0.15, respectively), and that the better the spousal relationship, the fewer deliveries and the higher the scores of sexual life quality (β = 8.86, 95% CI −0.91 to 18.63 and β = −6.65, 95% CI −11.83 to −1.48, respectively).

Conclusion: Factors including parity, spousal relationship, menopausal status, and menopausal symptoms are associated with the quality of sexual life of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women in China.

Chinese abstract

目的：本研究旨在探讨影响中国围绝经期和绝经后女性性生活质量的因素。

方法：2012年5月至2013年8月共有426名受试者参与了本研究。其中共有252例纳入了本研究。197名性生活活跃的女性填写了“女性性生活质量问卷”（QSLQW）和改良的Kupperman更年期评分（KMI）。Pearson系数指数用于确定KMI与QSLQW的不同域之间的相关性。进行多变量统计分析以确定不同因素与围绝经期和绝经后女性性生活质量之间的相关性。

结果：当受试者报告KMI较高时, 他们的性满意度较低（r = -0.16, p = 0.035）, 性焦虑更严重（r = -0.367, p = 4.9 × 10-7）, 性反应较少（r = -0.21, p = 0.004）。KMI与性交流、性态度和自我形象之间没有相关性。多变量统计分析显示, 绝经状态以及较高的KMI评分与中国女性性满意度降低相关（分别地, β= -9.76, 95％CI -16.89∼-2.64, β= -0.41, 95％CI -0.68∼-0.15）, 配偶关系越好, 分娩越少, 性生活质量得分越高（分别地, β= 8.86, 95％CI -0.91∼18.63, β= -6.65, 95％CI -11.83∼-1.48）。

结论：分娩次数、配偶关系、绝经状态以及更年期症状这些因素与中国围绝经期和绝经后女性的性生活质量有关。

Keywords:

• Perimenopause
• postmenopause
• quality of sexual life
• menopausal symptoms

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank Dr Huixin Liu at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Peking University People’s Hospital for data checking and verifying the results.

Conflict of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the key project of National Twelfth Five-Year Plan for Science and Technology Support: Evaluation of reproductive health and menopausal health condition (Project no. 2012 BAI32B00) and by The National Key Technology R&D Program (No. 2015BAI13B06).