Abstract
Background: Little is known about sexual activity in patients with heart failure (HF), and existing evidence suggests that sexual activity is adversely affected. Objective: This study explored the relationships and predictors between sexual activity and psychosexual, demographic variables in healthy elders and patients with HF. Methods: Participants were 59 healthy elders and 85 patients with HF who completed instruments on depression and anxiety, sexual self-concept, sexual activity, and demographic/clinical variables. Results: Those with increased sexual self-concept had 1.78 greater odds of being sexually active. The sexual self-concept subscales of sexual anxiety and sexual self-efficacy showed a statistically significant (P < .01) independent effect on sexual activity. A higher sexual self-concept from greater sexual self-efficacy and lower sexual anxiety, younger age, and being married were significant predictors of sexual activity. Conclusion: Sexual self-concept and the related subscales of sexual anxiety and sexual self-efficacy are important psychosexual variables for future research. Attention to patient psychosexual concerns is needed in both clinical practice and research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 323-333 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical Care |
| Volume | 37 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2008 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Funding for this study was received from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses-Phillips Medical Research Award (D. Moser) and the University of Kentucky General Clinical Research Center (MO1RR02602).
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine