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Sexual functioning in obese adults enrolling in a weight loss study
Truls Ostbye1, Ronette L Kolotkin, Hong He
1Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. truls.ostbye@duke.edu
Obese women seeking treatment reported lower sexual functioning than men. Higher body mass index correlated with reduced sexual functioning in men and women, particularly impacting arousal and behavior.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Science
- Obesity Medicine
- Psychosexual Health
Background:
- Obesity is a growing global health concern.
- Obesity is frequently associated with various health issues, including sexual dysfunction.
- Limited research exists on sexual functioning specifically within treatment-seeking obese populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate and compare sexual functioning in treatment-seeking obese men and women.
- To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and sexual functioning.
- To identify factors associated with reduced sexual functioning in this cohort.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the comprehensive, validated Sexual Functioning Questionnaire.
- Assessed sexual functioning in 91 treatment-seeking obese men and 134 treatment-seeking obese women.
- Compared scores between genders and with normative data (cancer survivors, general population).
Main Results:
- Obese women reported significantly lower sexual functioning scores than obese men.
- Men's scores were intermediate between cancer survivors and the general population; women's scores were lower than both.
- Increased BMI was linked to decreased sexual functioning (arousal, behavior) in both genders.
- Past month sexual inactivity was associated with reduced functioning across most subscales.
Conclusions:
- Treatment-seeking obese women exhibit poorer sexual functioning compared to obese men.
- Higher BMI negatively impacts sexual functioning, particularly arousal and behavior.
- Sexual inactivity is a significant correlate of diminished sexual function in obese individuals seeking treatment.
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