Obesity and Sexuality among Older American Adults

• In Event: 460 - Section on Aging and the Life Course Paper Session. Sexuality over the Life Course

Abstract

This article investigates whether Class I and Class II/III obesity is associated with sexual activity in the past year, sexual frequency, and the range of sexual behaviors engaged in by older American men and women. Participants (n = 2,546) aged 57-84 from the National Social Health and Aging Project (NSHAP) answered survey questions about their sexual practices, health, and demographic attributes and were measured by trained staff to determine their body mass index (BMI) classification. Among women, a BMI of 35 or more was associated with decreased sexual activity in the last year, although this effect was partly mediated by physical health conditions. Among men, obesity was unrelated with sexual activity. Among sexually active men, overweight men had more frequent sex than normal weight men. Among sexually active women, overweight women displayed a less constricted range of of sexual expression compared to normal weight women.

Authors

• Soyoung Kwon, Texas A&M University–Kingsville

• Markus H. Schafer, University of Toronto