Sexual dysfunction was associated to depressed mood in mid-aged women from Paraguay

Abstract

Background: Reports indicate that depressive symptoms may affect sexuality of mid-aged women and vice versa sexual problems tend to aggravate depression. Despite this, information addressing this association drawn from mid-aged Paraguayan women is scarce. Objective(s): To evaluate the association between sexual dysfunction and depressed mood in mid-aged women. Method(s): This was a cross-sectional study in which sexually active women from Asuncion (Paraguay, aged 40 to 60 years)were surveyed with the 6 item Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-6), the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10)and a general questionnaire containing personal and partner data. Depressed mood was defined as a CESD-10 score of 10 or more; and increased risk for sexual dysfunction as a FSFI-6 score or 19 or less. Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR)were estimated for the association of depressed mood and sexual dysfunction using multivariable Poisson regression and the relationship between exposure and the FSFI-6 score were evaluated with a right truncated Poisson regression model (upper limit for truncation =32). Result(s): A total of 193 women were included, of whom 21.8% (n = 42)had depressed mood. The prevalence of increased risk of sexual dysfunction was 28.5% (n = 55). Mean age (+/-standard deviation)of the study population was 48.3 +/- 6.0 years, with 61.1% (n = 118)found to be peri- or postmenopausal. According to the final adjusted model, women with depressed mood were nearly twice as likely to have increased risk of sexual dysfunction, compared to women with normal mood (aPR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.26-3.60). Likewise, having a depressed mood was associated with an average FSFI-6 score 20% lower than the score of women with normal mood (aPR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.68-0.93). Conclusion(s): In this mid-aged Paraguayan female sample there was a significant association between sexual dysfunction and depressed mood.Copyright © 2019