Role of lifestyle and psychological variables in erectile dysfunction: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a highly prevalent yet underestimated disorder among men, associated with a significant burden of illness. The understanding of pathophysiological factors has led to better assessment of the disease yet a lot of patients are left dissatisfied and undertreated. The study was undertaken to elicit the various life style and psychological variables associated with ED.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on cases of ED reporting in urology OPD in 3 months period. A pretested semi structured questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. ED was addressed in five domains using International index of erectile function (IIEF) scale. Information collected included socio demographic factors, life style variables and psychological factors [perceived stress (PT), self-esteem (SST) and erectile performance anxiety (ET)]. Data collected was analyzed using independent sample t test.Results: A total of 155 cases of ED participated in the study. Their mean age was 33.93±5.05 years (range 25-48).  80.6% were non-smokers, 54.8% were alcoholic and 22.6% patients performed light physical activity. There was no statistically significant association between different life style variables with five domains of International index of erectile function except for the domain of orgasmic function with consumption of drugs (p=0.017) and intercourse satisfaction with physical activity(p=0.045). Barring the domain of overall satisfaction most of the other domains of ED showed a significant association with psychological variables.Conclusions: Contrary to lifestyle factors, psychological factors are significantly related to ED and need to be addressed effectively for improving patient treatment outcome.