Putting Sex into Context in Later Life: Environmental Disorder and Sexual Interest among Partnered Seniors

Abstract

Background and Objectives: This study examines whether neighborhood and household disorder is associated with sexual interest among partnered seniors. Research Design and Methods: Analyses use dyadic data from Wave 2 of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling older adults (2010-2011). Measures of environmental disorder were conducted by trained interviewers. Survey data were also linked to census tract information from the 2009 American Community Survey. We used actor-partner interdependence models to estimate the likelihood of reporting low sexual interest. Results: There was no observed association between neighborhood context (physical disorder or census tract socioeconomic disadvantage) and sexual interest, but husbands were more likely to report low sexual interest if they lived in more disorderly households. High marital quality protected against low sexual interest, but these evaluations did not mediate or moderate the putative effect of household disorder. Discussion and Implications: Regardless of the broader neighborhood context, helping older adults maintain an orderly home space may help sustain sexual functioning. Future research should consider how various features of the environment matter for additional aspects of late-life sexuality.