Determinants of sexual satisfaction in men with prostate cancer Journal Article


Authors: Nelson, C. J.; Choi, J. M.; Mulhall, J. P.; Roth, A. J.
Article Title: Determinants of sexual satisfaction in men with prostate cancer
Abstract: Objective. There is a growing debate about the important determinants of sexual satisfaction in men. Some authors argue that men's sexual satisfaction correlates with physical functioning variables such as erection quality and ejaculatory time. Other authors have suggested that the limited literature indicates that men's sexual satisfaction is related to psychosocial variables such as relationship satisfaction, depression, or anxiety. This study is the first to our knowledge to explore this question in men with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods. This archival, cross-sectional research analyzed quality-of-life, depression, and anxiety data on 352 men with early- and late-stage prostate cancer. Questions from the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Scale-Prostate Cancer Version were used to assess sexual satisfaction, erectile function, and relationship closeness. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess anxiety and depression. Results. In general, the subjects reported low sexual satisfaction with a mean score of 2.3 on a 5-point Likert scale (1-5). In the correlational analyses, arthritis, brachytherapy, and depression/anxiety were all negatively associated with sexual satisfaction, while erectile function and relationship closeness were positively associated with sexual satisfaction (P < 0.05). In the subsequent multivariate analysis, erectile function (P < 0.01), relationship closeness (P < 0.05), and depression/anxiety (P < 0.05) remained significant predictors of sexual satisfaction. In this model, erectile functioning produced the largest effect (beta = 0.57) as compared to relationship closeness and depression/anxiety (beta values approximately 0.11). Conclusion. In this sample of men with prostate cancer, both physical and psychosocial variables were found to be important determinants of sexual satisfaction. Erectile function appears to have the strongest association with sexual satisfaction; however, variables such as relationship quality, depression, and anxiety are also clearly related to a satisfying sex life in this sample. © 2007 International Society for Sexual Medicine.
Keywords: controlled study; aged; middle aged; patient satisfaction; major clinical study; cancer staging; quality of life; sexual satisfaction; questionnaires; prostate cancer; prostatic neoplasms; psychological aspect; depression; prostate; correlation analysis; arthritis; scoring system; brachytherapy; multivariate analysis; anxiety; social aspect; human relation; erectile dysfunction; sexual behavior; sexual partners; penis erection; sample size; hospital anxiety and depression scale; sex; ejaculation; interpersonal relations
Journal Title: Journal of Sexual Medicine
Volume: 4
Issue: 5
ISSN: 1743-6095
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.  
Date Published: 2007-09-01
Start Page: 1422
End Page: 1427
Language: English
DOI: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00547.x
PUBMED: 17634054
PROVIDER: scopus
DOI/URL:
Notes: --- - "Cited By (since 1996): 19" - "Export Date: 17 November 2011" - "Source: Scopus"
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  1. John P Mulhall
    602 Mulhall
  2. Christian Nelson
    392 Nelson