Abstract
To compare differences in the occurrence and changed domains of sexual dysfunction in obese and non-obese Brazilian women. Female Sexual Function Index, based on six domains, to investigate 31 sexual dysfunction incidence for obese compared to 32 non-obese women, was used. Statistical analysis using ANOVA and MANOVA were performed to compare total scores of Female Sexual Function Index among groups and to identify the differences among domains, Student t -test was used. Statistical significant level was established for all tests for p<0.05. No difference in female sexual dysfunction frequency between obese (25.8%) and non-obese women (22.5%) was found. However, an important distinction in which aspects of sexual life were affected was found. While the obese group was impaired in three domains of sexual life (desire, orgasm, and arousal), in the control group five aspects were dysfunctional (desire, orgasm, arousal, pain and lubrication). Future research exploring psychological outcomes in obese females, such as body image and measures of positive and negative effect, might better characterize the female sexual dysfunction in this group. Obesity does not appear to be an independent factor for allow quality of female sexual life. However, disturbance associated to obesity indicates a low frequency of disorder in physical domains, suggesting that psychological factors seem to be mainly involved in the sexual dysfunction in obese women.
Highlights
The rapid increase in the number of obese people around the world has caused an obesity epidemic, even while a significant number of nations have still not managed to eradicate poverty and malnutrition among their populations[1]
No difference between groups was found even when the analysis was performed by splitting the six different domains covered by the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI)
Significant differences were found when comparing the mean of the six domains of FSFI between women with a total score 26, indicating no sexual dysfunction (NSD) (Table 3)
Summary
The rapid increase in the number of obese people around the world has caused an obesity epidemic, even while a significant number of nations have still not managed to eradicate poverty and malnutrition among their populations[1]. Studies have demonstrated that approximately 66% of the American population is overweight, and 32.2% are classified as obese[2]. It is widely known that obesity significantly affects the health of the population. It is associated with several comorbidities, including type II diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and some types of cancers[2,4,5]. Rarely mentioned or investigated, sexual dysfunction might be related to obesity. This situation can cause considerable anxiety for those involved in sexual activity since it disturbs the subject and his/her partner, becoming an important problem[2]
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