Health, Quality of Life and Sexual Activity among Men aged 40 years old and above in Brazil
Abdo, CHN(1); Afif-Abdo, J(2)
(1)Department of Psychiatry – University of São Paulo, Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil (2)Urology Department of Santa Cruz Hospital, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Introduction/Aim: The fast medical and technological progress of the last decades resulted in longer life expectation. Measures are needed for an early diagnosis and prevention of diseases inherent to ageing. To guide theses measures, it’s necessary to evaluate aspects relating to the health, quality of life, and sexual activity among people aged 40 years old and above.
Methods: A self-administered and anonymous questionnaire with 71 questions was applied to 10,161 subjects (56.6% male), 40 years old and above, in 19 Brazilian cities. Questions on quality and life habits, general, urological and sexual health, and the Aging Male’s Symptoms scale (AMS) were answered in this survey. The data was analyzed with chi-square tests; p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: the average age of these men was 52, and 74.3% of them were married or had an analogous relationship. 54.8% of them had a university degree. Overweight/obesity characterized 66.5%. 96.8% had had sexual activity in the preceding year and the monthly average of sexual relations was 9.4. Among bad life habits the following were highlighted: current or prior smoking (36.1%), sedentariness (23.8%), hypercaloric diet (16.8%) and stress (16.0%). The most used health treatments were for: hypertension (20.4%), dyslipidemia (18.9%), diabetes (7.6%), depression (7.1%), heart disease (6.9%) and hormonal deficiencies (6.1%). Men having moderate/severe AMS scores totaled 13.3%, 39.3% of whom presented some degree of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) versus 21.3% of ED of those having minimal/null AMS scores. Among those who had their testosterone checked in the last year, about 10% had a deficiency of this hormone.
Conclusion: Attention to health and quality of life of Brazilian men aged 40 years old and above should investigate and fight: smoking, sedentariness, bad eating habits, psychological compromising, sexual dysfunctions and male ageing androgenic disorder. Investments in higher education are needed.
