Prevalence of Sexual Dysfunction in Men Older Than 40 Living in Seoul: Epidemiologic Survey Using Questionnaire

Son, Hwancheol; Byun, Seok Soo; Park, Eunchan; Cho, Kyu Sun; Jo, Moon Ki; Kim, Soo Woong; Kim, Hyeon Hoe; Paick, Jae Seung; Lee, Chongwook

Abstract

PURPOSE
Information on sexual function including the prevalence of erectile dysfunction, the severity of erectile dysfunction and the risk factors associated with it, from population-based sampled couples in Seoul, Korea was examined.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 2,034 couples ranging from 40 to 79 years old living in the Seoul metropolitan area were selected by stepwise random sampling. The total number of study subjects where sufficient answers were obtained was 1,356. The questionnaire included questions on erectile function, sexual performance, and sex life.
RESULTS
The combined prevalence of mild, moderate and severe erectile dysfunction was 84.3%. This correlated well with the score on the erection scale of the O'Leary sexual function inventory. The prevalence of severe erectile dysfunction was 11.8%, which increased from 1.0% in subject aged from 40 years to 68.5% in 70 years. The prevalence of self-reported erectile dysfunction was 12.0%. The subjects' age was most strongly associated with erectile dysfunction. After adjusting for age, a higher probability of erectile dysfunction directly correlated with diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cigarette smoking, and low level of education.
CONCLUSIONS
The population-based epidemiological data showed that male erectile dysfunction is quite common and impacts on quality of life of men.