Do Sexually Satisfied Individuals Think That They Live Longer? Results from the German Ageing Survey

The aim of this study was to determine the association between sexual satisfaction and expected longevity among middle-aged and older adults (also stratified by sex). Data were taken from the German Ageing Survey (year 2011; n = 3231)-a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals >= 40 years in Germany. A widely used question was used to quantify sexual satisfaction. Furthermore, the expected life expectancy served as an outcome measure. After adjusting for various covariates, multiple linear regressions showed that sexual satisfaction was associated with higher expected longevity among the total sample (beta = 0.28, p < 0.05). Moreover, it was associated with higher expected longevity among women (beta = 0.48, p < 0.05), but not men. In conclusion, adjusting for several covariates, our results showed that there is an association between sexual satisfaction and higher expected longevity, particularly in women. Efforts to increase sexual satisfaction may thus also contribute to expected longevity which, in turn, can be beneficial for actual longevity.

Automated summary

The aim of this study was to determine the association between sexual satisfaction and expected longevity among middle-aged and older adults, particularly in women.