Prevalence and Predictors of Sexual Dysfunction in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
- Paul Enzlin, MA, PHD12,
- Chantal Mathieu, MD, PHD3,
- Annick Van den Bruel, MD3,
- Dirk Vanderschueren, MD, PHD34 and
- Koen Demyttenaere, MD, PHD12
- 1Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Institute for Family and Sexuality Studies, Leuven, Belgium
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium
- 3Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium
- 4Department of Andrology, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium
Abstract
OBJECTIVE—This study aimed to 1) measure the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in patients with diabetes; 2) describe how descriptive variables, psychological variables, diabetic complications, and sexual dysfunction relate in patients with diabetes; and 3) describe the predictors of sexual dysfunction in patients with diabetes.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A total of 240 adult type 1 diabetic patients visiting the outpatient diabetes clinic of a university hospital completed questionnaires evaluating psychological adjustment to diabetes and sexual functioning. Medical records were used to obtain HbA1c values as well as information on microvascular diabetic complications.
RESULTS—Sexual dysfunction was reported by 27% of women and 22% of men. No differences were found between sexes in type of reported sexual dysfunction. In men, but not in women, sexual dysfunction was related to age, BMI, duration of diabetes, and diabetic complications. No correlation with HbA1c was found in either sex. In women, but not in men, sexual dysfunction was related to depression and the quality of the partner relationship. Binary logistic regression demonstrated that, in men, the significant predictors of sexual dysfunction were higher age and presence of complications, whereas, in women, sexual dysfunction was related to depression.
CONCLUSIONS—Both women and men with diabetes are at increased risk for sexual dysfunction. This study suggests that in men with diabetes, sexual dysfunction is related to somatic and psychological factors, whereas in women with diabetes, psychological factors are more predominant.
- ADS, Appraisal of Diabetes Scale
- ATT19, Diabetes Integration Scale
- BDI, Beck Depression Inventory
- DAS, Dyadic Adjustment Scale
- FET, Fisher’s exact test
- mwU, Mann-Whitney U test
Footnotes
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Paul Enzlin, UH Gasthuisberg, Seer, Liaison psychiatry, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Received for publication 1 February 2002 and accepted in revised form 28 October 2002.
A table elsewhere in this issue shows conventional and Système International (SI) units and conversion factors for many substances.
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