The Impact of Self-Reported Anxiety and Body Ιmage on Female Sexual Function
Main Article Content
Abstract
Over the past years, female sexual function and dysfunction has acquired a growing body of research. Some studies have indicated that links may exist among the sexual function of women, their body image and anxiety. The purpose of this study is to examine the direct impact of self-report anxiety and body image on female sexual function but also the potential association of the age, the marital status, the occupation, the education level and the existence of a psychological disorder diagnosis with the self-reported anxiety, the body-esteem and the female sexual function. The sample consisted of sixty women from general population. Three questionnaires were used to measure each variable (Greek version of Zung's Self Anxiety Scale, Body–Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults, Female Sexual Function Index GR). The results showed that the correlations among anxiety, body image and sexual function were not statistically significant. From the demographic characteristics, only occupation status was significantly associated with the sexual function which was found significantly greater for private employees compared to university students (p = .001), with the last’s total score in FSFI being below the cutoff point. This result is constant with previous researched which have found women University students at risk of experiencing a sexual dysfunction.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
I. Addis, I. B., Van Den Eeden, S. K., Wassel-Fyr, C. L., Vittinghoff, E., Brown, J. S., Thom, D. H., & Reproductive Risk Factors for Incontinence Study at Kaiser (RRISK) Study Group. (2006). Sexual activity and function in middle-aged and older women. Obstetrics and gynecology, 107(4), 755. doi: 10.1097/01.AOG.0000202398.27428.e2
II. Allahdadi, K., Tostes, R. and Webb, R. (2009). Female Sexual Dysfunction: Therapeutic Options and Experimental Challenges. Cardiovascular & Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 7(4), pp.260-269. doi: 10.2174/187152509789541882
III. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author
IV. Assimakopoulos, K., Panayiotopoulos, S., Iconomou, G., Karaivazoglou, K., Matzaroglou, C., Vagenas, K., & Kalfarentzos, F. (2006). Assessing sexual function in obese women preparing for bariatric surgery. Obesity surgery, 16(8), 1087-1091. doi: 10.1381/096089206778026442
V. Brotto, L., Atallah, S., Johnson-Agbakwu, C., Rosenbaum, T., Abdo, C., Byers, E., Graham, C., Nobre, P. and Wylie, K. (2016). Psychological and Interpersonal Dimensions of Sexual Function and Dysfunction. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(4), pp.538-571. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.01.019
VI. Cash, T. F., & Fleming, E. C. (2002). The impact of body image experiences: development of the body image quality of life inventory. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31(4), 455-460. doi: 10.1002/eat.10033
VII. Çayan, S., Akbay, E., Bozlu, M., Canpolat, B., Acar, D., & Ulusoy, E. (2004). The prevalence of female sexual dysfunction and potential risk factors that may impair sexual function in Turkish women. Urologia internationalis, 72(1), 52-57. doi: 10.1159/000075273
VIII. Davison, T. and McCabe, M. (2005). Relationships Between Men’s and Women’s Body Image and Their Psychological, Social, and Sexual Functioning. Sex Roles, 52(7-8), pp.463-475. doi: 10.1007/s11199-005-3712-z
IX. Debrot, A., Meuwly, N., Muise, A., Impett, E. A., & Schoebi, D. (2017). More than just sex: Affection mediates the association between sexual activity and well-being. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 43(3), 287-299. doi: 10.1177/0146167216684124
X. Diamond, L. and Huebner, D. (2012). Is Good Sex Good for You? Rethinking Sexuality and Health. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(1), pp.54-69. doi: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00408.x
XI. Dunn, K. M., Croft, P. R., & Hackett, G. I. (1999). Association of sexual problems with social, psychological, and physical problems in men and women: a cross sectional population survey. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, 53(3), 144-148. doi: 10.1136/jech.53.3.144
XII. Ferenidou, F., Kapoteli, V., Moisidis, K., Koutsogiannis, I., Giakoumelos, A., & Hatzichristou, D. (2008). WOMEN'S SEXUAL HEALTH: Presence of a Sexual Problem may not Affect Women's Satisfaction from their Sexual Function. The journal of sexual medicine, 5(3), 631-639. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00644.x
XIII. Figueira, I., Possidente, E., Marques, C. and Hayes, K. (2001). Sexual dysfunction: A neglected complication of panic disorder and social phobia. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30(4), pp.369-377. doi: 10.1023/A:1010257214859
XIV. Gibbons, J. D., & Fielden, J. D. G. (1993). Nonparametric statistics: An introduction (No. 90). Sage. pp, 54.
XV. Gillen, M. M. (2015). Associations between positive body image and indicators of men's and women's mental and physical health. Body Image, 13, 67-74. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.01.002
XVI. Hayes, A. W. (2007). Principles and methods of toxicology. Crc Press, pp. 400.
XVII. Ishak, I. H., Low, W. Y., & Othman, S. (2010). Prevalence, risk factors, and predictors of female sexual dysfunction in a primary care setting: a survey finding. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(9), 3080-3087. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01848.x
XVIII. Jaafarpour, M., Khani, A., Khajavikhan, J., & Suhrabi, Z. (2013). Female sexual dysfunction: prevalence and risk factors. Journal of clinical and diagnostic research: JCDR, 7(12), 2877. doi: 10.7860/JCDR/2013/6813.3822
XIX. Kadri, N., Alami, K. M., & Tahiri, S. M. (2002). Sexual dysfunction in women: population based epidemiological study. Archives of women's mental health, 5(2), 59-63. doi: 10.1007/s00737-002-0141-7
XX. Laumann, E. O., Paik, A., & Rosen, R. C. (1999). Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. Jama, 281(6), 537-544. doi: 10.1001/jama.281.6.537
XXI. Lowery, S., Kurpius, S., Befort, C., Blanks, E., Sollenberger, S., Nicpon, M. and Huser, L. (2005). Body Image, Self-Esteem, and Health-Related Behaviors Among Male and Female First Year College Students. Journal of College Student Development, 46(6), pp.612-623. doi: 10.1353/csd.2005.0062
XXII. Masters, W.H., & Johnson, V.E. (1966). Human sexual response. Oxford, England: Little, Brown.
XXIII. McCabe, M. P. (2005). The role of performance anxiety in the development and maintenance of sexual dysfunction in men and women. International journal of stress management, 12(4), 379. doi: 10.1037/1072-5245.12.4.379
XXIV. McCabe, M., Sharlip, I., Lewis, R., Atalla, E., Balon, R., Fisher, A., Laumann, E., Lee, S. and Segraves, R. (2016). Risk Factors for Sexual Dysfunction Among Women and Men: A Consensus Statement From the Fourth International Consultation on Sexual Medicine 2015. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(2), pp.153-167. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2015.12.015
XXV. McCool, M., Zuelke, A., Theurich, M., Knuettel, H., Ricci, C. and Apfelbacher, C. (2016). Prevalence of Female Sexual Dysfunction Among Premenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Sexual Medicine Reviews, 4(3), pp.197-212. doi: 10.1016/j.sxmr.2016.03.002
XXVI. Mendelson, B. K., Mendelson, M. J., & White, D. R. (2001). Body-esteem scale for adolescents and adults. Journal of personality assessment, 76(1), 90-106. doi: 10.1207/S15327752JPA7601_6
XXVII. Nakopoulou, E., Kirana, P. S., Chiu, G., Link, C., Rosen, R., & Hatzichristou, D. (2010). Level of bother and treatment-seeking predictors among male and female in-patients with sexual problems: a hospital-based study. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(2), 700-711. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01605.x
XXVIII. Oksuz, E., & Malhan, S. (2006). Prevalence and risk factors for female sexual dysfunction in Turkish women. The Journal of urology, 175(2), 654-658. doi: 10.1016/S0022-5347(05)00149-7
XXIX. Papaharitou, S., Nakopoulou, E., Kirana, P., Iraklidou, M., Athanasiadis, L., & Hatzichristou, D. (2005). Women's sexual concerns: Data analysis from a help‐line. The journal of sexual medicine, 2(5), 652-657. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00116.x
XXX. Pujols, Y., Meston, C. M., & Seal, B. N. (2010). The association between sexual satisfaction and body image in women. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(2), 905-916. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01604.x
XXXI. Samakouri, M., Bouhos, G., Kadoglou, M., Giantzelidou, A., Tsolaki, K., & Livaditis, M. (2012). Standardization of the Greek version of Zung's Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Psychiatriki, 23(3), 212-220.
XXXII. Schinka, J. A., Velicer, W. F., & Weiner, I. B. (2003). Research methods in psychology. Wiley, pp 252.
XXXIII. Salvendy, G. (2012). Handbook of human factors and ergonomics. John Wiley & Sons, pp 1154.
XXXIV. Satinsky, S., Reece, M., Dennis, B., Sanders, S., & Bardzell, S. (2012). An assessment of body appreciation and its relationship to sexual function in women. Body Image, 9(1), 137-144. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2011.09.007
XXXV. Stephenson, K. R., & Meston, C. M. (2015). Why is impaired sexual function distressing to women? The primacy of pleasure in female sexual dysfunction. The journal of sexual medicine, 12(3), 728-737. doi: 10.1111/jsm.12804
XXXVI. Sowislo, J. and Orth, U. (2013). Does low self-esteem predict depression and anxiety? A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), pp.213-240.
XXXVII. Swami, V., Tran, U. S., Stieger, S., & Voracek, M. (2015). Associations between women’s body image and happiness: Results of the YouBeauty.com Body Image Survey (YBIS). Journal of Happiness Studies, 16(3), 705-718. doi: 10.1007/s10902-014-9530-7
XXXVIII. Thompson, W. K., Charo, L., Vahia, I. V., Depp, C., Allison, M., & Jeste, D. V. (2011). Association between higher levels of sexual function, activity, and satisfaction and self‐rated successful aging in older postmenopausal women. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 59(8), 1503-1508. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2011.03495.x
XXXIX. Van Minnen, A. and Kampman, M. (2000). The interaction between anxiety and sexual functioning: A controlled study of sexual functioning in women with anxiety disorders. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 15(1), pp.47-57. doi: 10.1080/14681990050001556
XL. Waldinger, M. D. (2015). Psychiatric disorders and sexual dysfunction. In Handbook of clinical neurology(Vol. 130, pp. 469-489). Elsevier, pp. 472-474.
XLI. Wallwiener, S., Strohmaier, J., Wallwiener, L., Schönfisch, B., Zipfel, S., Brucker, S., Rietschel, M. and Wallwiener, C. (2016). Sexual Function Is Correlated With Body Image and Partnership Quality in Female University Students. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(10), pp.1530-1538. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.07.020
XLII. Wallwiener, C. W., Wallwiener, L. M., Seeger, H., Mück, A. O., Bitzer, J., & Wallwiener, M. (2010). Prevalence of sexual dysfunction and impact of contraception in female German medical students. The journal of sexual medicine, 7(6), 2139-2148. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01742.x
XLIII. Wallwiener, C. W., Wallwiener, L. M., Seeger, H., Schönfisch, B., Mueck, A. O., Bitzer, J., ... & Wallwiener, M. (2017). Sexual function, contraception, relationship, and lifestyle in female medical students. Journal of Women's Health, 26(2), 169-177. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2015.5731
XLIV. Weaver, A. D., & Byers, E. S. (2006). The relationships among body image, body mass index, exercise, and sexual functioning in heterosexual women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30(4), 333-339. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6402.2006.00308.x
XLV. Woertman, L. and van den Brink, F. (2012). Body Image and Female Sexual Functioning and Behavior: A Review. Journal of Sex Research, 49(2-3), pp.184-211. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2012.658586
XLVI. Zachariou, A., Filiponi, M., & Kirana, P. S. (2017). Translation and validation of the Greek version of the female sexual function index questionnaire. International journal of impotence research, 29(4), 171. doi: 10.1038/ijir.2017.18
XLVII. Καραμίντζιου, Α. (2008). Εικόνα σώματος και σχολικός εκφοβισμός: με ποιο τρόπο οι μορφές θυματοποίησης και βίας σχετίζονται με την εκτίμηση για το βάρος και τη γενικότερη εξωτερική εμφάνιση σε κορίτσια και αγόρια ηλικίας 14-16 ετών. Αδημοσίευτη μεταπτυχιακή διατριβή, Θεσσαλονίκη: Διατμηματικό μεταπτυχιακό πρόγραμμα σπουδών στην παιδαγωγική της ισότητας των φύλων.
XLVIII. Κοσμίδου, Ε. (2014). Σωματική αυτοαντίληψη, εικόνα σώματος και διατροφικές στάσεις αθλητριών ρυθμικής γυμναστικής: ανάπτυξη και αξιολόγηση παρεμβατικού προγράμματος. Αδημοσίευτη διδακτορική διατριβή, Θεσσαλονίκη: Τμήμα Επιστήμης Φυσικής Αγωγής και Αθλητισμού Θεσσαλονίκης.