You have full access to this open access article. Age-related declines in multiple facets of sexuality in later life are well documented. However, most studies have been cross-sectional with data collected at one point in time, leaving questions about cohort differences and interrelated historical changes in physical health and psychosocial functioning unanswered. Later-born adults in late midlife reported attributing slightly higher importance to sexuality than their earlier-born peers and experiencing their sex life as slightly less pleasant. When controlling for socio-demographic, physical health, and psychosocial factors, cohort differences in perceived importance of sexuality remained significant, but those for enjoyment did not. Late-midlife sexuality undergoes historical changes. Specifically, reported perceived importance of sexuality has increased over historical time, especially in particular population segments. Over the past decade, sexuality in midlife and old age has received increased attention Buczak-Stec et al. A number of studies converge in suggesting that several aspects of sexuality show on average age-related decrements, but a considerable proportion of adults continue having an active sex life into advanced ages Kolodziejczak et al. However, previous empirical reports were typically based on cross-sectional data collected at one specific point in time e. Thus, they did not allow disentangling age-related differences from those associated with the historical times people were born and living in. Thus, in the current study, we examined cohort differences in two aspects of late-midlife sexuality: the importance people attribute to sexuality and the extent to which they experience their sex life as pleasant. We also accounted for a dating a man 20 years older number of socio-demographic, physical health, and psychosocial correlates that are known to differ between individuals and across historical time Drewelies et al. Midlife is a life phase characterized by several unique developmental transitions Infurna et al. To illustrate, the menopausal transition may constitute a challenge for sexual functioning Avis et al. In a similar vein, late midlife is assumed to be the period of life of increasing risk of health problems e. On the other hand, sexuality remains for many adults a valuable aspect of life until old age, and a fulfilling sex life in older age is linked with indicators of successful aging Buczak-Stec et al. Late midlife may thus be a critical period for maintaining a satisfying sex life into old age. In this study, we focused on two aspects of sexuality: perceived importance of sexuality and enjoyment of sex life, both crucial for a better understanding of individual differences in late-midlife sexuality. Previous studies have suggested that, for a considerable number of adults, sexuality remains a valuable aspect of life into old age Laumann et al. For example, higher within-couple discrepancy in the importance attributed to sex in middle and older age is related to more pronounced relationship strain Orr et dating a man 20 years older. Of note is that numerous studies have inferred the importance of sexuality in later life from the frequency of sexual activity reported by study participants. However, such operational definition is questionable, for example, because of the interest-activity gap Pfeiffer et al. Thus, empirical research should aim at using more direct measures of the importance people attribute to sexuality. Enjoyment of sexuality reflects the degree to which people experience their sex life as pleasurable. Examining enjoyment thus complements earlier empirical reports by moving beyond considering mere quantitative aspects of sexuality, such as the frequency of sexual activity. Life course sociology and lifespan psychology have long noted that individual functioning and development are profoundly shaped by the historical and socio-cultural contexts people are living in Baltes et al. Three sets of historical shifts over the past decades may have particularly contributed to changes in perception of sexuality in later life nowadays. First, the sexual revolution of the late s and early s might have particularly impacted adolescents and young adults at that time Forbes et al. The movement has spread more liberal attitudes toward sexuality that facilitated engagement with sex life. In a similar vein, the Gay Rights movement of the s is often thought of as having had society-wide effects that profoundly shaped how people think about sexuality Shield, Assuming that such attitudes continue to be relevant today DeLamater,we hypothesized that cohorts born after the Second World War value and enjoy their sex lives in late midlife more than earlier-born cohorts. Second, feminist societal movements in the s have broadened the debate on gender equality and promoted, among other things, sexual self-determination and sexual pleasure among women Rubin, As a consequence, we hypothesized that historical shifts in the perceived importance and dating a man 20 years older of sexuality are probably more pronounced among women than among men, with later-born women in late midlife reporting higher importance and more enjoyment of sexuality than earlier-born same-aged women. Third, more recent developments such as medical advancements over the past decades can also be expected to have shaped late-midlife sexuality. Such changes encompass increases in treatments of sexual dysfunction both in women e. Better sexual functioning presumably facilitates perceiving sexuality as important and engaging with sex life into old age. Likewise, easy access to medication that improves sexual function might contribute to a more pleasurable sex life.
Sexuality and affection among elderly German men and women in long-term relationships: Results of a prospective population-based study. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 35 , — Beckman, N. Psychometrika, 16 , — In a second step, we conducted hierarchical regression analyses separately for the two sexuality measures to examine the predictive effect of cohort membership while accounting for a number of further correlates.
Acceptance of age
Going 20, 30 or even 40 years into private life requires new images of old age. “Gray hair has less to do with age than with genetics,” she says. (Relationship and Dating Advice for Women Book 20) love after 50 years! Text Him This Not That: Texting Tips To Build Attraction and Shorten His Response Time! “I have year-old clients with gray hair and year-old clients with none. We suggest that single adults in contemporary American society are targets of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination, a phenomenon we will call singlism. „We have to rethink old age!“ the scientist demands. So WE are challenged.Susanne Ackstaller, Journalistin. Attitudes of care staff regarding sexuality and residents: A study in residential and nursing homes. PLoS One, 9 , e There is initial evidence that health problems impact sexuality among later-born older adults less, comparing to the earlier-born cohorts Beckman et al. On the contrary, our follow-up analyses treating year of birth as continuous predictor procedures applied as in other cohort studies, e. In a first step, we examined mean-level differences between the two cohorts separately on a perceived importance and b enjoyment of sexuality using one-way ANOVA. These cookies do not store any personal information. Results Table 1 shows descriptive statistics and intercorrelations of the variables under study. The Role of Socio-Demographic, Physical Health, and Psychosocial Factors We speculate that perceived importance and enjoyment of sexuality in late midlife have increased over historical time also because of changes that emerged in socio-demographic, physical health, and psychosocial functioning. Article PubMed Google Scholar Hülür, G. It may be that men with borderline personality disorder are more content in their intimate relationships or have more supportive partners than women with BPD. Thorsten Osterberger, Founder Heyday-Magazin. Article Google Scholar Van Tilburg, T. Necessary Necessary. Spricht man über ein Problem, wird es schon viel kleiner. Given that the attitudes toward later-life sexuality have become more positive over the past decades Beckman et al. For example, higher within-couple discrepancy in the importance attributed to sex in middle and older age is related to more pronounced relationship strain Orr et al. This study has two main limitations. Being to some degree religious, attending church, or other forms of religious involvement Braam et al. Is it possible to age correctly? For example, it would be intriguing for future research to make use of behavioral data that were not available in the current study. As limitations of the study design, we note that data on sexuality measures of interest were available for each cohort only at baseline assessment. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 19 , 2— And at the latest then it became clear to me: I am over 60, I have old age! Article PubMed Google Scholar Dowd, J. The first LASA cohort included adults aged 55 to 85 years born between and , with older men and the oldest participants being oversampled. Mercer, C. The follow-up inter-rater reliability within one generation of follow-up raters and follow-up longitudinal reliability from one generation of raters to the next of these four measures have also been found to be good-excellent Zanarini, Frankenburg, Reich et al. The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population. The psychosocial sources of sexual interest in older couples. Article Google Scholar Bouman, W. Data on sexuality measures of interest were available from the baseline assessment for each LASA cohort. Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA. After informed consent was obtained, our diagnostic interview battery was re-administered. Hoogendijk, E. They were also equally likely to have had or adopted a child.
