Obesity and sexual dysfunction in younger Danish men

Abstract

Introduction: Proportion of populations that are overweight and obese are on the rise and generally affecting more than 50% of the adult Western male population. It is, therefore, of interest to look at possible associations between obesity and sexual function in a homogeneous population.

Aim: To examine a possible association between sexual disorders (erectile dysfunction, ejaculatory disorders, and sexual desire disorders) and obesity among younger men born and living in Denmark.

Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study of sexual health among Danish younger men. Questionnaires were mailed to 3,300 men, aged 20-45 years and divided into six 5-year age cohorts. Odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression modeling. In total, 863 men (26%) responded anonymously. A similar set of data from 600 older men aged 50-75 years and from same community was used for comparison.

Main outcome measures: The associations between self-reported erectile, ejaculatory and desire disorders, and body mass index (BMI) were examined, stratified by age group and smoking status.

Results: The material was found to be generally representative of the Danish population of men of similar age in regard to height, weight, smoking status, and alcohol consumption. Erectile dysfunction (ED) was more prevalent among these younger and older men with higher BMI, but only significant among men 20-45 years old, with an odds ratio of 2.74 (95% confidence interval 1.1-6.8). The prevalence of ED was higher among the younger obese nonsmokers than obese smokers. Premature ejaculation, retarded ejaculation, and sexual desire disorders were all unrelated to overweight or obesity.

Conclusion: Obesity (BMI > or = 30 kg/m(2)) seems associated with ED among younger men aged 20-45 years. Health programs directed toward preventing obesity in younger men may benefit from informing about an almost three-fold occurrence of erectile dysfunction associated with obesity.