Sociodemographic and health correlates of sexual health among midlife women

Over 80% of women aged 40 to 60 have had sex in the previous month. At the same time, over half of midlife women experience sexual problems, and women at all ages report more sexual dysfunction than men. Women also experience changes during midlife that impact their sexual health, including menopause and decreasing familial health. Despite these facts, little is known about the effects of many sociodemographic characteristics on midlife women's sexual health, nor whether these effects differ based on age. This study examines the sociodemographic and health correlates of sexual health among midlife women. Results are based on data from the National Health and Social Life Survey, a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey of United States adults aged 18 to 59. Sexual health is measured by level, frequency, and satisfaction of sexual activity. The key sociodemographic variables are race/ethnicity and education. Education may provide women with the resources needed to maintain a healthy sexual relationship and the ability or willingness to use these resources may depend on one's race/ethnicity. Race/ethnicity and education are also expected to be associated with other determinants of sexual health that will be explored, including union status, health status, and household income. Stratified models will be conducted to test how the impact of these measures varies by race/ethnicity. Models will also be conducted among younger women to explore if the effects of race/ethnicity and education differ with age. Preliminary analysis suggests that level of education and race/ethnicity are strongly associated with all measures of sexual health.