中老年人性需求及其相關因素之初探

Preliminary Exploration of Sexual Needs and Its Related Factors among the Elderly

目的：老年人因環境、生理、心理因素的影響，在性需求、性問題上有所改變而被忽略。盡管臺灣在2018年已是高齡社會，卻很少對中老年人從事性需求與性問題的研究。本研究目的乃探討中老年人性需求及其相關因素。方法：本研究採橫斷面調查，以台灣中部地區樂齡中心、55歲以上中老年人為受試對象。問卷包括基本資料、性需求及老年人憂鬱量表(Depression Scale, GDS)。發放450份問卷，有效回收392份(87.11%)。採SPSS 22.0進行統計分析。結果：以女性佔61.5%最多。50.5%沒有性需求，且年齡愈大、性需求愈低，女性性需求低於男性。有性需求的中老年人，最想要用的身體接觸為性交佔42.5%，其中有78.2%得到滿足。沒有想要找伴侶或沒有得到滿足者的憂鬱狀況顯著較高。照護人員不會關心有關性需求方面的事佔87.2%。中老年人的年齡、性別、婚姻狀況、有固定伴侶及自覺健康狀況對性需求有顯著預測力。結論：本研究近五成沒有性需求，年齡愈大、性需求愈低，乃因缺乏伴侶及沒性趣。照護人員應正向來看待中老年人的性需求及性問題，將有助於提高其自信及追求性愉悅。

Objectives. Due to environmental, physiological, and psychological factors, research on the sexual needs and sexual problems among the elderly has been largely neglected. Although Taiwan transformed into a significantly aged society in 2018, little research has been carried out in this important area. The purpose of this study is to rectify this gap in the knowledge through exploring sexual needs and related factors among the elderly.
Methods. This study adopted a cross-sectional design and selected subjects in central Taiwan who were over 55 years of age. The questionnaire included basic data, sexual needs, and a Depression Scale (GDS). 450 questionnaires were distributed and 392 (87.11%) were effectively collected. All data analyses were conducted using SPSS version 22.0.
Results. The majority of respondents were female 61.5%. 50.5% reported no sexual needs. This is likely because the older you get, the lower your sexual needs become. Female sexual needs are also generally reported as lower than male's. 42.5% of middle-aged and elderly people who had sexual needs preferred sexual intercourse as the means to satify those needs. Among them, 78.2% reported satisfaction. Those who do not want to have partner or are not sexual satisfied reported higher levels of depression than those who want to have partner or obtain sexual satisfaction. 87.2% of caregivers do not care about the sexual needs of their middle-aged and elderly charges. Age, gender, marital status, partner, and perceived health status were all significant predicators of sexual needs among the elderly.
Conclusion. Nearly 50% of respondents in this study reported no sexual needs. The older the age, the lower the level of sexual desire. The main reasons result from lack of companionship and lack of sexual interest. It is recommended that family members should positively face the sexual needs and sexual problems of the elderly in order to improve their self-confidence in the pursuit of sexual pleasure.