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 comprehensive 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. Acceptable age difference dating 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. 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 acceptable age difference dating 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 enjoyment 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. Thus, this relationship might be bidirectional. Empirically, studies examining historical trends in sexuality have indeed reported cohort differences on its several dimensions. Specifically, later-born adults acceptable age difference dating remain sexually active until older age: Beckman, Waern, Östling, Sundh, and Skoog reported that a higher percentage of later-born Swedish year-olds engage with sex life today compared with their same-aged peers 20 years ago. Another study on adults in the US has acceptable age difference dating historical decreases in the frequency of sexual activity among those in their 50s, but no decline among those over 60 Twenge et al. Later-born cohorts of older adults have also been found to report more positive attitudes to sexuality, higher satisfaction with sexuality, and fewer sexual dysfunctions than earlier-born cohorts Beckman et al. Very few studies though have specifically targeted adults in late midlife to examine cohort differences in sexuality. In particular, Forbes et al.
Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL. Tolman, L. GIGA Focus Afrika Happy Ever After? Pettit, M. To begin with, our finding that men in late midlife consider sexuality as more important and slightly more pleasant than same-aged women parallels findings obtained from samples of older adults e. Psychology and Aging, 34 , —
Springe zu
The mean duration of participants' relationship was months (SD = ), with a minimum of 1 month and a maximum duration of months. It's believed in Korea that 4 is the best for marrige. If the age gap at marriage is five years, the cohort of men born in a given year will be matched with the cohort of women born five years later, and the latter. And generally men are older. For dating, it's quite personal and depends on the person. We examined cohort differences in perceived importance and enjoyment of sexuality in late midlife using data from the Longitudinal Aging Study.Registriere mich! Changing disease prevalence, incidence, and mortality among older cohorts: The health and retirement study. For each activity, participants were asked if they were able to perform the activity without difficulty 0 or not 1. The data in Table 1 makes one additional point: While almost 95 per cent of women are married by age 29 in Burkina Faso, only 65 per cent of men are also in union by this age. If men do not have enough women to marry in their own age cohort, they might resort to marrying younger women. Close Was sind Geschenke? Okay, so most of us probably look at television dating shows and say, "That's ridiculous! Table 3 reports results of hierarchical regression analyses for the enjoyment of sexuality. Malte Lierl. Changes in sexual attitudes and lifestyles in Britain through the life course and over time: Findings from the National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles Natsal. Article Google Scholar Bouman, W. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35 , — The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 74 , — Attrition in the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. Second, both sexuality measures exhibited small to moderately sized associations with the correlates included, suggesting that the correlates represent a wide range of relevant background factors. Speed dating, as it has evolved, usually gives participants six or seven minutes with each potential date, but I gave them three minutes to convince somebody to go out with them, though I was there to offer encouragement or redirect the Burger King philosophy of life: quick, hot, juicy, and "your way" work in some places, just not in dating! Learn to: Safely navigate social networking and online dating sites Avoid common dating missteps Get back into the dating scene after divorce Deal with differences in age Trusted tips and guidance on meeting Mr. Concerns about fertility are balanced by women deciding that they can have children without the benefit of a partner, another factor that has radically altered the dating landscape. Hormones and Behavior, 78 , — It has real stories from the authors experience. Navigation Find a journal Publish with us Track your research. Hence, there is a palpable need to pay more attention to the marriage market, particularly in sub-Saharan African countries, many of which are already struggling with political and societal instability. Article PubMed Google Scholar Baltes, P. Allerdings können Beziehungen, in denen eine Person viel älter ist als die andere, von den Menschen in deiner Umgebung verurteilt werden und das kann schwer zu verkraften sein. Department of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Statistically, more people are marrying and remarrying than ever before. By sending a gift to someone, they will be more likely to answer your questions again! To illustrate, the menopausal transition may constitute a challenge for sexual functioning Avis et al. The views of older people. Thus, the stepwise sequence of models tested was as follows: cohort membership model 1 , age, gender, education model 2 , salience of religion model 3 , multimorbidity, functional limitations model 4 , relationship status, loneliness model 5 , depressive symptoms, and perceived constraints model 6. Cohort Differences in Perceived Importance and Enjoyment of Sexuality Among Adults in Late Midlife.
