Strong, Functioning Relationships Benefit Overall Health

In a survey conducted on more than 3,000 men and women, ages 57 to 85 years, Linda J. Waite, from the University of Chicago (Illinois, USA), and colleagues reveal that seniors who maintain strong and functioning sexual and intimate relationships generally have better health and well-being as well.  Data collected from The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP), which was designed to examine the relationship between sexual behavior, sexual problems, and health among older women and men, found that men are more likely than women to have a partner, more likely to be sexually active with that partner, and tend to have more positive and permissive attitudes toward sex.  By exploring the link between sexuality, health, well-being, and other dimensions of the lives of older adults, NSHAP researchers aim to present an optimistic view of sex and aging.