Activities of Daily Living and Importance of Sex Among Midlife and Older Adults

A large portion of U.S. adults are estimated to have a disability with a higher disability prevalence for those 50 years and older. However, few U.S. studies have assessed the sexual health of midlife and older adults with disabilities. The current study used Wave 3 data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project to examine the relationship between activities of daily living (ADL) and importance of sex. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted for a nationally representative analytic sample of 4371 participants. We found that participants with three or more ADL limitations were significantly less likely to report sex as important compared to participants with no limitations or 1-2 limitations. Other factors associated with the importance of sex included age, gender, educational attainment, race/ethnicity, marital status, and overall health. Future research should continue to explore the relationship between disability and sexual health among midlife and older adults.