Sexual activity in Brazilian women aged 50 years or older within the framework of a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of sexual activity, factors associated with being sexually active, and sexual self-perception in women 50 years or older living in a Brazilian city. METHODS: This population-based study applied a questionnaire to a random sample of 622 Brazilian women 50 years or older, representative of a population of 131,800 women, to obtain data on sexual activity and women's perception of their sexual life as part of a broader study that dealt with women's health. Associations between sexual activity, women's perception of their sexual life, and demographic, behavioral, and medical characteristics were determined. RESULTS: Overall, 36.7% of the participants reported being sexually active. Of these, 53.5% classified their sexual life as very good or good. Multiple regression analysis showed that the main factors associated with the absence of sexual activity were not having a partner (prevalence ratio [PR], 0.16; 95% CI, 0.12-0.23; P < 0.001), aging (PR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.94-0.96; P < 0.001), and current or past smoking of five or more cigarettes per day (PR, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63-0.98; P = 0.034), whereas being sexually active was associated with the practice of physical activity (PR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02-1.41; P = 0.032). A woman's classification of her sexual life as very poor, poor, or fair was associated with current or past use of natural remedies to treat menopausal symptoms (PR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.06-1.81; P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: The main factors associated with the absence of sexual activity are not having a sexual partner, aging, and smoking, whereas weekly physical activity is associated with being sexually active. A poorer classification of a woman's sexual life is associated with her having used natural remedies to treat menopausal symptoms.

Factors associated with self-perception of health among Brazilian women 50 years or older: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate factors associated with self-perception of health among women 50 years or older living in a Brazilian city. METHODS: A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted using self-reported data from a household survey carried out in a sample of 622 women 50 years or older. Sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with the women's perception of their own health (very good, good, fair, poor, or very poor) were assessed. χ2 test and Poison multiple logistic regression analysis were used to select the principal factors associated with a poorer perception of health at a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: Multiple analyses showed that the probability of association of chronic diseases with a woman's perception of her health as fair, poor, or very poor increased by 97% when at least two morbidities were present, whereas for each point (kg/m2) increase in body mass index, the probability of association with her perceiving her health as poorer increased by 2% (95% CI, 1.01-1.04). The probability of association decreased by 50% if she had more than 8 years of schooling (95% CI, 0.36-0.70), by 29% if she had health insurance (95% CI, 0.59-0.86), and by 32% if she performed physical exercise weekly (95% CI, 0.54-0.86). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of multimorbidities and a higher body mass index increases the probability of association with a woman's poorer perception of her own health, whereas having more than 8 years of schooling, having medical insurance, and performing physical exercise weekly decreases the probability of association with a poorer perception of health.