J Korean Acad Fam Med.  2002 Nov;23(11):1334-1339.

A Study on the Validity of a Single-Item Question Concerning Sexual Satisfaction as a Screening Tool for Erectile Dysfunction in Primary Care

• Sung YH
• Kim SJ
• Kim YS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite its high prevalence and importance in terms of one's quality of life, male sexual dysfunction has been ignored. This study is intended to evaluate the validity of a single-item question concerning sexual satisfaction as a screening tool for assessing patients' erectile dysfunction in primary care.
METHODS
The male patients, who visited the department of family medicine from May to July of 2002, were required to fill out a questionnaire in order to assess their sexual satisfaction. Sexual dysfunction was examined through the erectile function (IIEF-5) questionnaire. The questionnaire on sexual satisfaction was evaluated to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for erectile dysfunction in 299 subjects.
RESULTS
The prevalence of erectile dysfunction was 41.5% in patients aged over 40. The ratio of sexual unsatisfaction was 35.8%, and the sensitivity and specificity of this response were 0.609 and 0.799, respectively. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction demonstrated a significant correlation with increasing age (P<0.001), but was not influenced by body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, and exercise. Diabetes mellitus was a risk factor of erectile dysfunction, but patients' personal medical history such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and prostatic hypertrophy were not related to sexual dysfunction.
CONCLUSION
The single-item question concerning overall sexual satisfaction may be a useful screening tool for assessing erectile dysfunction.

Keyword

erectile dysfunction; sexual satisfaction; sensitivity; positive predictive value

MeSH Terms

Alcohol Drinking
Body Mass Index
Diabetes Mellitus
Erectile Dysfunction*
Humans
Hyperlipidemias
Hypertension
Male
Mass Screening*
Prevalence
Primary Health Care*
Prostatic Hyperplasia
Quality of Life
Risk Factors
Sensitivity and Specificity
Smoke
Smoking
Surveys and Questionnaires
Smoke