The Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders on Sexual Function among Postmenopausal Women

Backgrounds: Medical conditions could influence sexual function. Since chronic medical conditions capable of affecting sexual function are common during menopause, it is crucial to identify the medical factors that influence sexual function during this period of women’s lives. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between musculoskeletal disorders and sexual function in postmenopausal women.Material and method : This is a cross-sectional study of 405 postmenopausal women, aged 40 to 65 years, who were residents of the cities of Chalous and Noshahr, Iran. A multistage, randomized sampling was carried out, and data was collected through interviews using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire and a self-administered questionnaire. The data were analyzed using t-test and multiple linear regression.Result: Among the participants, 10% were suffering from musculoskeletal disorders. The mean score in the pain domain was significantly lower in the participants with musculoskeletal problems (3.89 vs. 4.44; P=0.041). The multiple-regression analysis showed that musculoskeletal problems were a predictive factor for the pain domain, so that the participants with musculoskeletal disorders had a score of pain 0.6 unit lower (worse) than those without such problems (P=0.032).Conclusion: In postmenopausal women, musculoskeletal problems have a negative effect on the pain domain of sexual function. Given that the risk of sexual dysfunction and musculoskeletal disorders increase during menopause, sufficient attention needs to be paid to this matter in any effort to improve postmenopausal women’s health.