Wang Jie-Yu, Lv Xiao-Qing, Wu Jing-Mei, Tang Wang-Qin, Luo Gui-Ying, Liang Chun-Mei, Wang Dan-Ni, Hong Jing-Fang, Cao Yun-Xia
Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
School of Nursing, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, People's Republic of China.
Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2022 Sep 6;15:2449-2459. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S378496. eCollection 2022.
Infertility has adverse effects on the quality of life (QoL) of infertile couples. Previous studies found important associations between sexual function, self-esteem and QoL, but mainly focused on one individual's approach rather than both partners. This study adopted a dyadic approach to evaluate the relationship between sexual function and QoL in couples with infertility through mediation and improving self-esteem.
Between October 2020 and January 2021, 428 couples with infertility (n=856) undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) at a tertiary hospital in Hefei, China, were registered for the current descriptive cross-sectional research. The dyads' sociodemographic and clinical features, as well as their sexual function, self-esteem, and QoL were evaluated. The Fertility quality of life scale (FertiQoL), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and International Index of Erectile Function-15 (IIEF-15) were used to evaluate the participants. The Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM) was utilized to examine data from the dyadic relationships.
According to the APIMeM analysis, sexual function of individuals with infertility was directly and indirectly connected with their QoL, mediated through their self-esteem. The women's sexual function was found to be positively associated with their partner's QoL, with the women's self-esteem acting as a complete mediator. The men's sexual function was found to be positively associated with partner's QoL, with the men's self-esteem acting as a complete mediator.
The findings suggest that boosting participants' self-esteem can help them and their partners have a better QoL. Also, therapies aimed at improving and sustaining self-esteem of couples with infertility could help mitigate the negative influence of low sexual function on their QoL.
不孕症会对不孕夫妇的生活质量（QoL）产生不利影响。先前的研究发现性功能、自尊与生活质量之间存在重要关联，但主要集中在个体层面，而非夫妻双方。本研究采用二元方法，通过中介作用和提升自尊来评估不孕症夫妇性功能与生活质量之间的关系。
2020年10月至2021年1月期间，在中国合肥一家三级医院接受体外受精（IVF）的428对不孕夫妇（n = 856）被纳入当前的描述性横断面研究。评估了这些夫妇的社会人口学和临床特征，以及他们的性功能、自尊和生活质量。使用生育生活质量量表（FertiQoL）、罗森伯格自尊量表（RSES）、女性性功能指数（FSFI）和国际勃起功能指数-15（IIEF-15）对参与者进行评估。采用行为者-伴侣相互依赖中介模型（APIMeM）来分析二元关系数据。
根据APIMeM分析，不孕个体的性功能与其生活质量直接且间接相关，自尊起到中介作用。发现女性性功能与伴侣的生活质量呈正相关，女性自尊起到完全中介作用。发现男性性功能与伴侣的生活质量呈正相关，男性自尊起到完全中介作用。
研究结果表明，提高参与者的自尊有助于他们及其伴侣拥有更好的生活质量。此外，旨在改善和维持不孕夫妇自尊的治疗方法可能有助于减轻性功能低下对其生活质量的负面影响。
