Sexual Satisfaction Among Married Women

American Journal of Health Studies, Spring, 2000 by Michael Young, George Denny, Tamera Young, Raffy Luquis

Abstract: Correlates of sexual satisfaction were identified in a sample of married persons. A 70-item questionnaire was mailed to an age-stratified sample of 2,500 married women. Usable questionnaires were returned by 641 participants (a 25.5% return rate). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis, using sexual satisfaction as the dependent variable, yielded nine predictor variables that accounted for a significant portion of the variation in sexual satisfaction (Cumulative R Squared = .65). The results serve as a reminder that sexual interactions cannot be compartmentalized but must be considered within the context of the overall marriage relationship.

Satisfaction with one's marriage or primary relationship tends to be a pivotal factor in overall happiness. Sexual satisfaction is an important aspect of marital satisfaction (Farley & Davis, 1980; Gebhard, 1966; Hurlbert Apt, & Rabehl, 19930). Given the high rates of divorce and the marital and sexual dissatisfaction experienced by many couples who do not divorce (Frank, Anderson, & Rubinstein, 1979), a study to identify the factors that have a positive or negative impact on sexual satisfaction among married women was deemed important.

A number of researchers have sought to identify factors that influence sexual satisfaction. Researchers have investigated sexual satisfaction and its relationship both to physical aspects of sexual performance (e.g., orgasm consistency or frequency or timing of orgasm) (Darling, Davidson, & Cox, 1991); Darling, Davidson, & Jennings, 1991; Waterman & Chiauzzi, 1982) and psychological factors (Farley & Davis, 1980). Additionally, religiosity (Davidson, Darling, & Norton, 1995), gender-role perception or adaptation (Jobes, 1986; Rosenzweig & Dailey, 1989), cultural variables (Ah Song, Bergen, & Schumm, 1995), and a host of other factors (Hatfield, Greenberger, Traupman, & Lambert, 1982; Hurlbert et al. 1993; Schiavi, Mandell, & Schreiner-Engel, 1994) have been studied in relation to sexual satisfaction. In this study we attempted to overcome some of the shortcomings of previous work and add to the body of knowledge relative to this important topic. Specifically, it was our goal to identify the relationship between female sexual satisfaction within marriage and a number of aspects of the sexual and non-sexual aspects of the marriage relationship. In addition, we wanted to identify the role of religiosity in female marital sexual satisfaction and the relationship of religious beliefs about sex to sexual satisfaction in marriage and to sexual aspects of the marriage relationship.

THE CONCEPT AND MEASUREMENT OF SEXUAL SATISFACTION

Researchers have attempted to conceptualize and measure sexual satisfaction in a number of ways. Renaud, Beyers, and Pan (1997) indicated that sexual satisfaction has sometimes been conceptualized as the absence of dissatisfaction. Derogatis and Melisaratos (1979) noted the concept of sexual satisfaction seems at first to be rather straightforward. A person is or is not satisfied with his or her sexual relationship.

Lawrance and Byers (1995) described sexual satisfaction as "an affective response arising from one's subjective evaluation of the positive and negative dimensions associated with one's sexual relationship" (p. 268). The measurement of this "affective response" is not necessarily a simple task. Some researchers have attempted to measure overall sexual satisfaction using one or two questionnaire items. For example, Zhou (1993) measured sexual satisfaction by asking subjects a single question about their satisfaction with coitus. Several other researchers have sought to measure sexual satisfaction with one or two Likert type items (Farley & Davis, 1980; Davidson & Hoffman, 1986; Ah Song et al., 1995), have used single items to measure psychological and physiological components of satisfaction, or have been unclear as to how they measured sexual satisfaction (Morokoff & Gillilland, 1993).

Renaud et al. (1997) noted that researchers have sometimes used orgasmic consistency as an index of sexual satisfaction. Other researchers have used various multi-item scales to measure sexual satisfaction (LoPiccolo & Steger, 1974; Derogatis & Melisaratos, 1979; Hudson, Harrison, & Croscup, 1981; Lawrance & Byers, 1995). The use of a multi-item scale provides the researcher with an opportunity to take into account the different components or dimensions of one's sexual relationship. This approach may provide a more accurate reflection of overall satisfaction with one's sexual relationship than approaches that use only one or two items to assess a person's sexual satisfaction. In this study, we used an 11-item scale that addressed several dimensions of sexual satisfaction (e.g. pleasure, attraction, intensity, fulfillment) within the context of marriage.

Religiosity and Sexual Satisfaction

In this study we also addressed the relationship of religiosity to sexual satisfaction. Davidson, Darling and Norton (1995) indicated that "our societal attitudes about sexuality continue to be dominated by the religious perspective that sexual desires are to be restrained" (p. 235) and sexual pleasures to be avoided. Thus, it seems that one's degree of religious commitment and one's perception of how religion (or God) views sexuality may also impact sexual satisfaction. Research that has addressed the issue of religiosity and sexual satisfaction has, however, been quite limited. Davidson et al. (1995) studied the relationship of religiosity and sexual satisfaction in a sample of nurses. They found significant differences between the degree of religiosity (as measured by frequency of church attendance) and the age at initiation of sexual intercourse and attitudes toward masturbation. They also found differences in "physiological" sexual satisfaction, by church attendance, with those women who indicated that they had not attended church services in the last year, expressing the highest level of satisfaction. There was no significant difference, however, in "psychological" sexual satisfaction between frequency of church attendance.