(iVillage Total Health) - Men who exercise, have good relationships with their partners and have higher educations are less likely to have erectile dysfunction, according to a new national survey.
Erectile dysfunction (ED), also known as impotence, is the consistent inability of men to achieve or sustain an erection firm enough for sexual intercourse with their partners. Previous studies have shown that men with diabetes or hypertension and older men are at greater risk of having the condition. However, researchers led by the University of Chicago's Department of Sociology noted that there have been few nationally representative studies of ED and many may have underrepresented minority groups.
Researchers conducted telephone interviews with more than 2,100 men between May 2001 and January 2002. There 901 white men, 596 black men and 676 Hispanic men. All were asked to describe their ability to get and keep an erection for satisfactory intercourse.
Mirroring other ED surveys, the new study found nearly one in every five men may experience ED. They also noted the risk of ED may increase as men age and was more likely for those with diabetes, hypertension and moderate or severe lower urinary tract infections. However, the University of Chicago researchers found differences in minority and ethnic group experiences. The ED incidence was slightly higher in black men (24.4 percent) than in white (21.9 percent) or Hispanic (19.9 percent) males.
The odds of black males having sexual dysfunction problems decreased if they exercised or had good relationships with their partners. Hispanic men were less likely to experience ED if they had a high school or higher education. Hispanic men over 60 years old who had symptoms of urinary tract infections, hypertension or depression were more at risk of ED, the study found.
"Different lifestyles and health conditions appear to play significantly different roles in different racial/ethnic groups," lead researcher Edward Laumann, said in a press release. Added co-author Raymond Rosen: "This study shows the importance of psychosocial influences in ED, particularly the effects of depression and a poor partner relationship in minority men. Given the prevalence of physical risk factors such as diabetes and hypertension also in minority men, these results should alert clinicians to the particular relevance of sexual function in minority men to overall health and well-being."
The study concluded that additional research is needed to understand how ED affects different racial and ethnic groups. The research was published in the January issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine. It was supported by Pfizer Inc., the manufacturer of Viagra.
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