| Learning Objective #1: Explore the effects of anxiety in post-MI recovery based on current evidence | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss the contribution of sexual satisfaction, age, and cardiac risk factors to anxiety post-MI |
Objective: To examine the role of sexual satisfaction in reducing anxiety, controlling for age, gender, education, cardiac risk factors and return to sexual activity post-MI.
Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial of 115 post-MI patients, pre-tested in- hospital, and followed at home by mailed questionnaires at 1, 3, and 5 months post-MI. Measures included: Anxiety (STAI), sexual satisfaction (Watts Sexual Function Questionnaire), quality of life (Quality of Life Index), knowledge (Sex after MI Knowledge Test), and return to sexual activity. The intervention was an educational videotape on return to sexual activity.
Findings: OLS multiple regression analysis was employed, regressing sexual satisfaction, age, risk factors, gender, and education upon post-MI anxiety. The saturated model generated an adjusted R-square of .422 (p= .000), accounting for approximately 42% of the variance in anxiety. Sexual satisfaction, age, and risk factors had independent effects net of other factors (p=.000), while sex and education were not significant predictors (p>.05). Sexual satisfaction had a negative inverse relationship with anxiety, as sexual satisfaction increased, anxiety decreased (Beta -.408), and accounted for the largest single predictor (23% of the model variance). Age also had a negative inverse relationship (Beta -.374), with anxiety decreasing with increased age. Risk factors had a positive relationship (Beta .277) net of other factors.
Conclusions: Anxiety is common post-MI and sexuality is one of many contributors to anxiety, as demonstrated in this analysis. The development of effective interventions to decrease anxiety and further research to clarify the relationships between anxiety and sexual concerns are needed.