Title : Prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its associated factors among Filipino adult patients in a tertiary hospital: A cross-sectional study
Abstract:
Background:
Erectile Dysfunction (ED) is an important worldwide health issue that affects nearly half of men over the age of 40 years. It has a significant negative impact on the quality of life and life satisfaction of the affected individual as well as his partner. The primary objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of erectile dysfunction and its associated factors.
Methods:
This was a prospective and cross-sectional survey of Filipino adult patients seen at a Tertiary Hospital from April 2023 to September 2023. The instrument used was the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) Questionnaire. Comparison of characteristics by ED severity were performed using One Way ANOVA or Kruskal Wallis test for continuous variables, and Chi square or Fisher’s exact test for categorical variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis with backward elimination technique was utilized to identify the factors associated with ED. P values <0.05 were considered statistically significant.
Results:
A total of 106 men aged within 18-80 years, with mean age of 43.9 (+14.4) years, were included in the study. The prevalence of ED on this study was 10.4% among Filipino adult men with equal prevalence among <40 years and >40 years (p=0.075). Increasing waist circumference was associated with a 1.34 (OR = 1.13, p=0.004; 95% CI: 1.10-1.63) times increase in the odds of developing mild ED while hypertension was associated with an 82.677 (OR = 27.52, p=0.008; 95% CI: 3.17-2155.26) times increase in the odds of developing mild ED.
Conclusion:
One out of ten Filipinos have mild ED and the associated risk factors were hypertension and waist circumference. This study recommended to increase awareness among men, patients, and doctors around the country about the existence of ED problem and its consequence so that prevention can be advised and care can be adequately provided.
Audience Take Away:
- Erectile dysfunction could be a sign of an underlying health condition that needs treatment and a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and learning about this can increase awareness to males and certain cardiovascular diseases can be prevented
- Waist circumference is a vital sign and for a person who has a large waistline likely reflects excess abdominal visceral fat. Not every person who has a large body mass index directly leads to erectile dysfunction nor does it lead to cardiovascular disease since body mass index neither differentiates body fat from lean mass nor evaluates the distribution of body mass. An individual with more muscle mass and less fat mass may be mistaken for having a high body mass index. There is also a term called “fit fat”
- Learning about erectile dysfunction can help improve quality of life and life satisfaction of the affected individual and his partner, as erectile dysfunction can cause a significant negative impact on quality of life
- Hearing about my study, people around the community would then gain confidence in seeking consultation about sensitive issues such as this, and certain illnesses would not be neglected
