Factors affecting sexual satisfaction in Korean women who have undergone a hysterectomy

Objective This study was undertaken to examine the factors affecting sexual satisfaction in women who had undergone a hysterectomy. Design The descriptive correlational study was conducted. The model contained three stages including antecedents (stage 1), interpersonal influence (stage 2), and outcome perception (stage 3). The antecedents included perception variables (eg negative body image and depression) and individual characteristics (eg age, education, employment and physical state before and after the hysterectomy). Stage 2 focused on social support. In stage 3, the outcome perception variable was sexual satisfaction. Setting The setting was a gynaecology outpatient clinic in a suburban general hospital in Korea. Subjects A total of 118 women who have had a hysterectomy participated. Main outcome measures The instruments used for this study were the Body Image Scale, the Self-Rating Depression Scale, the Spousal Support Scale, and the Korean version of the Sexual Satisfaction Subscale. Results Results show spousal support (beta=-.419, p=.00) and negative body image (beta=-.301, p=.02) explained 30% of the variance in sexual satisfaction. Spousal support, as a mediating variable, was the highest factor predicting sexual satisfaction of women who have had a hysterectomy. Conclusions Findings suggest the causal relationships of sexual satisfaction can guide researchers and gynaecology nurses to understand the relative strength of predictors for sexual satisfaction. Nurse practitioners should play a leading role in assisting women who undergo hysterectomy to ensure they have emotional support from their spouse, as this can dramatically impact their sexual satisfaction.