Effects of sexuality on frailty and quality of life in the elderly: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Objectives: to analyze the effects of sexuality on frailty and quality of life in the elderly. Methods: a sectional study conducted with 662 elderly people between July and October 2020. Four self-administered instruments were used to collect bio-sociodemographic variables, sexuality, frailty and quality of life. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were performed. Results: among the dimensions that assess sexuality, sexual intercourse had a weak, positive effect on quality of life (SC: 0.134, 95%CI: 0.153 - 0.254, p = 0.027), while affective relationships had a strong, positive effect (SC: 0.556, 95%CI: 0.442 - 0.670, p