Spousal Support and Sexual Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women

January 30, 2026 updated by: Eslem Altıntaş, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

The Effect of Spousal Support on Sexual Quality of Life in Postmenopausal Women

Menopause is a natural transition period in women's lives characterized by concurrent hormonal, psychological, and relational changes. During the postmenopausal period, hormonal alterations are not limited to physical symptoms but also have significant effects on psychological well-being, interpersonal relationships, and particularly sexual quality of life. Common concerns during this period include decreased sexual desire, vaginal dryness, pelvic discomfort, and reduced sexual satisfaction, all of which may negatively affect overall quality of life. Sexual quality of life is influenced not only by biological factors but also by psychological and relational dimensions.

The quality of partner relationships and perceived partner support play an important role in women's adaptation to sexual changes during the postmenopausal period. However, partner support during menopause is often reported to be insufficient, which may adversely affect sexual well-being. Despite this, evidence examining the relationship between perceived partner support and sexual quality of life in postmenopausal women remains limited.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of perceived partner support on sexual quality of life in postmenopausal women. Through this investigation, the explanatory role of partner support in postmenopausal sexual well-being is aimed.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study is designed as a quantitative, descriptive, and correlational observational study aimed at investigating the relationship between perceived spousal support and sexual quality of life in postmenopausal women. The study does not include any intervention and involves data collection through self-reported questionnaires only. The study population will consist of postmenopausal women registered at Family Health Centers located in Ataşehir, Ümraniye, Kadıköy, and Gaziosmanpaşa districts of Istanbul, Türkiye. Women who are in the postmenopausal period, defined as having experienced at least 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea, who have a partner, and who voluntarily agree to participate will be included. Data will be collected through face-to-face interviews after obtaining written informed consent from all participants. The data collection instruments will include a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Menopause Spousal Support Scale. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate the association between perceived spousal support and sexual quality of life. Secondary analyses will explore the relationships between sexual quality of life, spousal support, and selected sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Statistical analyses will be conducted using appropriate descriptive and inferential statistical methods based on data distribution. The results of this study are expected to provide insight into the role of spousal support in sexual well-being during the postmenopausal period and may inform future psychosocial and supportive approaches in women's health.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

84

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of postmenopausal women registered at Family Health Centers in Istanbul, Türkiye. Eligible participants are women who are in the postmenopausal period, defined as having experienced at least 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea, who have a partner, and who voluntarily agree to participate in the study. Data will be collected using self-reported questionnaires, and no intervention will be applied.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Postmenopausal status, defined as at least 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea
  • Having a partner
  • Voluntary agreement to participate in the study and provision of written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Visual, cognitive, or other impairments that prevent completion of the study questionnaires
  • History of major gynecological surgery within the past 6 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Postmenopausal Women
Postmenopausal women with a partner, registered at Family Health Centers in Istanbul, who participate in this observational study to assess perceived spousal support and sexual quality of life. No intervention is applied.
Other: No Intervention
This is an observational study. No intervention, treatment, or behavioral modification is applied. Data are collected using self-reported questionnaires only.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Introduction Information Forum
Time Frame: At enrollment
This form was developed by the researchers based on the relevant literature and consists of 36 items assessing participants' sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, including age, educational level, employment status, duration of marriage, duration of menopause, and presence of chronic disease.
At enrollment
The Sexual Quality of Life-Female Questionnaire
Time Frame: At enrollment

The Sexual Quality of Life-Female Questionnaire (SQoL-F) was developed by Symonds et al. (2005) to assess women's perceived sexual quality of life. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Tugut and Golbasi (2010).

The scale consists of 18 items, each rated on a 6-point Likert scale (1 = Completely agree, 6 = Completely disagree). The raw total score ranges from 18 to 108. Items 1, 5, 9, 13, and 18 are reverse scored prior to calculating the total score.

The raw total score is transformed to a 0-100 scale using the following formula:

(raw score - 18) × 100 / 90.

Higher scores indicate better sexual quality of life, whereas lower scores indicate poorer sexual quality of life. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Turkish version is reported as 0.83.
At enrollment
The Menopause Spousal Support Scale
Time Frame: At enrollment

The Menopause Spousal Support Scale was developed to assess perceived spousal support among women during menopause. The Turkish validity and reliability study was conducted by Küçükkelepçe et al. (2024).

The scale consists of 17 items and includes four subscales: emotional support, instrumental support, esteem support, and sexual intimacy support. Items are rated on a 10-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (never) to 10 (almost always).

The total score ranges from 17 to 170. Higher scores indicate greater perceived spousal support, whereas lower scores indicate lower perceived spousal support. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the Turkish version is 0.96.
At enrollment

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Merve Coşkun, Ph.D., Acibadem University
  • Principal Investigator: Nevin Şahin, Prof. Dr., Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Institute of Graduate Studies, PhD Program

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

February 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

February 1, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

February 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

February 3, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 30, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2026/02

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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