The relationship between erectile function, traditional masculine ideology, and marital satisfaction among younger and older Taiwanese men with erectile dysfunction

The current study investigated age group differences in the relationship between erectile function (EF), marital satisfaction (MS), and traditional masculine ideology (MRNI-Trad) among 157 Taiwanese men with erectile dysfunction (ED). Forty-eight participants were in the younger group (18-39 years old) and 109 participants were in the older group (40+ years old). The participants in both age groups were relatively well educated with medium SES.;Participants completed four self-report questionnaires: the Demographic Questionnaire, the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-Chinese version, the Male Role Norm Inventory (MRNI)-Chinese version, and the Marital Satisfaction Scale. It was hypothesized that: (1) EF would have a stronger positive correlation with MS in younger men than older men with ED; (2) the relationship between MRNI-Trad and MS would be stronger for younger men than older men with ED; and (3) the contribution of EF to the MRNI-Trad in younger men with ED would not be as strong as for older men with ED.;The findings showed that contrary to our hypotheses, there were no significant age group differences on the relationship between EF and MS, MRNI-Trad and MS, and EF and MRNI-Trad. However, EF was positively associated with MS but not with MRNI-Trad. The relationship between MRNI-Trad and MS was also not supported. When MRNI-Trad was broken down into its subscales, men's endorsement of the Anti-Femininity norms was found to predict poorer MS for the older group and the total group, but not for the younger group. EF was found to have a negative association to endorsement of the Anti-Femininity norms for the total sample. EF was also found to have a negative association with the younger group's endorsement of the Self Reliance and Aggression norms. There were significant age group differences on the relationship between EF and MRNI-Self Reliant and MRNI-Aggression. Findings are discussed in relation to current literature and cultural context. Implications and future research for the Taiwanese ED population are also discussed.