Osmo Kontula

The impact of aging on human sexual activity and sexual desire.

This article empirically studies how much aging modifies human sexual activity and sexual desire, and what the most important determinants in this change are. The analyses are based on 2 representative national sex surveys conducted in Finland in the 1990s. As a result of female widowhood, aging men had a higher incidence of sexual intercourse compared with aging women; and in relationships, women were more likely than men to report lack of sexual desire. In regression analysis, age was a predictor of sexual activity but not of sexual desire, when controlling for the impact of other factors. Relationship duration did not play an important role in sexual activity or sexual desire when controlling for a number of other variables. Sexual desire, valuing sexuality, and a healthy partner were important to female sexual activity; and high sexual self-esteem, good health, and active sexual history were important to male sexual activity. To keep up their sexual desire, both men and women needed good health, good sexual functioning, positive sexual self-esteem, and a sexually skilful partner.

Single and Double Sexual Standards in Finland, Estonia, and St. Petersburg

The sexual revolution and fight for gender equality began in the West during the 1960s but did not reach the Soviet Union until the late 1980s. Using survey data from nationally representative samples from Finland in 1971, 1992, and 1999 and from two former Soviet areas, Estonia in 2000 and St. Petersburg in 1996, we investigated the following: (a) differences across decades and countries in acceptance of the sexual double standard (SDS) in attitudes toward marital infidelity and womens initiating sex; and (b) the relationship between the SDS and sexual satisfaction. Results show that Finland in the 1990s was more egalitarian than Finland in 1971, St. Petersburg in 1996, or Estonia in 2000. Egalitarian sexual attitudes were positively related to sexual satisfaction.

Mental health at population level during an economic recession in Finland

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of mental disorder and associated factors during an economic recession. Random samples of Finnish general population were collected in 3 consecutive years, 1993-95. The prevalence of mental disorders was assessed by means of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The prevalence of mental disorders varied among Finnish men from 15.6% to 19.2% and among women from 21 to 24.5%. Mental disorder was more common among women than among men in every study year. Mental disorder was more common among the unemployed than among other respondents both in women and men in every year. Subjective poor health, suicidal thoughts and poor economic situation were constantly associated with mental disorder in both sexes every year. Using logistic regression analyses, problems with a partner, uncertain future orientation and use of psychoactive drugs, in particular, were found to be fairly permanent independent risk factors in relation to mental disorder. As stud...The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of mental disorder and associated factors during an economic recession. Random samples of Finnish general population were collected in 3 consecutive years, 1993-95. The prevalence of mental disorders was assessed by means of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The prevalence of mental disorders varied among Finnish men from 15.6% to 19.2% and among women from 21 to 24.5%. Mental disorder was more common among women than among men in every study year. Mental disorder was more common among the unemployed than among other respondents both in women and men in every year. Subjective poor health, suicidal thoughts and poor economic situation were constantly associated with mental disorder in both sexes every year. Using logistic regression analyses, problems with a partner, uncertain future orientation and use of psychoactive drugs, in particular, were found to be fairly permanent independent risk factors in relation to mental disorder. As studied by gender no major changes occurred in the mental health status of Finns during economic recession, although in many specific groups mental disorder was markedly more common than in the general population.

Gender differences in associations between religious attendance and mental health in Finland.

We investigated in a nationwide sample of the Finnish general population (869 women and 773 men) whether there were gender-differences in associations between religious attendance and mental well-being. Respondents were asked during telephone interviews about sociodemographic variables, frequency of religious attendance and social contacts, and perceived social and family support. Mental health was screened by means of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). More women than men (62% vs. 50%) attended religious events, and there was a corresponding difference in percentages relating to regular religious attendance (17% vs. 10%). Regular religious attendance was most common among those over 65 years of age. In women, minor mental disorder (GHQ-12 score > or = 3) was more common among those who never attended religious events than among the others (25% vs. 16%). In men there was no difference. In women, religious attendance associated positively with social contacts, in men with happy family life. In multivariate analyses an independent positive association between religious attendance and absence of minor mental disorder was found in women (adjusted OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.24) but not in men. These results suggest that there may be gender-differences in associations between religious attendance, social and family life, and mental health.

Men, women and friends — are there differences in relation to mental well-being?

This is a study on associations between the number of close friends and mental well-being in a nationwide sample of the Finnish general population (n = 1603). Mental well-being was assessed by means of the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. A total of 3% of the sample had no close friends and another 3% had only one. Over half of the sample (52%) reported having five or more friends. The overall prevalence of mental distress was 15% in men and 21% in women. According to multivariate analyses the risk of mental distress was increased in men among those with no friends (odds ratio [OR]: 2.70) and among those who had one (OR: 4.32) or two to four friends (OR: 1.75), as compared with those who had more friends. In women, having only one friend (OR: 2.30), insufficient family support (OR: 1.63) and insufficient support from relatives (OR: 1.77) associated with the risk of mental distress. These results suggest that mental well-being might be promoted if mentally distressed men seeking professional help were supported in building up and maintaining social networks and mentally distressed women were supported in harmonizing their family life.

Can There Be Such a Delightful Feeling as This? Variations of Sexual Scripts in Finnish Girls' Narratives.

This study examined what kinds of sexual scripts were found in Finnish girls’ narratives, what elements those scripts included and how different scripts were associated with sexually risky behavior. The data were comprised of the narratives of 173 14 - 15-year-old girls regarding their experiences in sexually motivating situations. The narratives were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Besides the traditional romantic script, there are rational and experience-seeking scripts as well as the scripts of desire and postponing available to young girls to weigh and adapt in their lives. Implementation of emotion-based scripts often included risks of unprotected intercourse and losing self-control. The variety of these scripts is challenging in sex education, and is discussed in this paper.

Religious Attendance and Life Satisfaction in the Finnish General Population

In this study we investigated whether there were associations between religious attendance and life satisfaction in the Finnish general population. Furthermore, we examined whether social support could explain these associations. The nationwide sample included 869 women and 773 men. The respondents were asked during telephone interviews about sociodemographic variables, their household category, social and family support, and the frequencies of religious attendance and other social contacts. Life satisfaction was assessed by means of a scale developed by the Survey Research Center of the University of Michigan. Women were religious attenders more often than men (62% versus 50%). There was no gender difference in life satisfaction. Positive associations were found between life satisfaction and both social support and religious attendance. In multivariate logistic regression analysis an independent positive association was found between religious attendance and the absence of severe life dissatisfaction. Hierarchical loglinear modeling suggested that social support did not mediate the association between religious attendance and life satisfaction.

An Essential Component in Promoting Sexual Health in Europe is Training in Sexology

ABSTRACT Training programs for sexologists are core activities to promote higher professional standards in sexology and to educate a new generation of sexologists. The summary information from 25 European countries provides evidence that training in sexology consists today of different models. The existing different national training models in sexology in Europe are: (1) a medical model, (2) a clinical model integrating medical and psychological approaches, (3) separated education in clinical sexology and human sexology, (4) sex therapy model, (5) human sexuality model, and (6) the Nordic human sexology model. This information provides basis for future collaboration between training institutes in Europe.

The Influence of Education and Family Policies on Age at First Birth

Age at first birth has become an important population policy issue in Europe after a relatively steep decline, followed by stabilization, in total fertility to reach an exceptionally low level. Fertility postponement has played an important role in this population transition. Low fertility has contributed to negative natural population growth in a number of European countries. The aim of this chapter is to study the variation in age at first birth in DIALOG countries, paying special attention to the possible influence exerted by educational level on this event. The educational association of the postponing effect on age at first birth will be further elaborated by classifying DIALOG countries according to their family policies. Europe is divided into Western Europe and Central/Eastern Europe when it comes to age at first birth. On average, Western European women have their first child when they are four years older than women in Central and Eastern Europe. According to the survey results, postponement of the first birth was only happening in the West in the 1990s and in the early 2000s. As a consequence, the difference in age at first birth was indeed increasing between these two European regions. These results indicate that some social traditions are highly persistent in family life in the former state-socialist countries. Education has made a difference to age at first birth in all the DIALOG countries. Highly-educated women have their first child roughly three years later than less well-educated women. This effect has remained unchanged in recent years. In the West, education has been more closely associated with the first birth in recent times than was previously the case; in the East, by contrast, this association has been lessening. In the analyses of associations between four family policy regimes and age at first birth, only the imposed home care regime made a real difference to family-founding age. Age at first birth was significantly lower in countries belonging to this family policy type. It is disputable whether this difference was due to the new family policy approach adopted in the 1990s in these post-communist countries, or whether it was a result more of different traditions and family resources.

Demographic Change and Family Policy Regimes

The DIALOG countries are experiencing long-term downward trends in fertility, leading to demographic ageing. Natural population growth rates are entering periods of declining growth or outright decrease. There are a great number of societal problems that arise from this demographic transition. Up to date, it has been disputable whether public policies have had any impact on population trends.