August 23, 2007 -- The National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) released its first findings in the form of a scholarly paper published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The paper's authors are Stacy Lindau Tessler, Philip Schumm, Edward O. Laumann, Wendy Levinson, Colm O'Muircheartaigh, and Linda J. Waite. Laumann is also the chairman of NORC's Board of Trustees.

The study of older Americans, ages 57 to 85, is the first comprehensive, nationally representative study about older adult sexuality and its association with health. The survey achieved an impressive 75.5% response rate from a scientifically drawn sample of 3,005 adults.

Among the many significant findings:

• Americans remain sexually active well into their 70s and 80s. 
• Health status was more important than age in predicting sexual activity. 
• Few older Americans talk to their doctors about sexual problems and women talk to their doctors about them less frequently than men.
• Some sexual problems, such as erectile dysfunction, are correlated with Diabetes.

NORC played an important part in the study, training more than 130 field interviewers without prior medical training to collect survey data, and biomarkers (physical samples such as saliva and vaginal swabs) and biomeasures such as height, weight, and waist size. 

To learn more, visit the NSHAP project page, read the press release, and view the article.