The Attachment Type, Relationship Characteristics, and Sexual Function of Women: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Analysis
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design
2.2. Participants
2.3. Measures
2.4. Statistical Analyses
2.5. Ethical Considerations
3. Results
3.1. Flow of Study Participation
3.2. Sample’s Demographic Characteristics and Descriptive Statistics of Measurements
3.3. Correlations Between Relationship Satisfaction, Relationship’s Duration, and Sexual Function
3.4. Differences in Sexual Function Across Attachment Types
3.5. Differences in Sexual Function Based on Relationship Type
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Self-Report Measure | Median | IQR |
Relationship Satisfaction | 25 | 23; 27 |
FSFI Desire | 5 | 4; 6 |
FSFI Arousal | 7 | 5; 10 |
FSFI Lubrication | 12 | 12; 12 |
FSFI Orgasm | 8 | 7; 9 |
FSFI Satisfaction | 6 | 4; 8 |
FSFI Pain | 15 | 12; 15 |
FSFI total | 51 | 46; 58 |
Attachment Type (Based on ECR–R) | n | % |
Secure | 44 | 14.4 |
Anxious | 97 | 31.8 |
Dismissive–Avoidant | 113 | 37.2 |
Fearful–Avoidant | 50 | 16.4 |
Spearman’s Coefficient | Desire | Arousal | Lubrication | Orgasm | Satisfaction | Pain | FSFI Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Relationship duration | rho | 0.28 | −0.001 | −0.07 | −0.10 | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.05 |
p-value | <0.01 | 0.985 | 0.184 | 0.066 | 0.641 | 0.718 | 0.318 | |
Relationship satisfaction | rho | 0.10 | 0.20 | 0.14 | 0.22 | 0.37 | 0.004 | 0.27 |
p-value | 0.064 | <0.01 | 0.014 | <0.01 | <0.01 | 0.948 | <0.01 |
Attachment Type | Mean Rank | Sum of Ranks | Mann–Whitney U Test | Z | p-Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arousal | Secure vs. Anxious | 60.17 | 2647.50 | 1657.50 | −2.13 | 0.033 |
75.91 | 7363.50 | |||||
Secure vs. Avoidant | 80.76 | 3553.50 | 2408.50 | −0.30 | 0.759 | |
78.31 | 8849.50 | |||||
Secure vs. Fearful | 45.32 | 1994.00 | 1004.00 | −0.73 | 0.463 | |
49.42 | 2471.00 | |||||
Anxious vs. Avoidant | 121.66 | 11,801.50 | 3912.50 | −3.59 | <0.01 * | |
91.62 | 10,353.50 | |||||
Anxious vs. Fearful | 77.69 | 7535.50 | 2067.50 | −1.46 | 0.142 | |
66.85 | 3342.50 | |||||
Avoidant vs. Fearful | 78.69 | 8892.50 | 2451.50 | −1.35 | 0.175 | |
89.47 | 4473.50 | |||||
Orgasm | Secure vs. Anxious | 70.27 | 3092.00 | 2102.00 | −0.14 | 0.885 |
71.33 | 6919.00 | |||||
Secure vs. Avoidant | 96.01 | 4224.50 | 1737.50 | −3.03 | 0.002 * | |
72.38 | 8178.50 | |||||
Secure vs. Fearful | 50.64 | 2228.00 | 962.00 | −1.06 | 0.286 | |
44.74 | 2237.00 | |||||
Anxious vs. Avoidant | 124.83 | 12,108.50 | 3605.50 | −4.40 | <0.01 * | |
88.91 | 10,046.50 | |||||
Anxious vs. Fearful | 77.86 | 7552.50 | 2050.50 | −1.56 | 0.118 | |
66.51 | 3325.50 | |||||
Avoidant vs. Fearful | 76.27 | 8619.00 | 2178.00 | −2.46 | 0.014 | |
94.94 | 4747.00 | |||||
Satisfaction | Secure vs. Anxious | 54.41 | 2394.00 | 1404.00 | −3.26 | 0.001 * |
78.53 | 7617.00 | |||||
Secure vs. Avoidant | 84.92 | 3736.50 | 2225.50 | −1.03 | 0.302 | |
76.69 | 8666.50 | |||||
Secure vs. Fearful | 46.53 | 2047.50 | 1057.50 | −0.32 | 0.745 | |
48.35 | 2417.50 | |||||
Anxious vs. Avoidant | 129.75 | 12,585.50 | 3128.50 | −5.40 | <0.01 * | |
84.69 | 9569.50 | |||||
Anxious vs. Fearful | 81.74 | 7928.50 | 1674.50 | −3.08 | 0.002 * | |
58.99 | 2949.50 | |||||
Avoidant vs. Fearful | 78.45 | 8865.00 | 2424.00 | −1.46 | 0.143 | |
90.02 | 4501.00 | |||||
FSFI total score | Secure vs. Anxious | 61.17 | 2691.50 | 1701.50 | −1.92 | 0.054 |
75.46 | 7319.50 | |||||
Secure vs. Avoidant | 83.49 | 3673.50 | 2288.50 | −0.77 | 0.440 | |
77.25 | 8729.50 | |||||
Secure vs. Fearful | 47.51 | 2090.50 | 1099.50 | −0.004 | 0.997 | |
47.49 | 2374.50 | |||||
Anxious vs. Avoidant | 121.88 | 11,822.50 | 3891.50 | −3.62 | <0.01 * | |
91.44 | 10,332.50 | |||||
Anxious vs. Fearful | 78.88 | 7651.50 | 1951.50 | −1.93 | 0.053 | |
64.53 | 3226.50 | |||||
Avoidant vs. Fearful | 80.04 | 9045.00 | 2424.00 | −1.46 | 0.143 | |
86.42 | 4321.00 |
Relationship Type | Mean Rank | Sum of Ranks | Mann–Whitney U Test | Z | p-Value | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Desire | Married vs. Open monogamous | 47.06 | 2353.00 | 472.00 | −2.99 | 0.003 * |
31.23 | 968.00 | |||||
Married vs. Exclusive monogamous | 159.93 | 7996.50 | 3678.50 | −3.25 | 0.001 * | |
122.19 | 25,414.50 | |||||
Married vs. Open polygamous | 35.84 | 1792.00 | 233.00 | −2.99 | 0.025 | |
23.53 | 353.00 | |||||
Exclusive monogamous vs. Open monogamous | 121.27 | 25,223.50 | 2960.50 | −0.74 | 0.455 | |
111.50 | 3456.50 | |||||
Exclusive monogamous vs. Open polygamous | 113.18 | 23,541.00 | 1315.00 | −1.03 | 0.303 | |
95.67 | 1435.00 | |||||
Open monogamous vs. Open polygamous | 24.19 | 750.00 | 211.00 | −0.51 | 0.609 | |
22.07 | 331.00 |
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Kokka, I.; Sotiropoulou, P.; Mourikis, I. The Attachment Type, Relationship Characteristics, and Sexual Function of Women: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Analysis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22, 794. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050794
Kokka I, Sotiropoulou P, Mourikis I. The Attachment Type, Relationship Characteristics, and Sexual Function of Women: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025; 22(5):794. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050794
Chicago/Turabian StyleKokka, Ioulia, Paraskevi Sotiropoulou, and Iraklis Mourikis. 2025. "The Attachment Type, Relationship Characteristics, and Sexual Function of Women: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Analysis" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 22, no. 5: 794. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050794
APA StyleKokka, I., Sotiropoulou, P., & Mourikis, I. (2025). The Attachment Type, Relationship Characteristics, and Sexual Function of Women: Insights from a Cross-Sectional Analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 22(5), 794. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22050794