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Abstract

Background: Erectile function (EF) in healthy young adults and students is underexplored, as erectile dysfunction (ED) is typically linked to aging. This study aimed to quantify EF in university students and examine its association with quality of life (QL).

Method: This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,556 undergraduate students (aged 16 to 22 years; median: 18, IQR: 18–19) at the largest university in Kazakhstan, Almaty. Participants completed a web-based anonymous survey assessing EF using the IIEF-5 and QL using the WHOQOL-BREF. The association between EF and QL was analyzed using multivariate linear regression.

Results: Quality of life (QL) scores were very high across all domains: physical health (PH) median 100 (IQR 77-100), psychological (P) median 100 (IQR 67-100), social relationships (SR) median 100 (IQR 80-100), and environment (E) median 100 (IQR 78-100), with age being a strong predictor of QL decline. In students with sexual experience (N=1,306), IIEF-5 scores ranged from 21 to 25 (median: 25, IQR: 21–25), indicating excellent EF. IIEF-5 score was a strong predictor of all QL domains. Adjusted for age and ethnicity, the beta-coefficient for IIEF-5 was: PH 6.96 (95% CI 6.80–7.12), P 8.61 (95% CI 8.53–8.69), SR 6.89 (95% CI 6.66–7.12), and E 7.12 (95% CI 6.92–7.32).

Conclusions: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is uncommon among otherwise healthy young adults of student age in Kazakhstan. ED and QL are closely related, and the underlying mechanisms of this association should be further explored.

Keywords: Erectile function, Quality of life, University students, Kazakhstan

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