Table 1. Characteristics of 11 included studies in this meta-analysis.
| Study | Design | Gender | Specific diseases | Study Group | Control Group | Diagnosis of IBD | Assessment of sexual dysfunction | Adjustments for potential confounders | Score* | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean age | No. | Mean age | No. | |||||||||
| Bel 2015 (24), The Netherlands | Retrospective cohort | M/F | IBD | M: 51.1±12.8; F: 42.9±12.9 | M: 119; F: 168 | M: 52.4±12.7; F: 43.8±12.8 | M: 91; F: 106 | Registered of Gastroenterology departments of a tertiary referral center and a general hospital | M: IIEF; F: FSFI | Age, depression, diseases activity | 7 | |
| Ateş Bulut 2019 (25), Turkey | Cross-sectional | M/F | IBD | 41±13 | M: 69; F: 53 | 43±13 | M: 20; F: 22 | Diagnosed by the gastroenterology outpatient or inpatient clinics with UC or CD | ASEX | Age, depression and anxiety, diseases activity | 5 | |
| Kao 2016 (26), China | Prospective cohort | M | IBD | 50.1±16.6 | 1,845 | 49.7±16.8 | 7,380 | The Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000) of the NHIRD, provided by the NHRI of Taiwan | IIEF-5 | Age, sex, and comorbidities of CAD, PAD, stroke, CKD, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, depression, and anxiety, and medications of steroids, opiates, antidepressants, and anxiolytics | 9 | |
| Marín 2013 (28), Spain | Case-Control | M/F | IBD | M: 46.5±10.2; F: 42.7±9.4 | M: 153; F: 201 | M: 46.1±10.6; F: 41.1±8.9 | M: 73; F: 127 | Identified from the IBD databases of Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol (Badalona) and Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona) | M: IIEF; F: FSFI | Age, corticosteroids, biological agents, perianal disease, depression, arterial hypertension, diabetes | 6 | |
| Moody 1992 (29), UK | Retrospective cohort | F | CD | 34.7±6.1 | 50 | 33.6±6.0 | 50 | Identified from the epidemiological data bases in Cardiff and Leicestershire | The modified structured questionnaire developed during actinological studies of risk factors in cervical adenocarcinoma | Age | 5 | |
| Moody 1993 (30), UK | Retrospective cohort | M | UC | 40.2±7.9 | 40 | 38.6±9.4 | 38 | The community data base for IBD in Leicestershire | A modified version of a previously validated questionnaire on sexual problems | NA | 5 | |
| Rivière 2017 (31), France | Cross-sectional | M/F | IBD | M: 39; F: 38 | M: 166; F: 192 | M: 39; F: 36 | M: 56; F: 53 | IBD units of two French tertiary care university hospitals [Bordeaux and Nancy] | M: IIEF; F: FSFI | Age | 7 | |
| Roseira 2020 (32), Portugal | Cross-sectional | M/F | IBD | NA | M: 389; F:458 | NA | M: 206; F: 192 | Confirmed diagnoses of CD or UC in 6 centers in Portugal | SQoL | Age, diagnosis, marital status, depression disorders, and perianal disease | 5 | |
| Timmer 2007 (33), German | Retrospective cohort | M/F | IBD | M: 40; F: 38 | M: 153; F: 181 | M:40.5; F: 39 | M: 153; F: 181 | The national patients organization and the German Crohn’s and Colitis Association (Deutsche Morbus Crohn/Colitis ulcerosa Vereinigung, DCCV e.V) | M: IIEF; F: FSFI | Age, SES, comorbidity, diabetes, hypertensive therapy, confession of faith, type of residency, depression, anxiety | 6 | |
| Valer 2017 (34), Spain | Cross-sectional | M | IBD | 32.0±38.8 | 52 | 31.3±5.1 | 22 | Patients attending outpatient IBD clinics of the 4 participating university hospitals | IIEF | Age, smoking, PRL | 7 | |
*, scores of quality assessment. IBD, inflammatory bowel disease; IIEF, International Index of Erectile Function; FSFI, Female Sexual Function Index; UC, ulcerative colitis; CD, Crohn’s Disease; ASEX, Arizona Sexual Experience Scale; NHRI, National Health Research Institute; CAD, coronary artery disease; PAD, peripheral arterial disease; CKD, chronic kidney disease; NA, not available; SQoL, Sexual Quality of Life Questionnaire; SES, socioeconomic status; PRL, prolactin.