Tehran University of Medical Sciences The Research in Heart Yield and Translational Medicine (RHYTHM) 3115-7270 9 3 2015 10 11 124 131 EN Shervin Assari Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture and Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA AND Social Determinants of Health Research Centre, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Maryam Moghani-Lankarani Medicine and Health Promotion Institute, Tehran, Iran AND Universal Network for Health Information Dissemination and Exchange (UNHIDE), Tehran, Iran. Khodabakhsh Ahmadi Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. Davoud Kazemi-Saleh Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2015 10 11 2015 10 11 Background:  Patients  with  ischemic  heart  disease  (IHD)  may  report  difficulties with  sexual  function  and  marital relationship. However, there is a dearth of studies focusing on the association between these aspects in IHD patients. The present study sought to assess the association between sexual function and marital relationship among IHD patients and also test the effect modification of gender, education level, and marital distress on the above association. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 551 patients with IHD were enrolled and their sexual function and marital relationship quality were assessed with the Relation and Sexuality Scale (RSS) and Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS), respectively. Association between marital relationship quality and sexual function was assessed with respect to gender, education level, and marital distress. Results: Most participants (72%) were men at a mean age of 57 ± 11 (range = 36-80) years. Total sexual function was significantly correlated with total marital quality (r = -0.28), marital consensus (r = -0.17), marital coherence (r = -0.19), marital affection expression (r = -0.22), and marital satisfaction (r = -0.25). Total marital quality also showed a significant association with sexual fear (r = -0.11). These associations were moderated by gender, education level, and marital distress level. Conclusion: Among the IHD patients, sexual function and marital relationship quality showed a mild to moderate association. Association between sexual function and marital relationship quality, however, may depend on gender, education level, and marital distress level. https://rhythm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jthc/article/view/341 https://rhythm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/jthc/article/download/341/334