Even with the well‐recognized benefits of exercise, levels of physical activity are on the decline, while weight gain levels are increasing. The purpose of this evidence‐based literature review was to investigate the relationship between physical fitness, sexual functioning and overall health. There is too little information about these relationships to the detriment of educational programming efforts designed to help protect the public against noncommunicable diseases and their associated individual, family, organization, and societal costs. The literature review revealed that even modest increases in physical activity were positively associated with enhanced sexual functioning. Sexual functioning was also strongly linked to overall health, supporting the usefulness of including sensitively‐presented information about the benefits of exercise and being physically fit as it relates to sexual functioning in adult health education curricula. Gender and age differences, physical self‐concept, and well‐being also emerged as important factors when considering the links between physical fitness, sexual functioning and overall health. Recommendations for research included (a) controlling for possible social desirability effects and (b) designing new research that follows the association between physical activity, sexual functioning and overall health longitudinally in more international settings beyond the U.S. and western Europe.

中文翻译：

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运动对性功能的生理和心理影响：成人健康教育专业人员的文献综述

即使有了公认的运动益处，身体活动水平仍在下降，而体重增加水平却在增加。这项基于证据的文献综述的目的是研究身体适应性，性功能与整体健康之间的关系。关于这些关系的信息太少，不利于旨在保护公众免于非传染性疾病及其相关个人，家庭，组织和社会成本的教育计划工作。文献综述显示，即使适度的体育活动增加与性功能增强也呈正相关。性功能也与整体健康密切相关，支持在成人健康教育课程中包括关于运动益处的敏感介绍信息以及与身体性功能有关的身体健康信息的有用性。在考虑身体健康，性功能和整体健康之间的联系时，性别和年龄差异，身体自我概念以及幸福感也成为重要因素。对于研究的建议包括（a）控制可能的社会期望效应，以及（b）在美国和西欧以外的更多国际环境中纵向研究体育活动，性功能和整体健康之间的联系的新研究。在考虑身体健康，性功能和整体健康之间的联系时，幸福也已成为重要因素。对于研究的建议包括（a）控制可能的社会期望效应，以及（b）在美国和西欧以外的更多国际环境中纵向研究体育活动，性功能和整体健康之间的联系的新研究。在考虑身体健康，性功能和整体健康之间的联系时，幸福也已成为重要因素。对于研究的建议包括（a）控制可能的社会期望效应，以及（b）在美国和西欧以外的更多国际环境中纵向研究体育活动，性功能和整体健康之间的联系的新研究。