Sexual Self-Objectification as a Predictor of Emotional Intimacy Needs Among Married Female College Students Diagnosed with Vaginismus

Malichian, Nazanin; Haghayegh, Sayed Abbas; Yazdani, Hossein

doi:10.22118/jjhs.2026.585483.1038

Sexual Self-Objectification as a Predictor of Emotional Intimacy Needs Among Married Female College Students Diagnosed with Vaginismus

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Nazanin Malichian

Sayed Abbas Haghayegh

Hossein Yazdani

Department of Psychology, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran

10.22118/jjhs.2026.585483.1038

Abstract

Background and Objective: Vaginismus significantly affects women’s psychological well-being and marital relationships. This study examined sexual self-objectification as a predictor of emotional intimacy needs among married female college students with vaginismus.
Methods: This descriptive-correlational study included 220 married female students with vaginismus at Islamic Azad University, Najafabad Branch, who were recruited through convenience sampling during the academic year 2024–2025. Data were collected using the Vaginismus Diagnostic Questionnaire (VDQ), the emotional intimacy needs subscale of the Marital Intimacy Needs Questionnaire (MINQ), and the Self-Objectification Questionnaire (SOQ). Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were used for analysis.
Findings: There was a significant negative correlation between sexual self-objectification and emotional intimacy needs (r=−0.38, P<0.01). Hierarchical regression showed that vaginismus pain severity explained 27.9% of the variance in the first step. Adding sexual self-objectification in the second step increased the explained variance to 48.5% (ΔR²=0.206, F-change=86.81, P<0.01). Both vaginismus pain severity and sexual self-objectification were significant negative predictors of emotional intimacy needs.
Conclusion: Sexual self-objectification was significantly associated with lower emotional intimacy needs in women with vaginismus. Further research is needed to explore the potential clinical implications of these associations.

Keywords

Vaginismus

Emotional Intimacy

Sexual Self-Objectification

Body Image

Marital Relationships

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