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Having sex just once a week is the secret to a successful relationship, a report says.

The result was published in the journal Society for Personality and Social Psychology, based on the work of University of Chicago researchers.

They conducted the General Social Survey over 40 years, from 1989 to 2012, asking more than 30,000 Americans questions on sociological issues, including race relations, religion and sex.

Researchers from the University of Toronto at Mississauga, who analyzed the data, found couples who had sex once a week were the happiest, although there was no strong link between sexual frequency and overall life satisfaction.

Those who had sex more than once a week were not more satisfied.

The researchers said there was no difference in the findings based on gender, age or length of relationship.

"Although more frequent sex is associated with greater happiness, this link was no longer significant at a frequency of more than once a week," Amy Muise, lead researcher from the University of Toronto at Mississauga, said. "The findings suggest that it is important to maintain an intimate connection with your partner, but you don't need to have sex every day, as long as you're maintaining that connection."