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Older adults and sexual well-being: A qualitative study in Portugal and Slovenia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

S. Von Humboldt ,
J.A. Ribeiro-Gonçalves ,
A. Costa ,
G. Low ,
E. Benko  and
I. Leal
S. Von Humboldt*
Affiliation:
ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal, William James Research Center, Lisbon, Portugal
J.A. Ribeiro-Gonçalves
Affiliation:
ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal, William James Research Center, Lisbon, Portugal
A. Costa
Affiliation:
Instituto Universitário, Ispa, Lisbon, Portugal
G. Low
Affiliation:
University of Alberta, Faculty Of Nursing, Edmonton, Canada
E. Benko
Affiliation:
University of Primorska, Faculty Of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia
I. Leal
Affiliation:
ISPA – Instituto Universitário, Lisbon, Portugal, William James Research Center, Lisbon, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Beyond living longer, it is increasingly important to live with more and better health during aging (1). Sexual well-being (SWB) was found to contribute to health and well-being in old age and is highly under-researched in the older population (2).

Objectives

This study aims to analyze SWB in a cross-cultural way through older Portuguese and Slovenian older samples.

Methods

We interviewed 136 older participants with an average age of 71.6 years old. Participants were Portuguese and Slovenian and lived in the community. Participants were subjected to semi-structured interviews and these were subjected to a content analysis process.

Results

The content analysis indicated nine themes related to SWB: self-reported good health; demonstrations of love; non-sexual joint activities; overall well-being and quality of life; partner support; positive self-image; being independent and active; sexual compatibility; and masturbation. Portuguese older adults experience their SWB associated mainly with self-reported good health and demonstrations of love, while Slovenians older adults associate their SWB mainly with non-sexual joint activities and overall well-being and quality of life.

Conclusions

The themes found in this study are fundamental evidence for cultural interventions and guidelines outlining in the context of sexual health in aging, mainly due to the scarcity of knowledge of SWB among older adults. 1.von Humboldt S et al. Sexual expression in old age: How older adults from different cultures express sexually? Sex Res Social Policy. 2020;1-15. 2.von Humboldt S et al. Are older adults satisfied with their sexuality? Outcomes from a cross-cultural study. Educ Gerontol. 2020;46:284-293.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

Qualitative studySexual well-beingCross-culturalOlder Adults
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S137
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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