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Projeto de investigação
Sexual well-being in old age: A cross-cultural mixed-methods study and an intervention with community-dwelling older adults
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The Upside of Negative Emotions: How Do Older Adults From Different Cultures Challenge Their Self-Growth During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Publication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Mendoza-Ruvalcaba, Neyda Ma.; Arias-Merino, Elva Dolores; Ribeiro-Gonçalves, José Alberto; Cabras, Emilia; Low, Gail; Leal, Isabel
Background and Objective: The outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
has raised increased challenges for older adults’ personal growth in diverse cultural
settings. The aim of this study was to analyze negative emotions and their role on older
adults’ self-growth in Mexico, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
For this purpose, a cross-national qualitative research was carried out.
Methods: Data were collected from 338 community-dwelling participants aged
65 years and older, using a semi-structured interview protocol. Older adults were asked
about negative emotions that significantly contribute to their self-growth during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Content analysis was used to identify key themes.
Results: Seven main negative emotions (fear, sadness, anger, grief, boredom,
loneliness, and shame) significantly contributed to seven themes of self-growth, across
the samples: sharing difficult experiences with others, supportive partner, spiritual
practices, engagement with life, generativity, volunteering activities, and intimacy and
sexual satisfaction. Sharing difficult experiences with others was most pertinent to
Mexican (13.9%) and to Italian (3.0%) participants, and a supportive partner to
Portuguese (12.1%), and to Spanish participants (6.5%).
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that negative emotions during the
COVID-19 pandemic contributed to their older adults’ self-growth. This study highlighted
the cultural diversity of experiences during the pandemics and underlined the upside of
negative emotions and its relation to older adults’ self-growth during this period.
Sexual Well-Being in Older Adults: a Qualitative Study with Older Adults from Portugal and Slovenia
Publication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Ribeiro-Gonçalves, José Alberto; Costa, Andrea; Low, Gail; Benko, Ester; Leal, Isabel
Introduction: Beyond living longer, it is increasingly important to live with more and better health during aging; sexual well-being was found to contribute to health and well-being in old age and is highly under-researched in the older population. This study aims to analyze sexual well-being 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 sexual well-being: 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.
Conclusions: Portuguese older adults experience their sexual well-being associated mainly with self-reported good health and demonstrations of love, while Slovenians older adults associate their sexual well-being mainly with non-sexual joint activities and overall well-being and quality of life.
Policy Implications: 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 sexual well-being among older adults.
Sexual Expression in Old Age: How Older Adults from Different Cultures Express Sexually?
Publication . von Humboldt, Sofia; Ribeiro-Gonçalves, José Alberto; Costa, Andrea; Low, Gail; Leal, Isabel
Objective: This study aims to analyze how older adults express themselves sexually. For this purpose, a qualitative research was carried out, which analyzes their perspectives at a cross-cultural level.
Methods: Four hundred ninety-five older participants, aged 65 to 98 years, were interviewed. Participants were of three different nationalities and lived in the community. All the interviews went through the process of verbatim transcription and subsequent content analysis.
Results: A content analysis produced nine themes: tenderness and care (k = .91, p < .01); altruism and gratitude (k = .81, p < .01); attractiveness (k = 94, p < .01); positive communication (k = .89, p < .01); sexual activity (k = .88, p < .01); good health and physical condition (k = .96, p < .01); supportive relationship (k = .84, p < .01); eroticism (k = .94, p < .01); and feeling active and alive (k = .92, p < .01).
Conclusions: This study stressed different ways on expressing sexuality in old age and underlined the importance of tenderness and care and eroticism for older adults who are sexually active.
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Entidade financiadora
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
Programa de financiamento
OE
Número da atribuição
SFRH/BPD/116114/2016