Evaluating the User Experience of a Smartphone-Delivered Sexual Health Promotion Program for Older Adults in the Netherlands: Single-Arm Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Sexual health is an important component of quality of life in older adults. However, older adults often face barriers to attaining a fulfilling sexual life because of issues such as stigma, lack of information, or difficult access to adequate support. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the user experience of a self-guided, smartphone-delivered program to promote sexual health among older adults. METHODS: The mobile app was made available to community-dwelling older adults in the Netherlands, who freely used the app for 8 weeks. User experience and its respective components were assessed using self-developed questionnaires, the System Usability Scale, and semistructured interviews. Quantitative and qualitative data were descriptively and thematically analyzed, respectively. RESULTS: In total, 15 participants (mean age 71.7, SD 9.5 years) completed the trial. Participants showed a neutral to positive stance regarding the mobile app's usefulness and ease of use. Usability was assessed as "Ok/Fair." The participants felt confident about using the mobile app. To increase user experience, participants offered suggestions to improve content and interaction, including access to specialized sexual health services. CONCLUSIONS: The sexual health promotion program delivered through a smartphone in a self-guided mode was usable. Participants' perception is that improvements to user experience, namely in content and interaction, as well as connection to external services, will likely improve usefulness and acceptance.

Biopsychosocial determinants of sexual health in older age: the role of health-related, relationship, and psychosexual factors.

BACKGROUND: Given the unprecedented aging of the population and the increased focus on overall well-being in older age, investigating the determining factors of sexual well-being in older adults becomes essential as it offers insights into promoting healthy aging and overall quality of life. AIM: By applying the biopsychosocial model of sexuality in older age, we aimed to identify the role of biomedical and psychosocial factors in predicting sexual well-being in partnered older adults (≥55 years old). METHODS: A total of 111 participants (mean [SD], 63.2 [5.96]) completed a self-report questionnaire assessing biopsychosocial dimensions. Bivariate correlational analyses and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted to investigate factors associated with sexual well-being. Health-related factors were entered into the first regression model. The second model included factors pertaining to relationship dimensions. Sexual beliefs were introduced in the third regression model. OUTCOMES: Self-rated health, psychological distress, subjective cognitive decline, sexual beliefs, duration of the relationship, relationship satisfaction, and sexual well-being were assessed. RESULTS: Findings from the hierarchical regression revealed that duration of relationship [t(104) = -3.07, P < .01], relationship satisfaction [t(104) = 8.49, P < .001], and age-related sexual beliefs [t(104) = -2.75, P < .01] were significant predictors of sexual well-being of partnered older adults [F(6, 104) = 22.77, P < .001, R2 = .57], after controlling for health-related factors. These findings suggest that relationship factors and sexual beliefs play a significant role in predicting sexual well-being of older adults, above and beyond health-related dimensions. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Interventional approaches aimed at promoting sexual well-being in older age might benefit from incorporating exercises that demystify age-related sexual beliefs, by normalizing changes that occur with aging and fostering positive attitudes toward sexual expression in older age; particularly for older adults in long-term relationships, relationship satisfaction must also be considered as an important intervention target. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS: Further investigation using longitudinal designs is required to examine the causal links between these factors and sexual well-being in older age. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study underscore the role of relationship dimensions and age-related sexual beliefs for the sexual well-being of partnered older adults.

Promoting Sexual Health in Colorectal Cancer Patients and Survivors: Results from a Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment negatively impact sexual health. However, there is still a lack of interventions targeting the sexual healthcare needs of colorectal cancer patients and survivors. This systematic review aimed to identify and summarize the efficacy of available psychological interventions aimed at improving colorectal cancer patients' and survivors' sexual health. METHODS: This review followed PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. A database search was conducted for studies published until July 2023 on EBSCO Host, Web of Science, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library. Manuscripts were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The risk of bias was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. RESULTS: From the 1499 records screened, four studies describing psychological interventions to improve the sexual health of the target population were identified. All studies reported on e-health programs and showed evidence of their efficacy in the improvement of participants' sexual function. The studies presented low scores on the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the evidence that tele/e-health psychological interventions have the potential to effectively promote sexual health in colorectal cancer patients and survivors, more robust research is needed to allow for generalization. Future research should further assess the efficacy of e-health interventions (eMental Health) in promoting sexual health in patients with colorectal cancer.

Sexual Conservatism and Sexual Satisfaction in Older Women: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Analysis.

Objectives: The present study aims to assess the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction in older women and testing the potential mediating role of conservative sexual beliefs on this association.Methods: A total of 106 women (Mage = 68.71; SD = 6.31) completed measures of sexual beliefs (SDBQ), sexual functioning (FSFI), and sexual satisfaction (GMSEX). Bivariate correlation analyses were performed to assess the association between age, sexual conservatism, sexual satisfaction, and sexual function. Mediation analysis with bootstrap samples was performed to test the mediating effect of sexual conservatism.Results: Findings suggest a mediating effect of conservative sexual beliefs on the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction in a community-based sample of older women (F(3,102) = 9.31, p <.001, R2 = .215).Conclusions: The negative association between sexual conservatism and sexual satisfaction of the participants, and the non-significance of the direct effect of age in sexual satisfaction when including sexual conservatism in the mediation model, highlight the relevance of cognitive factors in sexual health in later life.Clinical Implications: Results such as the mediating role of sexual conservatism on the relationship between age and sexual satisfaction provide opportunities for developing and testing sexual health programs based on the demystification of sexual beliefs.