Sexual well-being and aging patternsfindings of a cluster analysis among older adults in Portugal and Spain

  1. Sofia von Humboldt
  2. Emilia Cabras 1
  3. Gail Low 2
  4. Isabel Leal
  1. 1 Universidad Alfonso X EI Sabio
  2. 2 University of Alberta
    info

    University of Alberta

    Edmonton, Canadá

    ROR https://ror.org/0160cpw27

Revue:
EJIHPE: European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

ISSN: 2174-8144,  2254-9625

Année de publication: 2024

Volumen: 14

Número: 7

Pages: 2013-2028

Type: Article

DOI: 10.3390/EJIHPE14070134 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openDialnet editor

D'autres publications dans: EJIHPE: European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education

Dépôt institutionnel: lock_openAccès ouvert Editor

Résumé

Objectives: From a cross-cultural perspective, aging well may encompass pertinent challenges in terms of adjustment, sexual well-being, and satisfaction with life in the late years. Considering the paucity of empirical data concerning cultural diversity of experiencing aging, this study aims to help fill this gap by assessing the specific patterns of sexual satisfaction, adjustment to aging (AtA), and life satisfaction with life (SwL) of older adults in Portugal and Spain. Methods: This cross-national study included 326 older adults, age 65 and older, from Portugal and Spain. Five instruments were applied: (a) Adjustment to Aging Scale (ATAS); (b) Satisfaction with Life Scale (SwLS); (c) New Sexual Satisfaction Scale-Short (NSSS-S); (d) Mini-Mental State Exam; and (e) Sociodemographic, Health and Lifestyle questionnaire. K-means cluster analysis was employed to identify and characterize the clusters considering adjustments to aging, sexual satisfaction, and life satisfaction. One-way ANOVAs were conducted to analyze differences in sexual well-being among clusters. Results: Findings indicated three clusters, which explained 77.7% (R-sq = 0.777) of the total variance: Cluster 1: “Most skilled” (n = 26, 8.0%), Cluster 2: “Least adjusted” (n = 115, 35.3%), and Cluster 3: “Aging strivers” (n = 185, 56.7%). Participants in Cluster 1 were mostly Portuguese, with high levels of AtA, sexual satisfaction, and SWL. Conversely, Cluster 2 included mostly Portuguese participants with moderate sexual satisfaction and lower levels of AtA and SwL. Participants from Cluster 3 were mostly Spanish, with moderate levels of AtA and reduced sexual satisfaction and SwL. Conclusions: This study innovates by exploring the elaborate interplay among sexual satisfaction, AtA, and SwL in a cross-cultural perspective, with implications for tailoring interventions, service planning, development, and evaluation of culturally diverse older populations.

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Information sur le financement

Financeurs

  • Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia
    • SFRH/BPD/116114/2016
    • UID/04810/2020

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