Associations among Sexual Activity,Relationship Types,and Health in Mid and Later Life

Despite a growing amount of research on sexuality in mid and later life, relatively little is known about the associations among sexual activity, relationship types, and health. This paper analyzes data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) for the subpopulation of respondents residing in the Czech Republic (N?=?1304, 49% women; M_age?=?69.1, SD_age?=?8.0). Hierarchical ordinal regression models showed that persons who stayed in newly formed or less traditional relationship types, such as dating, Living-Apart-Together (LAT) relationships, and cohabitation, reported a higher frequency of sexual activity than married people. Overall, the dating and LAT relationship group displayed the highest sexual frequency and the lowest incidence of chronic diseases. People in marriages and cohabitation were comparable with respect to the number of chronic diseases. The findings suggest that sexual activity is intertwined with later-life relationships and sexual frequency may vary according to the relationship type. Future research may benefit from probing the extent to which partnered sex is important for maintaining bonds between older partners with separate households.

     

Online Sex Addiction After 50: an Exploratory Study of Age-Related Vulnerability

The population of Internet users is ageing, yet online sex addiction research remains limited to younger age groups. Our study aimed to explore the association between online sex addiction and vulnerabilities related to older age, such as the absence of a partner, changes in work career, and boredom. Out of 2518 respondents who participated in an online survey, 158 (6.3%) were aged 50–77 and constituted the primary focus of the study. Linear regression analyses showed that occupational status, boredom (reasons for Internet use), and involvement in cybersex predicted online sex addiction, and that relationship status and offline sex had no effect on addictive behaviour. There was no evidence for a moderating effect from the occupational status on the relationship between boredom and online sex addiction. The results suggest that older age does not protect against the development of online sex addiction, and age-related vulnerability may amplify the risks.

     

“At least we finally found out what it was”: Dementia diagnosis in minoritized populations

Background

Disparities in diagnosis persist among persons living with dementia (PLWD); most research on delayed diagnosis relies on medical records or administrative claims. This study aimed to identify factors that delay or facilitate dementia diagnoses in racial or ethnic minoritized PLWD and elicit care partner perspectives on timing and effects of diagnosis.

Methods

Maryland-based participants cared for a PLWD age 60 or older, self-identified as Black/African/African-American, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino, and spoke English. Nineteen care partner in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted and analyzed using conventional qualitative content analysis methods.

Results

Biological, sociocultural, and environmental factors delayed dementia diagnosis. Memory loss was the most common early symptom, but the onset was often subtle or perceived as normal aging. Stigma and secrecy surrounding dementia influenced recognition and discussion of dementia among families and communities. Diagnoses were family-initiated and started in primary care. Care partners were divided in their perceptions of diagnosis timeliness and whether earlier diagnosis would have changed outcomes. Family reactions to dementia diagnoses varied; most participants expressed a strong sentiment of service and duty to care for older family members. Participants overwhelmingly felt the benefits of obtaining a dementia diagnosis outweighed harms.

Conclusions

Numerous factors affect dementia diagnosis in racial and ethnic minoritized PLWD. Normalization of brain health discussions and systematic, proactive discussion and detection of dementia in primary care may address multilevel barriers and facilitators to diagnosis. Systems-level and community-led public health interventions may also help address disparities in brain health education and dementia diagnosis.