Online Sexual Activities in Italian Older Adults

The Role of Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Permissiveness

Dados Bibliográficos

ID12802015
AutoresCristiano Scandurra (0000-0003-1790-3997, University of Naples Federico II, autor correspondente), Fabrizio Mezza (0009-0002-8540-3206, University of Naples Federico II), Concetta Esposito (0000-0002-6895-2492, University of Naples Federico II), Roberto Vitelli (0000-0001-6873-7859, University of Naples Federico II), Nelson Mauro Maldonato (0000-0002-6401-2305, University of Naples Federico II), Vincenzo Bochicchio (0000-0003-2788-1381, University of Calabria), Alessandro Chiodi (0009-0000-5792-4691), Alain Giami (0000-0001-7639-3005, Centre de recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations), Paolo Valerio (0000-0001-5454-3930, University of Naples Federico II), Anna Lisa Amodeo (0000-0001-9551-1281, University of Naples Federico II)
Ano2021
Volume19
Fascículo1
Páginas248-263
Data de publicação2021-01-28
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSexuality Research and Social Policy (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1553-6610 • E-ISSN: 1868-9884
EditoraSpringer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE)
DOI10.1007/s13178-021-00538-1
OpenAlexW3126956805
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas12
Referências citadas101

Introduction Online sexual activities (OSAs) are sexual behaviors involving online sexual content and stimuli and are categorized into non-arousal (N-OSAs), solitary arousal (S-OSAs), and partnered arousal activities (P-OSAs). As such activities in older age remain largely underexamined, this study aimed to explore OSAs in a sample of Italian older adults, analyzing their associations with gender and sexual orientation, considering sexual permissiveness as a moderator. Methods One hundred and fourteen cisgender participants (85 men and 29 women) aged from 52 to 79 years old ( M = 62.57, SD = 6.19) were recruited between September 2019 and January 2020 to participate in an online cross-sectional survey on OSAs. Results A total of 58.1% of participants had engaged in S-OSAs at least 2–3 times during the previous month, while a lower percentage of participants had engaged in N-OSAs (38.6%) and P-OSAs (29.9%) at least 2–3 times during the previous month. Men were more likely to be engaged in S-OSAs than women. Being non-heterosexual was associated with an increase in engagement in N-OSAs and S-OSAs, but not in P-OSAs. Sexual permissiveness was significantly associated with N-OSAs and S-OSAs, but not with P-OSAs, and did not moderate either the relationship of gender with OSAs or that of sexual orientation with OSAs. Conclusions This study sheds light on the need to include online resources in sexual health educational programs addressed at older people, as well as in training programs addressed at healthcare professionals and social workers working with this population

Arousal · Developmental psychology · Human sexuality · Moderation · Sexual arousal · Sexual desire · Sexual orientation · Clinical Psychology · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Psychology · Sex work and related issues · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology