Unfortunately, sexuality in later life is subject to stigma, misconceptions, and a reduced emphasis on safer sex behaviors, which all have led to unhealthy sexual practices increasing sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates among this age group.Īccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, STIs have more than doubled in the past ten years among U.S. While sexual activity levels typically decrease with age after 65, large proportions of older adults desire sexual contact and engage in sexual activity. Sexual activity is an important part of later life, frequently associated with better cardiovascular health, greater self-esteem, and higher life enjoyment levels. However, the consistently low knowledge scores highlight the need for educational interventions among this population. Findings suggest the utility of the STD-KQ to assess STI knowledge among older adults. Pearson’s r coefficients were high between responses for all but three of the 27 items when assessed separately. Pearson’s r coefficients were high between responses for the 27-item composite scale on Days 1 and 2 ( r = 0.882, p < 0.01), which indicates strong test–retest reliability. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the 27-item composite scale were high for both days (0.905 and 0.917, respectively), which indicates strong response consistency. Of 27 possible correct answers, participants reported an average of 11.47 (☖.88) correct responses on Day 1 and 11.67 (☗.33) correct responses on Day 2. Cronbach’s reliability coefficients were calculated to determine response consistency, and Pearson’s r coefficients were used to assess test–retest reliability. After responses were coded for correctness, composite scores were created. Participants completed identical instruments on two separate days with approximately two weeks between. Data were analyzed from 43 adults, aged 65–94 years, using the 27-item Sexually Transmitted Disease Knowledge Questionnaire (STD-KQ). The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify STI-related knowledge among older adults (2) report the psychometric properties of a tool commonly used to assess STI-related knowledge among younger populations using data from adults 65 years and older and (3) determine test-retest reliability of the tool.
Sexually transmitted infections (STI) among older adults have dramatically increased in recent years, especially among those who are widowed and divorced.
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