ASSESSMENT OF SEXUAL BELIEFS AND INFORMATION IN AGING COUPLES WITH SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION

The incidence and prevalence of sexual dysfunction indicate that a lar ge portion of the U.S. population will experience a sexual dysfunction , with older individuals being particularly at risk. Cognitive factors (e.g., attitudes, misinformation beliefs) may contribute to the devel opment of sexual dysfunction or influence response to treatments. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the psychometric properti es of a brief instrument designed to assess information and beliefs re garding sexual functioning in an aging population. Results indicate th at the Sexual Beliefs and Information Questionnaire (SBIQ) had adequat e test-retest reliability and is an internally consistent measure of s exual knowledge and beliefs. Most individuals had adequate knowledge r egarding sexual functioning as indicated by correct responses to most items; however, there were several items missed more often than expect ed. Exploratory factor analysis suggests an underlying five-factor str ucture of the SBIQ. Scores were not correlated with years of education , mood, or marital satisfaction. Scores on the SBIQ improved after a b rief standardized educational intervention. The SBIQ is a simple and p sychometrically sound measure of sexual knowledge and myths that can a ssist clinicians to identify and possibly rectify knowledge deficits.