Sexual well-being among older adults in China (SWELL): protocol for a multicenter cross-sectional study

Bingyi Wang; Xin Peng; Bowen Liang; Leiwen Fu; Tian Tian; Jiewei Liu; Yuwei Li; Xinyi Li; Shihao Wang; Weiran Zheng; Xin Xiao; Tongxin Shi; Gaozhou Cao; Lin Ouyang; Ying Wang; Joseph Tucker; Weiming Tang; Dan Wu; Xiaojun Meng; Maohe Yu; Guohui Wu; Yong Cai; Huachun Zou

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067338

Sexual well-being among older adults in China (SWELL): protocol for a multicenter cross-sectional study

BMJ Open. 2023 Jan 30;13(1):e067338. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067338.

Authors

Bingyi Wang^#¹, Xin Peng^#¹, Bowen Liang^#¹, Leiwen Fu^#¹, Tian Tian^#¹, Jiewei Liu², Yuwei Li¹, Xinyi Li¹, Shihao Wang³, Weiran Zheng¹, Xin Xiao^{1

4}, Tongxin Shi⁵, Gaozhou Cao⁶, Lin Ouyang⁷, Ying Wang⁸, Joseph Tucker^{9

10}, Weiming Tang^{9

11}, Dan Wu^#¹⁰, Xiaojun Meng^#¹², Maohe Yu^#¹³, Guohui Wu^#⁷, Yong Cai^#⁸, Huachun Zou^#^{14

15}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
² Department of AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Baiyun District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
³ Department of AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Shizhong District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Jinan, Shandong, China.
⁴ Center for Optometry and Visual Science, People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.
⁵ Department of AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Tianjin Hexi District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China.
⁶ Community Health Center, Erqi Xincun Subdistrict, Shizhong District, Jinan, Shandong, China.
⁷ Department of AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Chongqing, China.
⁸ School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
⁹ Project China, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
¹⁰ Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
¹¹ Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
¹² Wuxi Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
¹³ Department of AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Tianjin, China.
¹⁴ School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China zouhuachun@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
¹⁵ Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Introduction: Existing studies on sexual health generally focus on younger populations, while the sexual well-being of older adults has received insufficient attention. This protocol describes the design of a study on sexual well-being and its correlates among older adults in China.

Methods and analysis: We present the protocol for a multicentre observational study to investigate sexual well-being among Chinese older adults (SWELL). Eligible participants are men and women aged 50 years and older from East, West, South and North China, including older adults living in the community and older adults living with HIV. A multistage sampling approach is used in the SWELL Study. We will collect a questionnaire about sexual health (sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, sexual behaviours, sexually transmitted infections, etc). Blood specimens will be tested for sex hormones (estradiol for women, testosterone for men), biochemical items (eg, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, urea, creatinine and uric acid) and syphilis (determined by toluidine red unheated serum test and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test). The primary analysis will elucidate the current status of sexual health among older adults in China and its correlates. Secondary analyses will compare sexual well-being among older adults in four regions across China. Approximately 3540 older adults will be recruited into the SWELL Study.

Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University (approval number SYSU-PHS[2019]006). Verbal informed consent will be obtained from all participants before any study procedure. Data will be anonymised, and participants will not be identified through any data, transcripts or publications. Findings from the SWELL Study will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed scientific journals and at national and international conferences.

Keywords: EPIDEMIOLOGY; HIV & AIDS; Public health; SEXUAL MEDICINE.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
China
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
HIV Infections*
Homosexuality, Male
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Multicenter Studies as Topic
Observational Studies as Topic
Sexual Behavior
Sexually Transmitted Diseases*