Is the process of successful sexual aging different in older partnered and non-partnered adults?

The 9-item Successful Sexual Aging (SSA) measure demonstrated measurement invariance within partnered and non-partnered groups across German and Croatian samples, but not between these partnership status groups.

• Measurement invariance testing was conducted using samples of older German adults (N=1,328, Mage=69.2) and Croatian adults (N=301, Mage=68.8)
• The SSA measure was validated for use within partnered and non-partnered older individuals separately
• Direct comparisons between partnered and non-partnered older adults on SSA scores should be avoided due to partnership-specific properties of positive sexual aging
• The SSA model encompasses three interrelated psychosocial domains: acceptance of physical and sexual changes, adaptation to those changes, and presence of opportunities for sexual expression

Non-partnered older adults reported important differences in obstacles to sexual expression compared to their partnered peers.

• Non-partnered older adults face distinct barriers to sexual expression relative to partnered older adults
• The study used a network analytic approach to identify these differences
• Lack of a close partnership was identified as a particularly salient obstacle for non-partnered older adults
• Women were noted as being disproportionately represented among non-partnered older adults

The network robustness (connectivity) of SSA-indicating items differed between partnered and non-partnered older adults.

• A network analytic approach was used to examine the structure of SSA-indicating items across partnership status groups
• Differences in network connectivity suggested that the interrelations among SSA domains function differently depending on partnership status
• This finding supports the conclusion that positive sexual aging is a partnership-specific process
• The German sample (N=1,328) was substantially larger than the Croatian sample (N=301), allowing for cross-cultural comparison

Successful sexual aging (SSA) appeared to be more difficult for non-partnered older adults than for partnered older adults.

• The study characterized SSA as 'somewhat more difficult for older non-partnered adults compared to their partnered peers'
• This finding held across both German and Croatian cultural contexts
• The SSA model was originally validated and explored for culture-specific elements in partnered older adults prior to this study
• The importance of a close partnership for older adults' sexuality was noted as a key contextual factor

The Successful Sexual Aging (SSA) model conceptualizes positive sexual aging as a dynamic process involving three interrelated psychosocial domains operationalized as a latent construct.

• The three domains are: acceptance of physical and sexual changes, adaptation to those changes, and the presence of opportunities for sexual expression
• The SSA construct was operationalized using a 9-item measure
• The model was previously validated in partnered older adults before being extended to non-partnered individuals in this study
• The study examined whether the SSA process differs across two cultural contexts: Germany and Croatia