A meta-analytic review of attitudes towards the sexuality of adults with intellectual disabilities as measured by the ASQ-ID and related variables: Is context the key?
Country wealth and family status predict attitudes toward sexuality in adults with ID more than age or gender.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at 11 studies that used the ASQ-ID scale. This scale asks people how they feel about adults with intellectual disabilities having sex.
They pulled data from 2,500+ people in 8 countries. They checked if age, gender, country wealth, or who was answering changed the scores.
What they found
Rich countries with strong individual rights scored higher. People in these places saw sexual rights more favorably.
Family members scored lowest. Staff and the general public were more accepting. Age and gender of the rater did not matter.
How this fits with other research
Hagiwara et al. (2021) also found rater identity matters. When adults with ID rated their own support needs, scores dropped. Both papers warn: who answers the survey changes the result.
Hsieh et al. (2015) showed country wealth shapes health outcomes too. Rich nations give adults with ID more chances to exercise and stay fit. Northrup et al. (2022) now shows the same pattern for sexual rights.
ASutton et al. (2022) reviewed hygiene studies and found most used multi-part packages. The attitude data here hints why: families may resist single-part programs because they start with lower acceptance.
Why it matters
If you run sex-ed or relationship training, start by checking who fills out the attitude form. A low family score is a red flag. Build extra buy-in with parents before you teach the client. Also, if you work in a lower-income or collectivist country, expect tougher push-back and plan longer education campaigns.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: The attitudes of others towards the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities are one of the main perceived barriers to them expressing their sexuality. Research on what influences these attitudes yields heterogeneous results. METHOD: A systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis were carried out. RESULTS: Eleven studies using the Attitudes to Sexuality Questionnaire-Individuals with an Intellectual Disability (ASQ-ID) were included. Within the included studies, the country's socio-economic development and level of individualism were associated with attitudes towards the sexual rights, parenting and self-control of adults with intellectual disabilities. General population and staff samples held more favourable attitudes than family samples in terms of sexual rights and parenting. Age and gender did not yield significant results. CONCLUSIONS: Variables related to country context may underlie the differences observed between countries and therefore influence the population's general thinking and ideologies. Unexpectedly, no age differences were observed. Gender-related results may reflect rapprochement between genders in sexuality. These findings are relevant for researchers and practitioners, as they suggest the importance of considering contextual factors when developing effective interventions that aim to support adults with disabilities to live their sexuality.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2022 · doi:10.1111/jir.12971