Investigation of the relationship between sexual developmental characteristics of individuals with intellectual disabilities in adolescence and sexual communication skills of their parents
Journal of Pediatric Nursing, vol.85, pp.312-320, 2025 (SCI-Expanded, SSCI, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 85
- Publication Date: 2025
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.pedn.2025.08.005
- Journal Name: Journal of Pediatric Nursing
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, ASSIA, CINAHL, MEDLINE, DIALNET
- Page Numbers: pp.312-320
- Keywords: Intellectual disability, Sexual communication, Sexual development, Puberty, Adolescence
- Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
- Dokuz Eylül University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Purpose: The study aimed to determine the relationship between the sexual developmental characteristics of individuals with intellectual disabilities in adolescence and their parents' sexual communication skills. Design and methods: The descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational design study conducted between January and March 2024 included the parents of 115 individuals with intellectual disabilities aged 10–19 years studying in a special education and rehabilitation center. Results: The mean total score of the sexual communication scale for parents was 71.00 ± 13.73, and the mean total score of the sexual development characteristics scale for children with intellectual disabilities in adolescence was 111.51 ± 15.24. There was no positive and significant relationship between content, body language, anxiety scores, and sexual development characteristics scale score (p > 0.05), while there was a positive and significant relationship between the sub-dimension score of managing the process (r = 0.19; p < 0.05) and the sexual communication scale score for parents (r = 0.20; p < 0.05) and the sexual development characteristics scale score of children with intellectual disabilities. Conclusions: It was found that parents' sexual communication skills had a significant but weak effect on their children's sexual development.