Investigation of the relationship between sexual developmental characteristics of individuals with intellectual disabilities in adolescence and sexual communication skills of their parents


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Taştemel T. Ç., Karadağ G.

Journal of Pediatric Nursing, vol.85, pp.312-320, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • 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.