Investigating psychometric measures of sexual wellbeing: a systematic review.

Sexual wellbeing is an integral part of human existence, characterised by physical, emotional, mental, and sociocultural factors. This study aimed to synthesise and evaluate psychometric measures of sexual wellbeing. Following systematic review methodology, searches were conducted in August 2020 and articles were screened by two independent reviewers. Studies regarding adult sexual wellbeing (≥18 years old), that also met eligibility criteria, were identified and relevant psychometric measures were extracted. A total of 74 unique measures were extracted from 88 papers, representing varying aspects of sexual wellbeing. Sexual wellbeing instruments were categorised by domains (e.g., cognitive-affective) and dimensions (e.g., sexual function, sexual desire), and reliability was summarised. The overall psychometric properties demonstrate that current measures are acceptable, although no single measure captured all domains of sexual wellbeing reflected in the literature. Rather, many instruments measured a single dimension of the multifaceted construct with variation amongst what constituted "sexual wellbeing". A unified approach to sexual wellbeing is needed to ensure clear operational definitions and theoretical frameworks are used to support psychometric evaluation. Clinicians and researchers are urged to critically evaluate which instrument best captures the desired aspects of sexual wellbeing or whether a combination of measures would be more appropriate. LAY SUMMARY: The current study investigated how sexual wellbeing has been examined by researchers within the wider literature. Interestingly, our results found that sexual wellbeing has largely been measured inconsistently, using a variety of questionnaires that only assess one part of sexual wellbeing (e.g., only sexual desire or only sexual functioning). New ways of measuring sexual wellbeing are required to ensure sexual wellbeing is accurately assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]