The Development and Validation of Sexuality and Intimacy in Dementia Questionnaire (SIDQ).

OBJECTIVES

To develop and validate the Sexuality and Intimacy in Dementia Questionnaire (SIDQ), an observational instrument for assessing verbal and physical expressions of intimacy and sexuality in nursing home residents with dementia.

METHODS

The SIDQ was developed through expert review, content validity assessment and face validity testing. Data were collected from 62 questionnaires across seven nursing home organizations. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency, inter-item correlations, and test-retest reliability were assessed following COSMIN and DeVellis guidelines.

RESULTS

Content and face validity showed that the SIDQ was clear, relevant and acceptable for using in dementia care. After removing items with low communalities, exploratory factor analysis revealed two factors: verbal intimacy and sexuality (2 items) and physical intimacy and sexuality (4 items). These explained 79.41% of the variance. Internal consistency was good (α = .72 and α = .84). Test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC= .95, 95% CI: .875-.991).

CONCLUSIONS

The SIDQ showed good preliminary psychometric properties and provides a structured way to assess observable expressions of intimacy and sexuality in people with dementia.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The SIDQ may support nursing staff in recognizing residents' intimate and sexual needs, facilitate communication within care teams and with families.