Abstract
Sexual autonomy is a fundamental construct for mental health. However, the availability ofvalidated scales in the Portuguese language is still limited. This study aimed to validate the
Portuguese version of the Sexual Autonomy Scale (SAS). A total of 529 volunteers participated
in this study through snowball sampling, with 50.47% (n = 267) being female, ranging in age
from 19 to 74 years (M = 33.84; SD = 8.71). The results revealed adequate validity and
reliability of the SAS. The latent factor explained 59.69% of the total variance, suggesting the
scale's unidimensionality. We observed acceptable internal consistency of the scale in the
calibration sample (α = .65; ω = .67) and in the validation sample (α = .62; ω = .67). Sexual
autonomy was positively correlated with measures of pleasure and sexual self-disclosure,
suggesting the importance of communication and autonomy in promoting healthier
relationships, including in the sexual sphere, contributing to mental health. Despite sampling
limitations, the results suggest that sexual autonomy might be a relevant construct for mental
health, potentially contributing to healthier and more positive sexual experiences.
Keywords: Sexual autonomy; validation studies.
| Date of Award | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Original language | Portuguese |
| Supervisor | Pedro Joel Mendes Rosa (Supervisor) & Patrícia M. Pascoal (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- PSYCHOLOGY
- CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
- HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
- SEXOLOGY
- MENTAL HEALTH
- FEMALE SEXUALITY