Publications by authors named "Macdowall W"

Despite increasing scientific and policy interest in sexual wellbeing, it remains poorly conceptualized. Many studies purporting to measure it instead measure related but distinct concepts, such as sexual satisfaction. This lack of conceptual clarity impedes understanding, measuring, and improving sexual wellbeing.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Sexual wellbeing plays a crucial role in overall population health, and to effectively address it, valid measures are necessary.
  • - A new measure called the Natsal-SW was developed by analyzing 40 interviews and refining items through various reviews, ultimately resulting in a 13-item scale that demonstrates good reliability and validity.
  • - The final measure showed strong correlations with related external factors such as mental wellbeing, self-esteem, and sexual satisfaction, thus providing a useful tool for quantifying sexual wellbeing across diverse groups.
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Studies into decline in sexual activity among women in midlife produce equivocal findings, some implicating hormonal and physiological changes, others psycho-social and environmental factors. Women's perspectives rarely inform interpretation of the data. Associations between sexual satisfaction, activity and function, and health and lifestyle factors were explored using data from 2133 female participants in the third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (2010-2012).

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Sexting has generated considerable public and professional interest with concerns centring on young people, and potential harms to mental and sexual health. Little research thus far has explored the practice among adults and none has focused on the cultural norms relating to the emotional experience of sexting across different ages and genders. We conducted 40 semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of adults aged 18-59 years in Britain on the role of digital technologies in participants' sexual lives.

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Intimate relationships are ubiquitous and exert a strong influence on health. Widespread disruption to them may impact wellbeing at a population level. We investigated the extent to which the first COVID-19 lockdown (March 2020) affected steady relationships in Britain.

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Objectives: Physical distancing as a non-pharmaceutical intervention aims to reduce interactions between people to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Intimate physical contact outside the household (IPCOH) may expand transmission networks by connecting households. We aimed to explore whether intimacy needs impacted adherence to physical distancing following lockdown in Britain in March 2020.

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Objectives: Physical restrictions imposed to combat COVID-19 dramatically altered sexual lifestyles but the specific impacts on sexual behaviour are still emerging. We investigated physical and virtual sexual activities, sexual frequency and satisfaction in the 4 months following lockdown in Britain in March 2020 and compared with pre-lockdown.

Methods: Weighted analyses of web panel survey data collected July/August 2020 from a quota-based sample of 6654 people aged 18-59 years in Britain.

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Article Synopsis
  • Online dating has shifted from a stigma of failure to a mainstream method for finding romantic or sexual partners, as highlighted in a 2019 study with 40 British adults.
  • The analysis of 22 participants revealed that young heterosexuals often prefer using general social media over dedicated dating apps, indicating a blend of online and offline interactions in partner-seeking.
  • Participants navigated various risks and employed self-care strategies, emphasizing their active role in managing their online encounters and minimizing potential harms.
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Using data from the third British National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) we examined associations between salivary testosterone (Sal-T) and sexual function and behavior. Single morning saliva samples were self-collected from a subsample of participants aged 18-74 years and analyzed using mass spectrometry. 1,599 men and 2,123 women were included in the analysis (40.

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Cyberbullying is associated with considerable negative mental and psychosocial consequences in children and young people, making it a serious public health concern. To review the highest level of available evidence, a systematic mapping review was conducted to identify systematic reviews that investigated the relationship between cyberbullying and mental and psychological outcomes in young people. Topic-relevant bibliographic databases and online resources were searched to identify reviews published since 2007.

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This analysis set out to identify associations between birth order and sexual health outcomes, focusing on family involvement in sex education and early sexual experiences. The third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles is a stratified probability sample survey of 15 162 men and women aged 16-74 in Britain. Logistic regression was conducted to identify odds ratios for the association between birth order and sexual health outcomes.

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Objective: To explore whether the sexual behaviours and sexual health outcomes of young adults with self-reported disabilities that they perceive limit their activities ('limiting disability') differ from those without disability.

Design: Complex survey analyses of cross-sectional probability sample survey data collected between September 2010 and August 2012 using computer-assisted personal interviewing and computer-assisted self-interview.

Setting: British general population.

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Introduction: To estimate the prevalence of use of different sources of contraceptive supplies in Britain and its variation by key demographic and behavioural characteristics.

Methods: Cross-sectional probability sample survey of women and men aged 16-74 years, resident in Britain, interviewed between 2010 and 2012. Analyses reported here were of 4571 women and 3142 men aged 16-44 years who reported having vaginal sex in the past year.

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Introduction: Measurement of salivary testosterone (Sal-T) to assess androgen status offers important potential advantages in epidemiological research. The utility of the method depends on the interpretation of the results against robustly determined population distributions, which are currently lacking.

Aim: To determine age-specific Sal-T population distributions for men and women.

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Purpose: To describe time trends and current patterns in sexual practices with opposite-sex partners among men and women aged 16-24 years in Britain.

Methods: Complex survey analyses of cross-sectional probability survey data from three British National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal), conducted approximately decennially 1990-2012, involving interviews with 45,199 people in total.

Results: Birth cohort analysis showed a decline in the median age at first sexual experience and first intercourse since the midtwentieth century and a narrowing of the interval between these events.

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Introduction: To estimate the prevalence of use of different sources of contraceptive supplies in Britain and its variation by key demographic and behavioural characteristics.

Methods: Cross-sectional probability sample survey of women and men aged 16-74 years, resident in Britain, interviewed between 2010 and 2012. Analyses reported here were of 4571 women and 3142 men aged 16-44 years who reported having vaginal sex in the past year.

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Objectives: We explore the hypothesis that using illicit drugs other than, or in addition to, cannabis is associated with sexual risk behaviour and sexual health outcomes in the British population.

Methods: We analysed data, separately by gender, reported by sexually-active participants (those reporting > = 1 partners/past year) aged 16-44 years (3,395 men, 4,980 women) in Britain's third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), a probability survey undertaken 2010-12 involving computer-assisted personal-interview and computer-assisted self-interview. Analyses accounted for the stratification, clustering and weighting of the data.

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Purpose: To evaluate the uptake, feasibility and acceptability of a general practice-based optometrist-led glaucoma check service. The service targeted people of black Caribbean and black African descent aged 40-65 years, resident in Hackney, London, United Kingdom.

Methods: The study used a mixed-method design, including analysis of service data, prospective audit of secondary care referrals patient survey, cost-consequence analysis, and interviews with staff involved in developing and implementing the service.

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Context: Salivary T (Sal-T) measurement by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy resents the opportunity to examine health correlates of Sal-T in a large-scale population survey.

Objective: This study sought to examine associations between Sal-T and health-related factors in men and women age 18-74 years.

Design And Setting: Morning saliva samples were obtained from participants in a cross-sectional probability-sample survey of the general British population (Natsal-3).

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Objective: To describe actual and preferred contraceptive sources among young people in Britain and whether discordance between these is associated with markers of sexual risk behaviour or poor sexual health.

Design: Cross-sectional probability sample survey.

Setting: British general population.

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Purpose: Concern about young people's sexuality is focused on the need to prevent harmful outcomes such as sexually transmitted infections and unplanned pregnancy. Although the benefit of a broader perspective is recognized, data on other aspects of sexuality, particularly sexual function, are scant. We sought to address this gap by measuring the population prevalence of sexual function problems, help seeking, and avoidance of sex in young people.

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Background: To date, research on men who have sex with men (MSM) has largely focused on their sexual health needs and on men recruited from gay-orientated venues. National probability survey data provide a rare opportunity to examine the broader sociodemographic, behavioural, and health profiles of MSM, defined as men who reported ≥1 male sexual partner(s) in the past 5 years, and thus regardless of their sexual identity, in comparison to men reporting sex exclusively with women (MSEW) during this time, and also the extent that health inequalities cluster.

Methods: Britain's third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), a probability sample survey, interviewed 15,162 people aged 16-74 years (6,293 men) during 2010-2012 using computer-assisted personal-interviewing with a computer-assisted self-interview.

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Study Question: What is the prevalence of infertility and of help seeking among women and men in Britain?

Summary Answer: One in eight women and one in ten men aged 16-74 years had experienced infertility, defined by unsuccessfully attempting pregnancy for a year or longer, and little more than half of these people sought medical or professional help.

What Is Known Already: Estimates of infertility and help seeking in Britain vary widely and are not easily comparable because of different definitions and study populations.

Study Design, Size, Duration: A cross-sectional population survey was conducted between 2010 and 2012 with a sample of 15 162 women and men aged 16-74 years.

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Objectives: Travelling away from home presents opportunities for new sexual partnerships, which may be associated with sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk. We examined the prevalence of, and factors associated with, reporting new sexual partner(s) while overseas, and whether this differed by partners' region of residence.

Methods: We analysed data from 12 530 men and women aged 16-74 years reporting ≥1 sexual partner(s) in the past 5 years in Britain's third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3), a probability survey undertaken 2010-2012.

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