The effect of a sexuality training programme on the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers working with women with intellectual disabilities who live in residential care facilities : a social story approach

Abstract

The sexuality of all women, including those with or without intellectual disabilities, embraces more than just the knowledge about body parts and sexual behaviour. Women’s sexuality includes life experiences of appropriate and inappropriate touching, privacy and appropriate conversations, different types of relationships and competence in sexuality education. Therefore, sexuality is one way in which women define themselves, as it is an extension of self-esteem that can also influence interaction with others. The main aim of this study was to describe the effect of a two-day, custom-designed sexuality and relationship education training programme by considering the policy system, the stakeholder system and the pedagogical system, in order to change the knowledge and attitudes of caregivers who are working within residential care facilities with women with intellectual disabilities positively. This will enable caregivers to view education and relationship building as an integral part of these women’s lives. This study employed a three-phase mixed method research design. Phase 1 focused on the qualitative data obtained from focus groups (N=30) and how it informed the design and considerations of the training programme. Phase 2 focused on the development and pilot testing of the training programme (N=20). Phase 3 focused on the quantitative data and the main study, which involved a pretest post-test group design (N=31), during which all participants were trained using the customdesigned training programme, aSeRT (Sexuality and Relationship Training Programme). Significant positive outcomes were shown after caregivers participated in the aSeRT within the results, when their pre-training and post-training mean scores were compared. The six participant variables (awareness of the sexuality policy at the facility; church attendance; work experience; whether they had spoken about sexuality to the women with intellectual disability before; their knowledge about whether women with intellectual disability had been exposed to sexuality training before; and their age) did not statistically impact significantly on their knowledge and attitude change. Satisfaction ratings were positive and participants commented favourably on the planning of the training, the training material and the method of training. The findings from this research provide recommendations on how further studies can continue to add to the existing body of knowledge, emphasising that sexuality education can be integrated with social stories for women with intellectual disabilities and implemented in other residential care facilities.

Die seksualiteit van alle vroue, insluitend diegene met of sonder intellektuele gestremdhede, behels meer as net kennis oor liggaamsdele en seksuele gedrag. Vroulike seksualiteit sluit die lewenskennis van gepaste en onvanpaste aanraking, privaatheid en toepaslike gesprekke, verskillende tipe verhoudings, en seksualiteitsopvoedingsvaardighede in. Daarom is seksualiteit een manier waarop vroue hulself definieer, aangesien dit 'n uitbreiding van hul selfbeeld is wat ook hul interaksie met ander mense kan beïnvloed. Die hoofdoel van hierdie studie was om die effek van 'n 2-dag, doelontwerpte onderwys- en opleidingsprogram oor seksualiteit en verhoudings te beskryf, met inagneming van die beleidstelsel, die stelsel van belanghebbendes, sowel as die opvoedkundige stelsel, om sodoende die kennis en houdings van versorgers wat by residensiële sorgfasiliteite met vroue met intellektuele gestremdhede werk, te verander sodat hul seksualiteitsopvoeding en verhoudingsbou as ‘n integrale deel van hierdie vrouens se lewens sal beskou. Hierdie studie volg 'n drie-fase meervoudige-metode navorsingsontwerp waarin daar in Fase 1 gefokus is op die verkryging van kwalitatiewe data uit fokusgroepe (N=30) en hoe om hierdie inligting te gebruik om die ontwerp van die opleidingsprogram te rig. Fase 2 het op die ontwikkeling en proeftoetsing van die opleidingsprogram gefokus (N=20), en Fase 3 op die kwantitatiewe data en die hoofstudie, wat 'n voor-toets na-toets groep ontwerp behels het (N=31) waartydens alle deelnemers opgelei is in die gebruik van die doelontwerpe opleidingsprogram, aSeRT (Seksualiteit en Verhoudingsopleidingsprogram). Resultate het beduidende positiewe uitkomste getoon vir versorgers wat aan die aSeRT deelgeneem het, toe hul voor- en na-opleiding gemiddelde tellings vergelyk is. Die volgende ses deelnemerveranderlikes, (naamlik bewustheid van die seksualiteit by die fasiliteit; kerkbywoning; werksondervinding; of hulle voorheen met die vroue met intellektuele gestremdheid oor seksualiteit gepraat het; hul voorafkennis oor of vroue met intellektuele gestremdheid voorheen blootgestel is aan seksualiteitsopleiding; en hul ouderdom), het nie ‘n statistiese betekenisvolle impak op hul kennis en houdingsverandering gehad nie. Tevredenheidgraderings was positief en deelnemers se kommentaar was gunstig oor die beplanning van die opleiding, die opleidingsmateriaal en die opleidingsmetode. Die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing bied voorstelle van hoe toekomstige studies op die huidige kennis rakende seksualiteitsopvoeding kan voortbou en beklemtoon dit dat seksualiteitsopvoeding met sosiale stories geïntegreer moet word vir vroue met intellektuele gestremdhede en in ander residensiële sorgfasiliteite geïmplementeer kan word.