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To explore how nurses across international settings support the sexual wellbeing of people living with inflammatory bowel disease through their clinical practice.
Qualitative descriptive study.
Online semi-structured interviews and one focus group were conducted with nurses from Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The interviews were conducted in Japanese (for Japanese participants) and English (for the rest). A total of 28 nurses with extensive experience caring for people living with inflammatory bowel disease were recruited between May 2023 and December 2024 through snowball sampling. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
The overarching theme identified was ‘careful exploration in real life practice’ with the following primary themes: (1) building the foundation for sexual wellbeing care, (2) addressing sexual wellbeing issues as a team, (3) identifying sexual wellbeing needs and (4) providing personalised nursing support. These themes highlighted the lack of sexual wellbeing care education in nursing, leading to unpreparedness and low confidence among nurses who nonetheless strived to support people living with inflammatory bowel disease despite limited training and communication barriers.
Nurses supported the sexual wellbeing of people living with inflammatory bowel disease by building trust and working collaboratively. They offered individualised care based on each patient's life context, fostering open communication. Despite cultural taboos surrounding sex, similar challenges and training needs were reported across target regions.
This study highlights the importance of addressing sexual wellbeing as a key component of holistic care for people living with inflammatory bowel disease. To achieve this, sexual wellbeing should be treated as a routine and important aspect of everyday nursing practice. Furthermore, nurses need to be empowered to play an active role in supporting sexual wellbeing and work in environments that facilitate open and respectful discussions.
This study addresses the long-neglected issue of sexual wellbeing in inflammatory bowel disease care, which has rarely been explored in nursing research. Drawing on qualitative data from multiple countries, primarily Japan, it offers a new international perspective by illustrating how nurses engage with and support sexual wellbeing. The findings have implications for clinical practice, nurse education and global research on holistic chronic illness care.
The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was followed.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.
To explore concerns and coping experiences regarding sexual well-being in inflammatory bowel disease and examine the relationship between these concerns and affected individuals' background factors.
Explanatory sequential mixed methods study.
Recruitment flyers (n = 1347) were distributed to individuals attending inflammatory bowel disease outpatient clinics in seven facilities. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing demographics, concerns and coping experiences related to their sexual well-being. Those who provided consent participated in semi-structured online interviews. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively, and qualitative data were analysed using content analysis.
A total of 551 participants completed the questionnaire, and 21 participated in the interviews. Among them, 251 (45.6%) reported experiences of concerns related to romantic relationships and marriage, sexual life, pregnancy, childbirth and childcare. The nature of these concerns varied by background factors: unmarried individuals more often reported relationship concerns; those with surgical or perianal history more often reported sexual concerns; and women, married individuals and individuals with Crohn's disease more often reported pregnancy-related concerns. Coping experiences were categorized as (1) active barrier management, (2) partner and professional support, (3) passive or resignation coping and (4) cognitive reframing.
Sexual well-being is significantly affected among individuals with inflammatory bowel disease. Many participants reported understanding and support from significant others or relied on personal coping strategies; however, others reported an absence of coping experiences. Sharing these findings with individuals with inflammatory bowel disease and healthcare professionals may enhance awareness and promote support strategies to improve these individuals' sexual well-being.
Concerns about sexual well-being are influenced by both clinical and psychosocial factors, including treatment history, life stage and partner relationships. Healthcare professionals should provide individualised and comprehensive care that incorporates the partners and families of individuals with inflammatory bowel disease to better address sexual well-being.
This study presents the first large-scale mixed methods evidence on how individuals with inflammatory bowel disease experience sexual well-being, providing direct implications for improving quality of life. By illustrating both adaptive and absent coping strategies, the findings contribute essential insight to inform patient-centred clinical practice and psychosocial care.
The Good Reporting of a Mixed-Methods Study (GRAMMS) guidelines were followed.
No patient or public contribution.
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