Clinical trial NCT03303326: Arab American Women's Health Study
Official title: Arab American Women's Health Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Mental Health Wellness 1
Keywords: sexual health
Lead sponsor: Wayne State University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation
First posted: 2017-10-06
Enrollment: 134
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 35
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: This study evaluates how Arab American women's cultural values and sexual health are related to their physical and emotional health. The study will also examine whether engaging in a sexual health interview affects women's physical and emotional health.

Detailed description: Sexuality is an important aspect of health, in part because emotional conflicts over sexuality as well as unwanted sexual experiences can impact physical and psychological health; yet no studies have examined sexual health among Arab American women in the U.S. These women face the task of negotiating their heritage culture and the American culture in which they reside. This may result in bicultural identity conflict for some women as they try to negotiate these two identities, which may have implications for sexuality and sexual health due to the two cultures' disparate views on sexuality. Confidential discussion of these sensitive topics with a knowledgeable interviewer may yield beneficial effects.

The overall goal of the current study is to fill the gap in the literature on Arab American sexual health by examining how sexual health is related to physical and psychological health. This will be accomplished using both: a) correlational findings about sexual, physical, and psychological health from information gathered through self-report questionnaires and a 60-minute women's health interview; and b) an experimental test of the effects of the women's health interview on physical and psychological health. A sample of young adult Arab American women will be assessed at baseline via questionnaires for various constructs (sexual attitudes, cultural and religious identity, and physical and mental health), and then randomized to either an immediate or delayed health interview, with a 5-week follow-up reassessment.

It is hypothesized that lower sexual well-being, negative sexual self-schemas, and unwanted sexual experiences will correlate with more somatic and psychological health symptoms and lower satisfaction with life. It is also hypothesized that participants who have the immediate interview will report greater reduction in somatic and psychological symptoms and a greater willingness to discuss sexual health with medical providers compared to participants who are not interviewed (i.e., have a delayed interview after follow-up assessment).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Arab American or Chaldean
* Female
* Age 18-35

Exclusion Criteria:

* Non-English speaking

Primary outcomes:
measure: Patient Health Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Brief Symptom Inventory
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
measure: Satisfaction with Life Scale
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
measure: Sexual Self-Schema Scale
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
measure: Sexual Self Disclosure Scale (Catania)
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
measure: Sexual Self Disclosure Scale (Herold & Way)
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
measure: Female Sexual Function Index
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
measure: Sexual Satisfaction Scale for Women
timeFrame: Change from baseline to 5-week follow-up
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Detroit
country: United States
facility: Wayne State University
state: Michigan
Study officials:
affiliation: Wayne State University
name: Mark Lumley, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: