A PhD research fellowship in health psychology is available at the Department of Psychology. The positon forms part of the research project “Healthy sexual aging: A mixed-method study of sexual function and sexual well-being in older European adults” financed by the Norwegian Research Council. The appointment is for a period of three years (with no teaching requirement). The fellowship period may be reduced if the candidate has previously been employed in a research fellowship position.
Although the topic of sexual health is increasingly gaining legitimacy and importance, our knowledge regarding sexuality in older age is lacking, especially when it comes to the question of how biopsychosocial age-related changes may affect the body and sexuality in older age. The expressions of sexuality vary between and within different societies and cultures. In this new research project, the sexual well-being and sexual function of older adult men and women in Northern, Southern, and Central Europe will be compared. Quantitative sub-studies will be carried out as national, representative cross-sectional questionnaire surveys in Norway, Denmark, Portugal and Belgium. A qualitative sub-study will involve in-depth interviews of 25-35 men and women of different sexual orientations in different countries. The PhD research fellow in Norway will be affiliated to the quantitative project in Norway.
The findings from the different components will be contextualized to highlight cultural and policy-related differences between European regions, and their societal challenges and implications for health will be considered. Based on this analysis, the results will be used to inform the design and development of scalable, culturally appropriate awareness-raising interventions for the public and a professional intervention program for health practitioners working with aging populations.
The research fellow will be part of a research group led by Professor Bente Træen (principal investigator) and Associate Professor Ingela Lundin Kvalem at the Department of Psychology. The PhD-student will collaborate with the other principal investigators and participants in this international project.
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