Table 1. Definition of the outcomes included in the study on the association between sexual health and well-being.

Outcome	Definition	Instruments
Health	Complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease21	Multiple instruments or constructs (e.g. Short form 36, Brief symptom inventory)
Quality of life	Quality of life refers to objective and subjective measures of physical, material, social and emotional well-being, as well as the level of personal growth and meaningful activity, weighed by individual sets of values.22 The WHO definition also comprehends an environmental dimension, which considers how safety, resources and living conditions affect quality of life23	The World Health Organization quality of life
Sexual distress	Negative emotional responses related to sexuality and sexual function24	Female sexual distress scale-revised
Sexual frequency	The frequency that the respondent engages in a specific sexual activity over a predetermined time period25	NA
Sexual function	The ease in progressing through the stages of sexual desire, arousal and orgasm, as well as feeling satisfied with the frequency and outcome of sexual activities26	International index of erectile function, Female sexual function index
Sexual satisfaction	Subjective evaluation of current sexual relationship27	New sexual satisfaction scale
Sexual well-being	Sexual well-being combines sexual health and sexual pleasure, reflecting high sexual satisfaction and reduced sexual distress, hence indicating an individual's perception of their sexual health17,28	Multiple instruments or constructs
Well-being	Well-being, experienced by either individuals or societies, is a positive state reflecting quality of life and the capacity to contribute to the world with meaning and purpose29	Multiple instruments or constructs (e.g. Satisfaction with life scale)

NA: not available; WHO: World Health Organization.