Gender-Related Differences in the Occupational Aspirations and Career-Style Preferences of Accounting Students: A Cross-Sectional Comparison between Academic School Years

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danziger, Nira; Eden, Yoram

2007-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine whether gendered differences in occupational aspirations still appear when considering students with similar abilities who study competitively in the same achievement-oriented educational setting. Design/methodology/approach: The hypotheses stipulated an interaction between gender and year of study…

Depression in later life: A closer look at the gender gap.

PubMed

Acciai, Francesco; Hardy, Melissa

2017-11-01

Gender differences in depressive symptoms have been extensively documented, with women reporting a higher number of depressive symptoms than men. However, studies offer different explanations for why such a gap exists. The goal of the current paper is to analyze how much of the observed gender gap in depression may be attributed to (1) compositional versus (2) reporting differences or (3) differences in reactivity to adversities. We contribute to this literature by testing, net of compositional differences, whether the relationship between reporting behavior and depressive symptoms is gendered and whether accounting for the possibility of gender-specific reactivity alters the structure of the gender gap at older ages. Our results show that the observed gender gap in depression (1) only partially derives from compositional differences; (2) is not an artifact of a gender-specific reporting style; and remarkably (3) men appear more sensitive to adversities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Mathematics: Does the Story Need to Be Rewritten?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunner, Martin; Krauss, Stefan; Kunter, Mareike

2008-01-01

Empirical studies of high school mathematics typically report small gender differences in favor of boys. The present article challenges this established finding by comparing two competing structural conceptions of mathematical ability. The standard model assumes mathematical ability alone to account for the interindividual differences observed on…

Gender-Specific Effects of Artificially Induced Gender Beliefs in Mental Rotation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heil, Martin; Jansen, Petra; Quaiser-Pohl, Claudia; Neuburger, Sarah

2012-01-01

Men outperform women in the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) by about one standard deviation. The present study replicated a gender belief account [Moe, A., & Pazzaglia, F. (2006). Following the instructions! Effects of gender beliefs in mental rotation. Learning and Individual Differences, 16, 369-377.] for (part of) this effect. A sample of 300…

Addressing Gender Equity in Nonfaculty Salaries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toukoushian, Robert K.

2000-01-01

Discusses methodology of gender equity studies on noninstructional employees of colleges and universities, including variable selection in the multiple regression model and alternative approaches for measuring wage gaps. Analysis of staff data at one institution finds that experience and market differences account for 80 percent of gender pay…

Gender Differences in Child Aggression: Relations With Gender-Differentiated Parenting and Parents' Gender-Role Stereotypes.

PubMed

Endendijk, Joyce J; Groeneveld, Marleen G; van der Pol, Lotte D; van Berkel, Sheila R; Hallers-Haalboom, Elizabeth T; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; Mesman, Judi

2017-01-01

This longitudinal study examines the association between child gender and child aggression via parents' physical control, moderated by parents' gender-role stereotypes in a sample of 299 two-parent families with a 3-year-old child in the Netherlands. Fathers with strong stereotypical gender-role attitudes and mothers were observed to use more physical control strategies with boys than with girls, whereas fathers with strong counterstereotypical attitudes toward gender roles used more physical control with girls than with boys. Moreover, when fathers had strong attitudes toward gender roles (stereotypical or counterstereotypical), their differential treatment of boys and girls completely accounted for the gender differences in children's aggressive behavior a year later. Mothers' gender-differentiated parenting practices were unrelated to gender differences in child aggression. © 2016 The Authors. Child Development © 2016 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Complex interaction between symptoms, social factors, and gender in social functioning in a community-dwelling sample of schizophrenia.

PubMed

Vila-Rodriguez, F; Ochoa, S; Autonell, J; Usall, J; Haro, J M

2011-12-01

Social functioning (SF) is the ultimate target aimed in treatment plans in schizophrenia, thus it is critical to know what are the factors that determine SF. Gender is a well-established variable influencing SF, yet it is not known how social variables and symptoms interact in schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether the interaction between social variables and symptoms is different in men compared to women. Our aim is to test whether social variables are better predictors of SF in community-dwelled individuals with schizophrenia, and whether men and women differ in how symptoms and social variables interact to impact SF. Community-dwelling individuals with schizophrenia (N = 231) were randomly selected from a register. Participants were assessed with symptom measures (PANSS), performance-based social scale (LSP), objective social and demographic variables. Stratification by gender and stepwise multivariate regression analyses by gender were used to find the best-fitting models that predict SF in both gender. Men had poorer SF than women in spite of showing similar symptom scores. On stepwise regression analyses, gender was the main variable explaining SF, with a significant contribution by disorganized and excitatory symptoms. Age of onset made a less marked, yet significant, contribution to explain SF. When the sample was stratified by gender, disorganized symptoms and 'Income' variable entered the model and accounted for a 30.8% of the SF variance in women. On the other hand, positive and disorganized symptoms entered the model and accounted for a 36.1% of the SF variance in men. Community-dwelling men and women with schizophrenia differ in the constellation of variables associated with SF. Symptom scores still account for most of the variance in SF in both genders.

Age and gender differences in depression across adolescence: real or 'bias'?

PubMed

van Beek, Yolanda; Hessen, David J; Hutteman, Roos; Verhulp, Esmée E; van Leuven, Mirande

2012-09-01

Since developmental psychologists are interested in explaining age and gender differences in depression across adolescence, it is important to investigate to what extent these observed differences can be attributed to measurement bias. Measurement bias may arise when the phenomenology of depression varies with age or gender, i.e., when younger versus older adolescents or girls versus boys differ in the way depression is experienced or expressed. The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was administered to a large school population (N = 4048) aged 8-17 years. A 4-factor model was selected by means of factor analyses for ordered categorical measures. For each of the four factor scales measurement invariance with respect to gender and age (late childhood, early and middle adolescence) was tested using item response theory analyses. Subsequently, to examine which items contributed to measurement bias, all items were studied for differential item functioning (DIF). Finally, it was investigated how developmental patterns changed if measurement biases were accounted for. For each of the factors Self-Deprecation, Dysphoria, School Problems, and Social Problems measurement bias with respect to both gender and age was found and many items showed DIF. Developmental patterns changed profoundly when measurement bias was taken into account. The CDI seemed to particularly overestimate depression in late childhood, and underestimate depression in middle adolescent boys. For scientific as well as clinical use of the CDI, measurement bias with respect to gender and age should be accounted for. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry © 2012 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

(Un)veiling Desire: Re-Defining Relationships between Gendered Adult Education Subjects and Adult Education Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chopra, Priti

2011-01-01

This paper challenges constructions of the "gendered illiterate Indian villager" as a homogenous group of people who are empowered through acquiring literacy. I strive to displace homogeneous representations of gendered "illiterate" subjects through ethnographic accounts of diverse people's realities in different villages in…

Understanding Cross-Sectional Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Disparities in Antiretroviral Use and Viral Suppression Among HIV Patients in the United States

PubMed Central

Beer, Linda; Mattson, Christine L.; Bradley, Heather; Skarbinski, Jacek

2016-01-01

Abstract To examine racial/ethnic and gender disparities in antiretroviral (ART) use and viral suppression among HIV-infected persons in care and identify factors that might account for observed disparities. The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) is a complex sample survey of HIV-infected adults receiving medical care in the United States. We used weighted interview and medical record data collected 06/2009 to 05/2012 to estimate the prevalence of ART use and viral suppression among gender-stratified racial/ethnic groups. We used χ2 tests to identify significant differences in outcomes between white men versus other groups, and logistic regression models to identify the most parsimonious set of factors that could account for each observed difference. We found no significant disparity in ART use between white and Hispanic men, and no disparities between white men and white and Hispanic women after adjustment for disease stage, age, and poverty. Disparities in ART use between white men and black persons persisted after adjusting for other factors, but the observed differences were relatively small. Differences in ART use and adherence, demographic characteristics, and social determinants of health such as poverty, education, and insurance accounted for the observed disparities in viral suppression between white men and all groups except black men. In our model, accounting for these factors reduced the prevalence difference in viral suppression between white and black men by almost half. We found that factors associated with disparities differed among men and women of the same race/ethnicity, lending support to the assertion that gender affects access to care and health status among HIV-infected patients. In addition to supporting efforts to increase ART use and adherence among persons living with HIV, our analysis provides evidence for the importance of social determinants of health in understanding racial/ethnic and gender differences in ART use and viral suppression. PMID:27043679

Expectancies for the effectiveness of different tobacco interventions account for racial and gender differences in motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy.

PubMed

Cropsey, Karen L; Leventhal, Adam M; Stevens, Erin N; Trent, Lindsay R; Clark, C Brendan; Lahti, Adrienne C; Hendricks, Peter S

2014-09-01

Racial and gender disparities for smoking cessation might be accounted for by differences in expectancies for tobacco interventions, but few studies have investigated such differences or their relationships with motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. In this cross-sectional study, 673 smokers (African American: n = 443, 65.8%; women: n = 222, 33.0%) under criminal justice supervision who enrolled in a clinical smoking cessation trial in which all received bupropion and half received counseling. All participants completed pretreatment measures of expectancies for different tobacco interventions, motivation to quit, and abstinence self-efficacy. The indirect effects of race and gender on motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy through expectancies for different tobacco interventions were evaluated. African Americans' stronger expectancies that behavioral interventions would be effective accounted for their greater motivation to quit and abstinence self-efficacy. Women's stronger expectancies for the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy accounted for their greater motivation to quit, whereas their stronger expectancies for the effectiveness of behavioral treatments accounted for their greater abstinence self-efficacy. Findings point to the mediating role of expectancies for treatment effectiveness and suggest the importance of exploring expectancies among African Americans and women as a way to augment motivation and self-efficacy. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The effect of occupational and workplace gender composition on sickness absence.

PubMed

Laaksonen, Mikko; Martikainen, Pekka; Rahkonen, Ossi; Lahelma, Eero

2012-02-01

To examine whether gender composition of the occupation or the workplace is associated with sickness absence, whether the gender composition accounts for the observed female excess in sickness absence, and whether gender composition explains variation in sickness absence rates between occupations and workplaces. Random effects models conducted among Helsinki employees (N = 36,395). Women and men working in women-dominated occupations and workplaces had more short-term (1 to 3 days') sickness absence. Gender composition of the occupation and the workplace partly explained gender differences in short-term but not in intermediate (4 to 14 days') and long-term (>2 weeks') absence. Gender composition also explained variation in short-term sickness absence among occupations and workplaces, but this was partly accounted for by social class, income, and job contract type. The results are consistent with the assumption that short-term sickness absence reflects cultures and norms shaping sickness absence behavior.

Post-traumatic stress in asylum seekers and refugees from Chechnya, Afghanistan, and West Africa: gender differences in symptomatology and coping.

PubMed

Renner, Walter; Salem, Ingrid

2009-03-01

Internationally, a high number of refugees are in need of help as a consequence of post-traumatic stress or acculturation problems. The present study investigated the gender-specific requirements for such interventions taking clinical symptoms as well as coping strategies into account. Five psychometric instruments assessing anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, somatic symptoms, and social adaptation were administered and semi-structured interviews with n = 150 asylum seekers and refugees from Chechnya, Afghanistan, and West Africa were conducted. On the level of total test scores, women reported significantly more somatic symptoms than men but there were no further gender differences. On the item level of the questionnaires as well as with respect to the categories obtained from the interview data, marked gender differences were found. Women, as compared to men, reported more somatic symptoms, emotional outbursts, and loss of sexual interest, while men reported detachment. For women, typical coping strategies were concentrating on their children and various indoor activities, while men preferred looking for work and socializing. Social psychiatric interventions should take gender-specific symptoms and coping strategies into account. For asylum seekers and refugees, same gender client-therapist dyads and groups are highly recommended.

Gender differences in the predictors of physical activity among assisted living residents.

PubMed

Chen, Yuh-Min; Li, Yueh-Ping; Yen, Min-Ling

2015-05-01

To explore gender differences in the predictors of physical activity (PA) among assisted living residents. A cross-sectional design was adopted. A convenience sample of 304 older adults was recruited from four assisted living facilities in Taiwan. Two separate simultaneous multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the predictors of PA for older men and women. Independent variables entered into the regression models were age, marital status, educational level, past regular exercise participation, number of chronic diseases, functional status, self-rated health, depression, and self-efficacy expectations. In older men, a junior high school or higher educational level, past regular exercise participation, better functional status, better self-rated health, and higher self-efficacy expectations predicted more PA, accounting for 61.3% of the total variance in PA. In older women, better self-rated health, lower depression, and higher self-efficacy expectations predicted more PA, accounting for 50% of the total variance in PA. Predictors of PA differed between the two genders. The results have crucial implications for developing gender-specific PA interventions. Through a clearer understanding of gender-specific predictors, healthcare providers can implement gender-sensitive PA-enhancing interventions to assist older residents in performing sufficient PA. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Deconstructing race and gender differences in adolescent obesity: Oaxaca-blinder decomposition.

PubMed

Taber, Daniel R; Robinson, Whitney R; Bleich, Sara N; Wang, Y Claire

2016-03-01

To analyze sources of racial and gender disparities in adolescent obesity prevalence in the United States using Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition. Data were obtained from the National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Study, a 2010 nationally representative study of 9th-12th grade students. Obesity status was determined from objective height and weight data; weight-related behaviors and school, home, and environmental data were collected via questionnaire. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition was used to independently analyze racial and gender obesity prevalence differences (PD), i.e., comparing Black girls to White girls, and Black girls to Black boys. Overall, measured characteristics accounted for 46.8% of the racial PD but only 11.9% of the gender PD. Racial PD was associated with Black girls having less fruit/vegetable access at home, obtaining lunch at school more often, and playing fewer sports than White girls. Gender PD was associated with differential associations between physical activity (PA) measures-including total activities in the past year and days of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in the past week-and obesity. School lunch and home food environmental variables accounted for racial disparities, but not gender disparities, in obesity prevalence. Gender differences in mechanisms between PA and obesity should be explored further. © 2016 The Obesity Society.

Gender and religious differences associated with volunteering in later life.

PubMed

Manning, Lydia K

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study is to use a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States to investigate the effect gender and religiosity has on volunteer behavior in later life. This study looks specifically at the gender and religious differences associated with volunteering in later life. Accounting for gender and religious differences, more specifically, this study examines the assumption that older women are more likely to volunteer in later life as opposed to men, and that gender is a better predictor than being religious for the likelihood of occupying a volunteer role in later life. This study poses questions about the differences in gender and religiosity associated with volunteering in later life; the results indicate there is more work to be done as we conduct research that is clearer about how volunteerism and religiosity are measured in relation to gender, and the overall impact these differences have for older women and their respective communities.

Gender differences in minor morbidity among full time employees of a British university

PubMed Central

Emslie, C.; Hunt, K.; Macintyre, S.

1999-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine gender differences in minor morbidity among men and women working in similar circumstances, and to test whether the relation between reported working conditions and health is similar for men and women. DESIGN: Multivariate analysis of data collected from a postal questionnaire distributed to full time employees in white collar jobs within a single organisation. SETTING: A British university. PARTICIPANTS: 1641 employees (1009 men and 632 women) working full time in white collar occupations in the university. MAIN RESULTS: Overall, female university employees reported more "physical" symptoms (2.0 v 1.7, p < 0.001) and more "malaise" symptoms (1.4 v 1.1, p < 0.001) than male employees, but mean scores on a measure of minor psychiatric morbidity did not differ by gender. Poor perceived working conditions (and particularly lack of job stimulation, job drain and poor physical conditions) were consistently related to all three measures of minor morbidity, and these variables accounted for most of the variance in these health measures in this sample. When the analysis controlled for occupational grade, perceived working conditions and orientation to gender roles, there was no difference between men and women for any of the health measures. The relations for the predictor variables were generally the same for men and women (and there were no interactions with gender for any of the work related variables). CONCLUSIONS: Although small gender differences in recent experience of malaise and physical symptoms remain when examining men and women in as similar working circumstances as possible, these differences are cumulatively eroded by taking account of occupational grade, reported working conditions and orientation to gender. These results lend support to a differential exposure, rather than a differential vulnerability, model of gender differences in health.   PMID:10562864

Gender differences in subjective health complaints in adolescence: The roles of self-esteem, stress from schoolwork and body dissatisfaction.

PubMed

Aanesen, Fiona; Meland, Eivind; Torp, Steffen

2017-06-01

The aims of this study were to examine subjective health complaints among Norwegian adolescents and assess the development of gender differences in subjective health complaints between age 14 and 16; to investigate whether self-esteem, stress from schoolwork or body dissatisfaction affected adolescents' subjective health complaints; and determine whether these factors could explain the excess of subjective health complaints among girls. We used multiple linear regression analyses to analyse longitudinal survey data from 751 Norwegian adolescents at the ages of 14 and 16. The results from various cross-sectional and prospective analyses were compared. Girls reported more subjective health complaints than boys, and gender differences increased from age 14 to 16. Self-esteem and stress from schoolwork had cross-sectional and prospective associations with subjective health complaints. Stress from schoolwork at age 14 was also associated with changes in subjective health complaints from age 14 to 16. The cross-sectional mediation analyses indicated that self-esteem and stress from schoolwork accounted for 61% of the excess of subjective health complaints among girls at age 16. The same variables measured at age 14 accounted for 24% of the gender differences in subjective health complaints two years later. The investigated factors could not account for the increase in gender differences in subjective health complaints between ages 14 and 16. The findings showed that self-esteem and stress from schoolwork were associated with subjective health complaints during adolescence. These factors could partially explain the excess of subjective health complaints among girls.

Gender inequality in self-reported health among the elderly in contemporary welfare countries: A cross-country analysis of time use activities, socioeconomic positions and family characteristics

PubMed Central

Adjei, Nicholas Kofi; Brand, Tilman; Zeeb, Hajo

2017-01-01

Background Paradoxically, despite their longer life expectancy, women report poorer health than men. Time devoted to differing social roles could be an explanation for the observed gender differences in health among the elderly. The objective of this study was to explain gender differences in self-reported health among the elderly by taking time use activities, socio-economic positions, family characteristics and cross-national differences into account. Methods Data from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) on 13,223 men and 18,192 women from Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and the US were analyzed. Multiple binary logistic regression models were used to examine the association between social factors and health for men and women separately. We further identified the relative contribution of different factors to total gender inequality in health using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method. Results Whereas time allocated to paid work, housework and active leisure activities were positively associated with health, time devoted to passive leisure and personal activities were negatively associated with health among both men and women, but the magnitude of the association varied by gender and country. We found significant gender differences in health in Germany, Italy and Spain, but not in the other countries. The decomposition showed that differences in the time allocated to active leisure and level of educational attainment accounted for the largest health gap. Conclusions Our study represents a first step in understanding cross-national differences in the association between health status and time devoted to role-related activities among elderly men and women. The results, therefore, demonstrate the need of using an integrated framework of social factors in analyzing and explaining the gender and cross-national differences in the health of the elderly population. PMID:28949984

Gender inequality in self-reported health among the elderly in contemporary welfare countries: A cross-country analysis of time use activities, socioeconomic positions and family characteristics.

PubMed

Adjei, Nicholas Kofi; Brand, Tilman; Zeeb, Hajo

2017-01-01

Paradoxically, despite their longer life expectancy, women report poorer health than men. Time devoted to differing social roles could be an explanation for the observed gender differences in health among the elderly. The objective of this study was to explain gender differences in self-reported health among the elderly by taking time use activities, socio-economic positions, family characteristics and cross-national differences into account. Data from the Multinational Time Use Study (MTUS) on 13,223 men and 18,192 women from Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and the US were analyzed. Multiple binary logistic regression models were used to examine the association between social factors and health for men and women separately. We further identified the relative contribution of different factors to total gender inequality in health using the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method. Whereas time allocated to paid work, housework and active leisure activities were positively associated with health, time devoted to passive leisure and personal activities were negatively associated with health among both men and women, but the magnitude of the association varied by gender and country. We found significant gender differences in health in Germany, Italy and Spain, but not in the other countries. The decomposition showed that differences in the time allocated to active leisure and level of educational attainment accounted for the largest health gap. Our study represents a first step in understanding cross-national differences in the association between health status and time devoted to role-related activities among elderly men and women. The results, therefore, demonstrate the need of using an integrated framework of social factors in analyzing and explaining the gender and cross-national differences in the health of the elderly population.

Gender differences in pension wealth: estimates using provider data.

PubMed

Johnson, R W; Sambamoorthi, U; Crystal, S

1999-06-01

Information from pension providers was examined to investigate gender differences in pension wealth at midlife. For full-time wage and salary workers approaching retirement age who had pension coverage, median pension wealth on the current job was 76% greater for men than women. Differences in wages, years of job tenure, and industry between men and women accounted for most of the gender gap in pension wealth on the current job. Less than one third of the wealth difference could not be explained by gender differences in education, demographics, or job characteristics. The less-advantaged employment situation of working women currently in midlife carries over into worse retirement income prospects. However, the gender gap in pensions is likely to narrow in the future as married women's employment experiences increasingly resemble those of men.

The influence of biological sex, sexuality and gender role on interpersonal distance.

PubMed

Uzzell, David; Horne, Nathalie

2006-09-01

This research reports on a conceptually and methodologically innovative study, which sought to measure the influence of gender on interpersonal distance. In so doing, we argue for an important distinction to be made between biological sex, gender role, and sexuality. To date, however, progress in the study of interpersonal distance (IPD) has been inhibited by poor operational definitions and inadequate measurement methodologies. For our own investigation, we innovated on methodology by devising the digital video-recording IPD method (DiVRID) that records interpersonal spatial relationships using high quality digital video equipment. The findings highlighted not only the validity of our innovative method of investigation, but also that a more sophisticated conceptualization of the impact of gender on IPD is warranted than can be accounted for by biological sex differences. In this study, we found that gender role accounts for more of the variation in IPD than the conventionally reported gender variable, sex.

Gender Inequalities in Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors Among Indonesian Urban Population.

PubMed

Christiani, Yodi; Byles, Julie E; Tavener, Meredith; Dugdale, Paul

2016-03-01

Gender is an important determinant of health. We conducted a study to examine hypertension, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking behavior among adults aged >15 years in urban Indonesia. We compared the prevalence, predicted socioeconomic factors, the gender inequalities, and the contributing factors to the inequalities. Women had a higher risk of obesity and hypercholesterolemia and raised blood pressure in later life (P< .001). In contrast, men had a higher risk of being a current smoker and raised blood pressure at younger age (P< .001). The gender inequalities in hypertension, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia can be accounted for by disparities in socioeconomic factors between men and women, particularly involvement in paid work. However, the inequalities were also accounted for by different effects of the socioeconomic factors in men and women. Gender is interlinked with socioeconomic and biological factors in determining health. This emphasizes the need of gender responsive policies to control and prevent chronic disease. © 2015 APJPH.

Combining Automatic Item Generation and Experimental Designs to Investigate the Contribution of Cognitive Components to the Gender Difference in Mental Rotation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendasy, Martin E.; Sommer, Markus; Gittler, Georg

2010-01-01

Marked gender differences in three-dimensional mental rotation have been broadly reported in the literature in the last few decades. Various theoretical models and accounts were used to explain the observed differences. Within the framework of linking item design features of mental rotation tasks to cognitive component processes associated with…

Does postponement of first pregnancy increase gender differences in sickness absence? A register based analysis of Norwegian employees in 1993-2007.

PubMed

Ariansen, Anja M S; Mykletun, Arnstein

2014-01-01

From 1970-2012, the average age at first delivery increased from 23.2-28.5 in Norway. Postponement of first pregnancy increases risks of medical complications both during and after pregnancy. Sickness absence during pregnancy has over the last two decades increased considerably more than in non-pregnant women. The aim of this paper is twofold: Firstly to investigate if postponement of pregnancy is related to increased sickness absence and thus contributing to the increased gender difference in sickness absence; and secondly, to estimate how much of the increased gender difference in sickness absence that can be accounted for by increased sickness absence amongst pregnant women. We employed registry-data to analyse sickness absence among all Norwegian employees with income equivalent to full-time work in the period 1993-2007. After control for age, education, and income, pregnant women's sickness absence (age 20-44) increased on average 0.94 percentage points each year, compared to 0.29 in non-pregnant women and 0.14 in men. In pregnant women aged 20-24, sickness absence during pregnancy increased by 0.96 percent points per calendar year, compared to 0.60 in age-group 30-34. Sickness absence during pregnancy accounted for 25% of the increased gender gap in sickness absence, accounting for changes in education, income and age. Postponement of first pregnancy does not explain the increase in pregnant women's sickness absence during the period 1993-2007 as both the highest level and increase in sickness absence is seen in the younger women. Reasons are poorly understood, but still important as it accounts for 25% of the increased gender gap in sickness absence.

Does Postponement of First Pregnancy Increase Gender Differences in Sickness Absence? A Register Based Analysis of Norwegian Employees in 1993–2007

PubMed Central

Ariansen, Anja M. S.; Mykletun, Arnstein

2014-01-01

Background From 1970–2012, the average age at first delivery increased from 23.2–28.5 in Norway. Postponement of first pregnancy increases risks of medical complications both during and after pregnancy. Sickness absence during pregnancy has over the last two decades increased considerably more than in non-pregnant women. The aim of this paper is twofold: Firstly to investigate if postponement of pregnancy is related to increased sickness absence and thus contributing to the increased gender difference in sickness absence; and secondly, to estimate how much of the increased gender difference in sickness absence that can be accounted for by increased sickness absence amongst pregnant women. Methods We employed registry-data to analyse sickness absence among all Norwegian employees with income equivalent to full-time work in the period 1993–2007. Results After control for age, education, and income, pregnant women's sickness absence (age 20–44) increased on average 0.94 percentage points each year, compared to 0.29 in non-pregnant women and 0.14 in men. In pregnant women aged 20–24, sickness absence during pregnancy increased by 0.96 percent points per calendar year, compared to 0.60 in age-group 30–34. Sickness absence during pregnancy accounted for 25% of the increased gender gap in sickness absence, accounting for changes in education, income and age. Conclusions Postponement of first pregnancy does not explain the increase in pregnant women's sickness absence during the period 1993–2007 as both the highest level and increase in sickness absence is seen in the younger women. Reasons are poorly understood, but still important as it accounts for 25% of the increased gender gap in sickness absence. PMID:24667483

Strengthening accountability to citizens on gender and health.

PubMed

Murthy, R K

2008-01-01

Accountability refers to the processes by which those with power in the health sector engage with, and are answerable to, those who make demands on it, and enforce disciplinary action on those in the health sector who do not perform effectively. This paper reviews the practice of accountability to citizens on gender and health, assesses gaps, and recommends strategies. Four kinds of accountability mechanisms have been used by citizens to press for accountability on gender and health. These include international human rights instruments, legislation, governance structures, and other tools, some of which are relevant to all public sector services, some to the health sector alone, some to gender issues alone, and some to gender-specific health concerns of women. However, there are few instances wherein private health sector and donors have been held accountable. Rarely have accountability processes reduced gender inequalities in health, or addressed 'low priority' gender-specific health needs of women. Accountability with respect to implementation and to marginalized groups has remained weak. This paper recommends that: (1) the four kinds of accountability mechanisms be extended to the private health sector and donors; (2) health accountability mechanisms be engendered, and gender accountability mechanisms be made health-specific; (3) resources be earmarked to enable government to respond to gender-specific health demands; (4) mechanisms for enforcement of such policies be improved; and (5) democratic spaces and participation of marginalized groups be strengthened.

Gender Approach at Physical Culture Lessons at the Second Stage of Basic High Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vorotilkin?, Irina M.; Anokhina, Olga V.; Galitsyn, Sergey V.; Byankina, Larisa V.; Chiligin, Dmitriy V.

2016-01-01

Gender approach in education is a specific impact on the development of boys and girls by the set of factors of education and training process. The objective of this research is the reasoning of applying gender approach at physical culture lessons and creating comfortable environment taking into account the psychophysiological differences of the…

Choice of Major: The Changing (Unchanging) Gender Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turner, Sarah E.; Bowen, William G.

1999-01-01

Data on major choice and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores show the following: (1) there is a widening gap between life and math/physical sciences in attractiveness to men and women; (2) SAT scores account for only part of the gap; and (3) gender gaps in major choice are attributable to different preferences, expectations, and gender-specific…

Test Format and the Variation of Gender Achievement Gaps within the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reardon, Sean; Fahle, Erin; Kalogrides, Demetra; Podolsky, Anne; Zarate, Rosalia

2016-01-01

Prior research demonstrates the existence of gender achievement gaps and the variation in the magnitude of these gaps across states. This paper characterizes the extent to which the variation of gender achievement gaps on standardized tests across the United States can be explained by differing state accountability test formats. A comprehensive…

A field study on thermal comfort in an Italian hospital considering differences in gender and age.

PubMed

Del Ferraro, S; Iavicoli, S; Russo, S; Molinaro, V

2015-09-01

The hospital is a thermal environment where comfort must be calibrated by taking into account two different groups of people, that is, patients and medical staff. The study involves 30 patients and 19 medical staff with a view to verifying if Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) index can accurately predict thermal sensations of both groups also taking into account any potential effects of age and gender. The methodology adopted is based on the comparison between PMV values (calculated according to ISO 7730 after having collected environmental data and estimated personal parameters) and perceptual judgments (Actual Mean Vote, AMV), expressed by the subjects interviewed. Different statistical analyses show that PMV model finds his best correlation with AMV values in a sample of male medical staff under 65 years of age. It has been observed that gender and age are factors that must be taken into account in the assessment of thermal comfort in the hospital due to very weak correlation between AMV and PMV values. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Dearth by a Thousand Cuts? Accounting for Gender Differences in Top-Ranked Publication Rates in Social Psychology.

PubMed

Cikara, Mina; Rudman, Laurie; Fiske, Susan

2012-01-01

Publication in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , a flagship indicator of scientific prestige, shows dramatic gender disparities. A bibliometric analysis included yoked-control authors matched for Ph.D. prestige and cohort. Though women publish less, at slower annual rates, they are more cited in handbooks and textbooks per JPSP -article-published. No gender differences emerged on variables reflecting differential qualifications. Many factors explain gender discrepancy in productivity. Among top publishers, per-year rate and first authorship especially differ by gender; rate uniquely predicts top-male productivity, whereas career-length uniquely predicts top-female productivity. Among men, across top-publishers and controls, productivity correlates uniquely with editorial negotiating and being married. For women, no personal variables predict productivity. A separate inquiry shows tiny gender differences in acceptance rates per JPSP article submitted; discrimination would be a small-but-plausible contributor, absent independent indicators of manuscript quality. Recent productivity rates mirror earlier gender disparities, suggesting gender gaps will continue.

Perceived discrimination and health-related quality-of-life: gender differences among older African Americans.

PubMed

Coley, Sheryl L; Mendes de Leon, Carlos F; Ward, Earlise C; Barnes, Lisa L; Skarupski, Kimberly A; Jacobs, Elizabeth A

2017-12-01

Emerging data suggest that African-American women may fare worse than African-American men in health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL). Perceived discrimination is an important contributor to poor health overall among African Americans, but few studies examined the intersecting effects of perceived discrimination and gender in explaining HRQOL disparities. We investigated gender differences in HRQOL and tested whether perceived discrimination accounted for these differences. We examined data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project in which 5652 African-American adults aged 65 and older completed structured questionnaires about demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, HRQOL, perceived discrimination, and health-related variables. Logistic regression models were used to identify associations between perceived discrimination and gender differences in poor HRQOL outcomes (defined as 14+ unhealthy days in overall, physical, or mental health over the past 30 days) when controlling for the other variables. More women reported poor overall HRQOL than men (24 vs. 16% respectively). Higher perceived discrimination was significantly associated with worse overall HRQOL (OR 1.11; 95% CI 1.08, 1.15), with stronger effects for women in overall and mental HRQOL. These gender disparities remained significant until controlling for potentially confounding variables. Perceived discrimination did not account for gender differences in poor physical HRQOL. Perceived discrimination is associated with poor HRQOL in older African Americans, with this association appearing stronger in women than men for mental HRQOL. These findings warrant further investigation of effects of perceived discrimination in gender disparities in overall health, and such research can inform and guide efforts for reducing these disparities.

Social Incentives for Gender Differences in the Propensity to Initiate Negotiations: Sometimes It Does Hurt to Ask

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowles, Hannah Riley; Babcock, Linda; Lai, Lei

2007-01-01

Four experiments show that gender differences in the propensity to initiate negotiations may be explained by differential treatment of men and women when they attempt to negotiate. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants evaluated written accounts of candidates who did or did not initiate negotiations for higher compensation. Evaluators penalized…

Developmental Coordination Disorder, Gender, and Body Weight: Examining the Impact of Participation in Active Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cairney, John; Kwan, Matthew Y. W.; Hay, John A.; Faught, Brent E.

2012-01-01

Background: To examine whether differences in participation in active play (PAP) can account for gender differences in the relationship between Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and body weight/fat (BMI and percentage fat) in youth. Methods: A cross-sectional investigation of students in grades four through eight (n = 590). Height, weight…

Working Memory and Strategy Use Contribute to Gender Differences in Spatial Ability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Lu; Carr, Martha

2014-01-01

In this review, a new model that is grounded in information-processing theory is proposed to account for gender differences in spatial ability. The proposed model assumes that the relative strength of working memory, as expressed by the ratio of visuospatial working memory to verbal working memory, influences the type of strategies used on spatial…

Exploring Undergraduate Gender Differences in Anxiety about Meeting Their Assigned Therapist

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blau, Gary; DiMino, John; DeMaria, Peter A., Jr.; Beverly, Clyde; Chessler, Marcy

2016-01-01

An online survey sample of 166 non-urgent undergraduates, N = 47 (male) and N = 119 (female) waiting to begin counseling after triage found that females had significantly higher anxiety about meeting their assigned (intake) therapist than males. This gender difference of females being higher in counselor meeting anxiety could not be accounted for…

Gender differences in ethical perceptions of business practices: a social role theory perspective.

PubMed

Franke, G R; Crown, D F; Spake, D F

1997-12-01

This study presents a meta-analysis of research on gender differences in perceptions of ethical decision making. Data from more than 20,000 respondents in 66 samples show that women are more likely than men to perceive specific hypothetical business practices as unethical. As suggested by social role theory (A. H. Eagly, 1987), the gender difference observed in precareer (student) samples declines as the work experience of samples increases. Social role theory also accounts for greater gender differences in nonmonetary issues than in monetary issues. T. M. Jones's (1991) issue-contingent model of moral intensity helps explain why gender differences vary across types of behavior. Contrary to expectations, differences are not influenced by the sex of the actor or the target of the behavior and do not depend on whether the behavior involves personal relationships or action vs. inaction.

Reducing gender differences in performance in introductory college physics through values affirmation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost-Smith, Lauren

2011-04-01

Despite males and females being equally represented at the college level in several STEM disciplines (including biology, chemistry and mathematics), females continue to be under-represented in physics. Our research documents and addresses this participation gender gap in the introductory, calculus-based physics courses at the University of Colorado. We characterize gender differences in performance, psychological factors (including attitudes and beliefs) and retention that exist in Physics 1 and 2 [L. E. Kost, et al., Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 010101 (2009); L. E. Kost-Smith, et al., Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 6, 020112 (2010)]. We find that the gender differences in performance can largely be accounted for by measurable differences in the physics and mathematics backgrounds and incoming attitudes and beliefs of males and females. But these background factors do not completely account for the gender gaps. We hypothesize, based on gender differences in responses to survey questions about students' sense of physics identity and confidence levels, that identity threat (the fear of confirming a negative characterization about one's identity) is playing a role in our courses. Working with researchers in psychology, we implemented an intervention where students either wrote about their most important values or not, twice at the beginning of the course [A. Miyake, et al., Science, 330, 1234 (2010)]. This ``values affirmation'' activity reduced the male-female performance difference substantially and elevated women's modal grades from the C to B range. Benefits were strongest for women who tended to endorse the stereotype that men do better than women in physics. This brief psychological intervention may be a promising way to address the gender gap in science performance.

Changes in children's self-competence and values: gender and domain differences across grades one through twelve.

PubMed

Jacobs, Janis E; Lanza, Stephanie; Osgood, D Wayne; Eccles, Jacquelynne S; Wigfield, Allan

2002-01-01

This study extended previous research on changes in children's self-beliefs by documenting domain-specific growth trajectories for 761 children across grades 1 through 12 in a longitudinal study of perceptions of self-competence and task values. Hierarchical Linear Modeling was used to (1) describe changes in beliefs across childhood and adolescence within the domains of mathematics, language arts, and sports; (2) examine the impact of changes in competence beliefs on changes in values over time in the same domains; and (3) describe gender differences in mean levels and trajectories of change in competence beliefs and values. The most striking finding across all domains was that self-perceptions of competence and subjective task values declined as children got older, although the extent and rate of decline varied across domains. For example, in language arts, competence beliefs declined rapidly during the elementary school years, but then leveled off or increased to some extent; whereas the decline in self-competence beliefs in sports accelerated during the high school years. Significant gender differences in beliefs were found in most domains; however, the gender differences in developmental trajectories appeared to be domain specific rather than global. Importantly, the gender differences between boys and girls did not systematically increase with age, as predicted by some socialization perspectives. Adding competence beliefs as an explanatory variable to the model for task values revealed that changes in competence beliefs accounted for much of the age-related decline in task values. In addition, competence beliefs accounted for most of the gender differences in task values for language arts and sports.

Drugs and Gender: A Women's Recovery Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levers, Lisa Lopez; Hawes, Anderson R.

1990-01-01

Describes a drug treatment program designed and implemented for women which takes into account gender differences. Claims by paying attention to the actual life worlds and needs of women, the program effectively modified the service delivery system to accommodate these women and facilitate their treatment. (ABL)

Time Course of Attentional Bias in Anxiety: Emotion and Gender Specificity

PubMed Central

Sass, Sarah M.; Heller, Wendy; Stewart, Jennifer L.; Silton, Rebecca Levin; Edgar, J. Christopher; Fisher, Joscelyn E.; Miller, Gregory A.

2011-01-01

Anxiety is characterized by cognitive biases, including attentional bias to emotional (especially threatening) stimuli. Accounts differ on the time course of attention to threat, but the literature generally confounds emotional valence and arousal and overlooks gender effects, both addressed in the present study. Nonpatients high in self-reported anxious apprehension, anxious arousal, or neither completed an emotion-word Stroop task during ERP recording. Hypotheses differentiated time course of preferential attention to emotional stimuli. Individuals high in anxious apprehension and anxious arousal showed distinct early ERP evidence of preferential processing of emotionally arousing stimuli along with some evidence for gender differences in processing. Healthy controls showed gender differences at both early and later processing stages. The conjunction of valence, arousal, and gender is critical in the time course of attentional bias. PMID:19863758

The impact of age vs. life experience on the gender role attitudes of women in different cohorts.

PubMed

Lynott, P P; McCandless, N J

2000-01-01

Much research has concluded that the gender role attitudes of older women are more traditional in orientation. This line of research, however, has often confounded the impact of age and cohort. Consequently, cohort differences in life experiences have not been systematically explored. This study addresses the relationship between age and gender role attitudes, taking into account the potential mediating effects of life experiences and controlling for cohort. The conclusions suggest that the impact of age on gender role attitudes is not as strong as might be expected. Rather, the results show that the life experiences of different cohorts are better predictors of gender role attitudes among older women, though such experiences do not have the same impact on all women.

Sex and Gender Differences Research Design for Basic, Clinical and Population Studies: Essentials for Investigators.

PubMed

Rich-Edwards, Janet W; Kaiser, Ursula B; Chen, Grace L; Manson, JoAnn E; Goldstein, Jill

2018-04-12

A sex and gender-informed perspective increases rigor, promotes discovery, and expands the relevance of biomedical research. In the current era of accountability to present data for males and females, thoughtful and deliberate methodology can improve study design and inference in sex and gender differences research. We address issues of motivation, subject selection, sample size, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, considering implications for basic, clinical, and population research. In particular, we focus on methods to test sex/gender differences as effect modification or interaction, and discuss why some inferences from sex-stratified data should be viewed with caution. Without careful methodology, the pursuit of sex difference research, despite a mandate from funding agencies, will result in a literature of contradiction. However, given the historic lack of attention to sex differences, the absence of evidence for sex differences is not necessarily evidence of the absence of sex differences. Thoughtfully conceived and conducted sex and gender differences research is needed to drive scientific and therapeutic discovery for all sexes and genders.

Gender Differences in the Recognition of Vocal Emotions

PubMed Central

Lausen, Adi; Schacht, Annekathrin

2018-01-01

The conflicting findings from the few studies conducted with regard to gender differences in the recognition of vocal expressions of emotion have left the exact nature of these differences unclear. Several investigators have argued that a comprehensive understanding of gender differences in vocal emotion recognition can only be achieved by replicating these studies while accounting for influential factors such as stimulus type, gender-balanced samples, number of encoders, decoders, and emotional categories. This study aimed to account for these factors by investigating whether emotion recognition from vocal expressions differs as a function of both listeners' and speakers' gender. A total of N = 290 participants were randomly and equally allocated to two groups. One group listened to words and pseudo-words, while the other group listened to sentences and affect bursts. Participants were asked to categorize the stimuli with respect to the expressed emotions in a fixed-choice response format. Overall, females were more accurate than males when decoding vocal emotions, however, when testing for specific emotions these differences were small in magnitude. Speakers' gender had a significant impact on how listeners' judged emotions from the voice. The group listening to words and pseudo-words had higher identification rates for emotions spoken by male than by female actors, whereas in the group listening to sentences and affect bursts the identification rates were higher when emotions were uttered by female than male actors. The mixed pattern for emotion-specific effects, however, indicates that, in the vocal channel, the reliability of emotion judgments is not systematically influenced by speakers' gender and the related stereotypes of emotional expressivity. Together, these results extend previous findings by showing effects of listeners' and speakers' gender on the recognition of vocal emotions. They stress the importance of distinguishing these factors to explain recognition ability in the processing of emotional prosody. PMID:29922202

Beyond Gender Performance in Accounting: Does Personality Distinction Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fallan, Lars; Opstad, Leiv

2014-01-01

This study questions whether the contradictory results from previous studies of gender and performance in accounting is because gender has no mutually homogeneous groups. A combination of gender and personality types will provide a more balanced picture of academic performance in accounting. There are three main findings in this study: the…

Gender differences in eating behavior and eating pathology: The mediating role of rumination.

PubMed

Opwis, Mareile; Schmidt, Jennifer; Martin, Alexandra; Salewski, Christel

2017-03-01

Rumination is a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy which contributes to psychopathology and is more frequently used by women than men. It has been found to mediate the relationship between gender and the occurrence of anxiety disorders or depression. Since gender differences also appear in dysfunctional eating, the aim of the study is to test, whether rumination mediates the association between gender and several facets of eating pathology. A total of 295 participants (205 women) completed an online-questionnaire including the assessment of different facets of dysfunctional eating and rumination. Mediation analyses were conducted with PROCESS. Women reported significantly higher levels in both, rumination and eating pathology. Moreover, rumination mediated the relationship between gender and all assessed aspects of dysfunctional eating. The present study extends findings on the mediating role of rumination accounting for gender differences in psychopathology to eating pathology in a community sample. Results suggest that cognitive factors play a substantial role in explaining gender differences in eating pathology which tend to be reduced to biologicals factors and beauty ideals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender monitoring and gender reassignment of children and adolescents with a somatic disorder of sex development.

PubMed

Meyer-Bahlburg, Heino F L

2011-10-01

Individuals born with a somatic disorder of sex development (DSD) have high rates of gender-atypical behavior, gender uncertainty, gender dysphoria, and patient-initiated gender change in childhood, adolescence,and adulthood. This article addresses the issues a mental health services provider has to consider in evaluating and assisting such patients and provides examples of assessment-method batteries. To date, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's Standards of Care, 6th version, for non-DSD patients with gender dysphoria, may be cautiously used for guidance, taking into account the considerable differences in presentation and medical context between gender dysphoric patients with and without a DSD.

Gender Difference or Indifference? Detective Decision Making in Sexual Assault Cases

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alderden, Megan A.; Ullman, Sarah E.

2012-01-01

Prior research examining sexual assault case decision making has failed to account for the demographic characteristics of the criminal justice practitioners charged with making case decisions. Inclusion of such information is important because it provides researchers with a greater understanding of how criminal justice practitioners' own gender,…

Gender equality in university sportspeople's drinking.

PubMed

O'Brien, Kerry S; Hunter, Jackie; Kypri, Kypros; Ali, Ajmol

2008-11-01

In large population-based alcohol studies males are shown consistently to drink more, and more hazardously, than females. However, research from some countries suggests that gender differences in drinking are converging, with females drinking more than in the past. Large population-based research may miss gender-based changes in drinking behaviours that occur in sub-populations most at risk of hazardous drinking. We examine gender differences in a sub-population where hazardous drinking is common and endorsed, namely university sportspeople. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a drinking motives measure were used to assess hazardous drinking behaviours and drinking motives in 631 university sportspeople (females = 331, 52%). There were no gender differences in AUDIT scores. However, drinking motives differed between genders, with coping motives being a significant predictor of hazardous drinking in females but not males. Hazardous drinking, including binge drinking (46.3%) and frequent binge drinking (35%), in New Zealand university sportspeople is high for both males and females. New Zealand university sportspeople are one population where gender differences in drinking are not apparent and run counter to European population based research and research in US sporting populations. Gender role equality in the university systems, and endorsement of drinking in sporting culture, may account for the lack of gender differences in this New Zealand sporting population. Future research on gender differences in drinking should examine sub-populations where gender role differentiation is low, and socio-cultural/structural factors supporting gender equality are high.

The weaker sex? Exploring lay understandings of gender differences in life expectancy: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Emslie, Carol; Hunt, Kate

2008-09-01

Despite increasing interest in gender and health, 'lay' perceptions of gender differences in mortality have been neglected. Drawing on semi-structured interview data from 45 men and women in two age cohorts (born in the early 1950s and 1970s) in the UK, we investigated lay explanations for women's longer life expectancy. Our data suggest that respondents were aware of women's increased longevity, but found this difficult to explain. While many accounts were multifactorial, socio-cultural explanations were more common, more detailed and less tentative than biological explanations. Different socio-cultural explanations (i.e. gendered social roles, 'macho' constraints on men and gender differences in health-related behaviours) were linked by the perception that life expectancy would converge as men and women's lives became more similar. Health behaviours such as going to the doctor or drinking alcohol were often located within wider structural contexts. Female respondents were more likely to focus on women's reproductive and caring roles, while male respondents were more likely to focus on how men were disadvantaged by their 'provider' role. We locate these narratives within academic debates about conceptualising gender: e.g. 'gender as structure' versus 'gender as performance', 'gender as difference' versus 'gender as diversity'.

Queer(y)ing New Schooling Accountabilities through "My School": Using Butlerian Tools to Think Differently about Policy Performativity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gowlett, Christina

2015-01-01

This article takes the role of provocateur to "queer(y)" the rules of intelligibility surrounding new schooling accountabilities. Butler's work is seldom used outside the arena of gender and sexualities research. A "queer(y)ing" methodology is subsequently applied in a context very different to where it is frequently…

Causes of Gender Differences in Accounting Performance: Students' Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wally-Dima, Lillian; Mbekomize, Christian J.

2013-01-01

This study employs the survey method to investigate the factors that cause academic differences between female and male students at the largest university in Botswana. The population of this research was the students of the last three years of the 4 year Bachelor of Accountancy degree programme at the University of Botswana. Anchored on the prior…

Gender differences in computer-mediated communication: a systematic literature review of online health-related support groups.

PubMed

Mo, Phoenix K H; Malik, Sumaira H; Coulson, Neil S

2009-04-01

Previous research has contended that the unique characteristics of the Internet might remove some of the gender differences that exist in face-to-face healthcare. The aims of the present study were to systematically review studies that have examined gender differences in communication within online health communities. A literature search was conducted to identify studies addressing gender differences in messages posted to online health-related support groups. Out of the 1186 articles identified, twelve were retrieved for review. Half of the studies examined gender differences by comparing male and female cancer discussion boards. The literature review revealed that some gender differences were observed in these studies. However, for studies that analysed mixed-gender communities, gender differences were less evident. Results seemed to reveal gender differences in communications in single-sex online health support groups, and similarities in communication patterns in mixed-sex online health support groups. However, findings should be treated with caution due to the diversity in studies and methodological issues highlighted in the present review. There is a need for health care professionals to take into account a range of situational and contextual factors that may affect how men and women use online health support groups. However, more robust research is needed before concrete guidelines can be developed to help health care professionals develop effective online support interventions.

Gender Norm Salience Across Middle Schools: Contextual Variations in Associations Between Gender Typicality and Socioemotional Distress.

PubMed

Smith, Danielle Sayre; Schacter, Hannah L; Enders, Craig; Juvonen, Jaana

2018-05-01

Youth who feel they do not fit with gender norms frequently experience peer victimization and socioemotional distress. To gauge differences between schools, the current study examined the longitudinal effects of school-level gender norm salience-a within-school association between gender typicality and peer victimization-on socioemotional distress across 26 ethnically diverse middle schools (n boys  = 2607; n girls  = 2805). Boys (but not girls) reporting lower gender typicality experienced more loneliness and social anxiety in schools with more salient gender norms, even when accounting for both individual and school level victimization. Greater gender norm salience also predicted increased depressed mood among boys regardless of gender typicality. These findings suggest particular sensitivity among boys to environments in which low gender typicality is sanctioned.

Behavioural and cognitive sex/gender differences in autism spectrum condition and typically developing males and females.

PubMed

Hull, Laura; Mandy, William; Petrides, K V

2017-08-01

Studies assessing sex/gender differences in autism spectrum conditions often fail to include typically developing control groups. It is, therefore, unclear whether observed sex/gender differences reflect those found in the general population or are particular to autism spectrum conditions. A systematic search identified articles comparing behavioural and cognitive characteristics in males and females with and without an autism spectrum condition diagnosis. A total of 13 studies were included in meta-analyses of sex/gender differences in core autism spectrum condition symptoms (social/communication impairments and restricted/repetitive behaviours and interests) and intelligence quotient. A total of 20 studies were included in a qualitative review of sex/gender differences in additional autism spectrum condition symptoms. For core traits and intelligence quotient, sex/gender differences were comparable in autism spectrum conditions and typical samples. Some additional autism spectrum condition symptoms displayed different patterns of sex/gender differences in autism spectrum conditions and typically developing groups, including measures of executive function, empathising and systemising traits, internalising and externalising problems and play behaviours. Individuals with autism spectrum conditions display typical sex/gender differences in core autism spectrum condition traits, suggesting that diagnostic criteria based on these symptoms should take into account typical sex/gender differences. However, awareness of associated autism spectrum condition symptoms should include the possibility of different male and female phenotypes, to ensure those who do not fit the 'typical' autism spectrum condition presentation are not missed.

Methodologic ramifications of paying attention to sex and gender differences in clinical research.

PubMed

Prins, Martin H; Smits, Kim M; Smits, Luc J

2007-01-01

Methodologic standards for studies on sex and gender differences should be developed to improve reporting of studies and facilitate their inclusion in systematic reviews. The essence of these studies lies within the concept of effect modification. This article reviews important methodologic issues in the design and reporting of pharmacogenetic studies. Differences in effect based on sex or gender should preferably be expressed in absolute terms (risk differences) to facilitate clinical decisions on treatment. Information on the distribution of potential effect modifiers or prognostic factors should be available to prevent a biased comparison of differences in effect between genotypes. Other considerations included the possibility of selective nonavailability of biomaterial and the choice of a statistical model to study effect modification. To ensure high study quality, additional methodologic issues should be taken into account when designing and reporting studies on sex and gender differences.

Nursing home administrator compensation: pay equity and determinants of salary.

PubMed

Singh, Douglas A

2002-01-01

This study evaluates the issue of gender-based pay inequality. Male NHAs earn 7 percent more than female NHAs, but factors such as education, experience, tenure, facility size, ownership, location, competition, and emphasis on private pay census account for the difference. The findings, however, indicate that racial inequalities and gender differences among married NHAs may be present, requiring further investigation. Key implications of the results are discussed.

Reporting Heterogeneity and Health Disparities Across Gender and Education Levels: Evidence From Four Countries.

PubMed

Molina, Teresa

2016-04-01

I use anchoring vignettes from Indonesia, the United States, England, and China to study the extent to which differences in self-reported health across gender and education levels can be explained by the use of different response thresholds. To determine whether statistically significant differences between groups remain after adjusting thresholds, I calculate standard errors for the simulated probabilities, largely ignored in previous literature. Accounting for reporting heterogeneity reduces the gender gap in many health domains across the four countries, but to varying degrees. Health disparities across education levels persist and even widen after equalizing thresholds across the two groups.

Methodologies, bioindicators, and biomarkers for assessing gender-related differences in wildlife exposed to environmental chemicals.

PubMed

Burger, Joanna; Fossi, Cristina; McClellan-Green, Patricia; Orlando, Edward F

2007-05-01

Male and female organisms may have significant differences in their exposure, toxicokinetics, and response to chemicals, but gender effects have received relatively little attention, often viewed as a confounder rather than of primary importance. In this paper, we examine some of the key issues and methodologies for incorporating gender in studies of the effects of chemicals on wildlife, and explore bioindicators and biomarkers of gender effects. Examining gender-related differences in response to chemicals is complicated in wildlife because of the vast array of species, and differences in niches, lifespans, reproductive cycles and modes, and population dynamics. Further, organisms are more at risk in some ecosystems than others, which may increase the magnitude of effects. Only by studying wild animals, especially native species, can we truly understand the potential impact of gender-specific effects of chemical exposure on populations. Several factors affect gender-related differences in responses to chemicals, including exposure, age, size, seasonality, and genetic and phenotypic variation. There are clear examples where gender-related differences have had significant effects on reproductive success and population stability, including destabilization of gamete release in invertebrates, and alterations of endocrine and neuroendocrine system functioning in vertebrates. A wide range of new technologies and methods are available for examining gender-related differences in responses to chemicals. We provide examples that show that there are gender-related differences in responses to chemicals that have significant biological effects, and these gender-related differences should be taken into account by scientists, regulators, and policy makers, as well as the public.

Gender and Racial Pay Gaps in the 1980s: Accounting for Different Trends. Final Report. Researching Women in the Workplace.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorensen, Elaine

Two contrasting trends concerning gender and racial wage levels for U.S. workers emerged in the 1980s. The first trend, which is gender-related, is that women made tremendous gains in their wages relative to those of men: in 1978 women earned 61 percent as much as men, while by 1990 that figure rose to 72 percent. Furthermore, these gains extended…

Early Acquisition of Gender Agreement in the Spanish Noun Phrase: Starting Small

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mariscal, Sonia

2009-01-01

Nativist and constructivist accounts differ in their characterization of children's knowledge of grammatical categories. In this paper we present research on the process of acquisition of a particular grammatical system, gender agreement in the Spanish noun phrase, in children under three years of age. The design of the longitudinal study employed…

Testing Gender Effects on the Mechanisms Explaining the Association between Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms and Substance Use Frequency

PubMed Central

Bornovalova, Marina A.; Ouimette, Paige; Crawford, Aaron V.; Levy, Roy

2009-01-01

The present study examines gender differences in the mechanisms that explain the association between PTSD symptoms and substance use frequency in a sample of 182 urban substance users. Specifically, the current study examined gender differences in the role of two potential explanatory variables, namely, difficulties controlling impulsive behavior when distressed (IMP), and a lack of emotional awareness and clarity (AW/CLAR). Multiple-group path modeling (across males and females) was used to examine gender differences in the path coefficients from PTSD symptoms to IMP and AW/CLAR, and from these latter variables to drug use frequency. Results indicated that PTSD symptoms were associated with IMP and AW/CLAR, and these path coefficients did not vary by gender. However, gender differences emerged when considering the path coefficients from AW/CLAR and IMP to substance use frequency. Specifically, for women, the association between PTSD and substance use was partially explained by IMP, whereas for men, the association between PTSD and substance use was partially explained by AW/CLAR. The current study is the first to examine gender differences in mechanisms accounting for the association between PTSD and substance use frequency, and these results also support the value and importance of examining gender differences in mechanisms underlying PTSD-SUD comorbidity. PMID:19423233

Occupational epidemiology and work related inequalities in health: a gender perspective for two complementary approaches to work and health research

PubMed Central

Artazcoz, Lucía; Borrell, Carme; Cortès, Imma; Escribà‐Agüir, Vicenta; Cascant, Lorena

2007-01-01

Objectives To provide a framework for epidemiological research on work and health that combines classic occupational epidemiology and the consideration of work in a structural perspective focused on gender inequalities in health. Methods Gaps and limitations in classic occupational epidemiology, when considered from a gender perspective, are described. Limitations in research on work related gender inequalities in health are identified. Finally, some recommendations for future research are proposed. Results Classic occupational epidemiology has paid less attention to women's problems than men's. Research into work related gender inequalities in health has rarely considered either social class or the impact of family demands on men's health. In addition, it has rarely taken into account the potential interactions between gender, social class, employment status and family roles and the differences in social determinants of health according to the health indicator analysed. Conclusions Occupational epidemiology should consider the role of sex and gender in examining exposures and associated health problems. Variables should be used that capture the specific work environments and health conditions of both sexes. The analysis of work and health from a gender perspective should take into account the complex interactions between gender, family roles, employment status and social class. PMID:18000116

The weaker sex? Exploring lay understandings of gender differences in life expectancy: A qualitative study☆

PubMed Central

Emslie, Carol; Hunt, Kate

2008-01-01

Despite increasing interest in gender and health, ‘lay’ perceptions of gender differences in mortality have been neglected. Drawing on semi-structured interview data from 45 men and women in two age cohorts (born in the early 1950s and 1970s) in the UK, we investigated lay explanations for women's longer life expectancy. Our data suggest that respondents were aware of women's increased longevity, but found this difficult to explain. While many accounts were multifactorial, socio-cultural explanations were more common, more detailed and less tentative than biological explanations. Different socio-cultural explanations (i.e. gendered social roles, ‘macho’ constraints on men and gender differences in health-related behaviours) were linked by the perception that life expectancy would converge as men and women's lives became more similar. Health behaviours such as going to the doctor or drinking alcohol were often located within wider structural contexts. Female respondents were more likely to focus on women's reproductive and caring roles, while male respondents were more likely to focus on how men were disadvantaged by their ‘provider’ role. We locate these narratives within academic debates about conceptualising gender: e.g. ‘gender as structure’ versus ‘gender as performance’, ‘gender as difference’ versus ‘gender as diversity’. PMID:18558455

Gendered portraits of depression in Swedish newspapers.

PubMed

Bengs, Carita; Johansson, Eva; Danielsson, Ulla; Lehti, Arja; Hammarström, Anne

2008-07-01

Mass media are influential mediators of information, knowledge, and narratives of health and illness. In this article, we report on an examination of personal accounts of illness as presented in three Swedish newspapers, focusing on the gendered representation of laypersons' experiences of depression. A database search identified all articles mentioning depression during the year 2002. Twenty six articles focusing on personal experiences of depression were then subjected to a qualitative content analysis. We identified four themes: displaying a successful facade, experiencing a cracking facade, losing and regaining control, and explaining the illness. We found both similarities and differences with regard to gendered experiences. The mediated accounts of depression both upheld and challenged traditional gender stereotypes. The women's stories were more detailed, relational, emotionally oriented, and embodied. The portrayal of men was less emotional and expressive, and described a more dramatic onset of depression, reflecting hegemonic patterns of masculinity.

Gender differences in patterns of spatial ability, environmental cognition, and math and English achievement in late adolescence.

PubMed

Pearson, J L; Ferguson, L R

1989-01-01

Relationships were explored among three measures of spatial ability--the Embedded Figures Test (EFT), the Mental Rotations Test (MRT), and the Differential Aptitude Spatial Relations subtest (DAT)--an environmental cognition task (MAP), American College Testing (ACT) math and English achievement, and gender in a sample of 282 undergraduates. Variance attributable to gender among the spatial tasks ranged from 0.5% in the EFT to 12% in the MRT. Gender accounted for only 1% of the variance in the MAP task. Gender differences were noted in regression analyses; women's math and English achievement scores were both predictive of spatial ability, while for men, only math achievement was predictive of spatial ability. The results were interpreted as substantiating sex role socialization theory of cognitive abilities.

Self-reported health and gender: The role of social norms.

PubMed

Caroli, Eve; Weber-Baghdiguian, Lexane

2016-03-01

The role of social norms in accounting for the different attitudes of men and women with respect to health is still an open issue. In this research, we investigate the role of social norms associated with specific gender environments in the workplace in accounting for differences in health-reporting behaviours across men and women. Using the 2010 European Working Conditions Survey, we build a database containing 30,124 observations. We first replicate the standard result that women report worse health than men, whatever the health outcome we consider. We then proxy social norms by the gender structure of the workplace environment and study how the latter affects self-reported health for men and women separately. Our findings indicate that individuals in workplaces where women are a majority tend to report worse health than individuals employed in male-dominated work environments, be they men or women. These results are robust to controlling for a large array of working condition indicators, which allows us to rule out that the poorer health status reported by individuals working in female-dominated environments could be due to worse job quality. This evidence suggests that social norms associated with specific gender environments play an important role in explaining differences in health-reporting behaviours across gender, at least in the workplace. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in erotic plasticity--evolutionary or sociocultural forces? Comment on Baumeister (2000)

PubMed

Hyde, J S; Durik, A M

2000-05-01

R. F. Baumeister (2000) argued that there are gender differences in erotic plasticity, meaning that women are more influenced by cultural and social factors than men are. He attributed the gender difference in erotic plasticity to evolutionary, biological forces. We propose an alternative account of the data using a multifactor sociocultural model that rests on 4 assertions: (a) Men have more power than women on many levels including the institutional and the interpersonal levels, (b) education increases women's power, (c) groups with less power (women) pay more attention to and adapt their behavior more to the group with more power (men) than the reverse, and (d) gender roles powerfully shape behavior, and heterosexuality is a more important element of the male role than the female role.

Conventions of Courtship: Gender and Race Differences in the Significance of Dating Rituals

PubMed Central

Jackson, Pamela Braboy; Kleiner, Sibyl; Geist, Claudia; Cebulko, Kara

2012-01-01

Dating rituals include dating-courtship methods that are regularly enacted. We explored gender and race differences in the relative importance placed on certain symbolic activities previously identified by the dating literature as constituting such rituals. Using information collected from a racially diverse sample of college students (N = 680), we find that some traditional gender differences persist, but that these are also cross-cut by racial contrasts. Men, overall, place more emphasis on gifting, as well as sexual activity. Gender differences, however, are significantly greater among African Americans1 as compared to Whites in our sample. African American respondents are also significantly more likely than White respondents to associate meeting the family with a more serious dating relationship. Our findings highlight the need for greater efforts to uncover and account for racial differences in dating, relationships, and courtship. PMID:23049154

Community College Enrollment, College Major, and the Gender Wage Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Andrew M.; Leigh, Duane E.

2000-01-01

Independent cross-sections developed using National Longitudinal Survey data reveal a decrease in the gender wage gap from 1989-1994 due to fewer differences in tenure and full-time employment. Disaggregating education by two- and four-year providers and college major accounts for 8.5-11% of the narrower wage gap for the period. (SK)

Role of Grammatical Gender and Semantics in German Word Production

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vigliocco, Gabriella; Vinson, David P.; Indefrey, Peter; Levelt, Willem J. M.; Hellwig, Frauke

2004-01-01

Semantic substitution errors (e.g., saying "arm" when "leg" is intended) are among the most common types of errors occurring during spontaneous speech. It has been shown that grammatical gender of German target nouns is preserved in the errors (E. Mane, 1999). In 3 experiments, the authors explored different accounts of the grammatical gender…

Gender and Age Differences in How Children Cope with Daily Stress

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales Rodriguez, Francisco Manuel; Trianes Torres, Maria Victoria; Miranda Paez, Jesus

2012-01-01

Introduction: The study of coping among students accounts for an interesting subject, as having coping skills guarantees a healthy lifestyle and quality of life. The present study aims to analyze the role played by age and gender on the coping strategies used by Andalusian school students to cope with situations of daily stress. These situations…

Following the Instructions! Effects of Gender Beliefs in Mental Rotation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moe, Angelica; Pazzaglia, Francesca

2006-01-01

Research has widely demonstrated male superiority in the Mental Rotation Test (MRT). Various explanations have been put forward to account for these differences. We considered gender beliefs and argued that women may fare less well than men partly because they are considered unable to perform this kind of task. Beliefs about spatial ability were…

Testing a Gender Additive Model: The Role of Body Image in Adolescent Depression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bearman, Sarah Kate; Stice, Eric

2008-01-01

Despite consistent evidence that adolescent girls are at greater risk of developing depression than adolescent boys, risk factor models that account for this difference have been elusive. The objective of this research was to examine risk factors proposed by the "gender additive" model of depression that attempts to partially explain the increased…

Evaluating Courses: An Examination of the Impact of Student Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darby, Jenny A.

2006-01-01

Previous research into the effects of gender differences on course evaluations has failed to take into account a number of intervening variables. In part 1 of the present study a questionnaire was administered to 504 female and male students measuring whether they noticed, remembered things, and related to others. These are all measures which have…

Gender differences and related factors affecting online gaming addiction among Taiwanese adolescents.

PubMed

Ko, Chih-Hung; Yen, Ju-Yu; Chen, Cheng-Chung; Chen, Sue-Huei; Yen, Cheng-Fang

2005-04-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent to which gender and other factors predict the severity of online gaming addiction among Taiwanese adolescents. A total of 395 junior high school students were recruited for evaluation of their experiences playing online games. Severity of addiction, behavioral characteristics, number of stressors, and level of satisfaction with daily life were compared between males and females who had previously played online games. Multiple regression analysis was used to explore gender differences in the relationships between severity of online gaming addiction and a number of variables. This study found that subjects who had previously played online games were predominantly male. Gender differences were also found in the severity of online gaming addiction and motives for playing. Older age, lower self-esteem, and lower satisfaction with daily life were associated with more severe addiction among males, but not among females. Special strategies accounting for gender differences must be implemented to prevent adolescents with risk factors from becoming addicted to online gaming.

The role played by depression associated with somatic symptomatology in accounting for the gender difference in the prevalence of depression.

PubMed

Silverstein, B; Edwards, T; Gamma, A; Ajdacic-Gross, V; Rossler, W; Angst, J

2013-02-01

A variety of studies suggest the existence of a distinct phenotype of somatic depression, i.e., depression accompanied by significant somatic symptomatology. Previous research suggests that the gender difference in the prevalence of depression is primarily due to a difference in somatic depression. The aim of this study was to compare the gender difference in the prevalence of somatic depression and of depression not accompanied by significant somatic symptomatology (labelled "pure" depression) in two representative samples, the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication (NCS-R) and the Zurich Study. The gender difference in lifetime somatic depression was compared to that of pure depression based on analyses weighted back to the general population in two representative samples. The NCS-R analyses involved a narrow definition of somatic depression with items from the DSM criteria for depression--appetite, sleep, and fatigue. The analysis of the Zurich study added headaches, body image issues, and breathing difficulties to the criteria and comparison to atypical depression. In both samples, the gender difference in depressive prevalence was due to a large difference in somatic depression with other phenotypes showing little or no gender difference. The gender differences were found to be due to the somatic symptoms rather than the number of symptoms and were much larger for somatic than for atypical depression. The gender difference in the prevalence of depression results from the higher prevalence among women of a specific phenotype, somatic depression.

Sex, trauma, stress hormones and depression.

PubMed

Young, E; Korszun, A

2010-01-01

Although few studies dispute that there are gender differences in depression, the etiology is still unknown. In this review, we cover a number of proposed factors and the evidences for and against these factors that may account for gender differences in depression. These include the possible role of estrogens at puberty, differences in exposure to childhood trauma, differences in stress perception between men and women and the biological differences in stress response. None of these factors seem to explain gender differences in depression. Finally, we do know that when depressed, women show greater hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activation than men and that menopause with loss of estrogens show the greatest HPA axis dysregulation. It may be the constantly changing steroid milieu that contributes to these phenomena and vulnerability to depression.

A European network for the investigation of gender incongruence: the ENIGI initiative.

PubMed

Kreukels, B P C; Haraldsen, I R; De Cuypere, G; Richter-Appelt, H; Gijs, L; Cohen-Kettenis, P T

2012-08-01

Studies on diagnostic subtypes of gender identity disorder (GID) or gender incongruence (GI), comorbidity and treatment outcome show considerable variability in results. Clinic/country specific factors may account for the contradictory results, but these factors have never been studied. This article is the first of a series reporting on a unique collaborative study of four European gender identity clinics (the European network for the investigation of gender incongruence [ENIGI]). Here, we present the diagnostic procedures of the four clinics (Amsterdam, Ghent, Hamburg, and Oslo), the standard battery of instruments, and the first results regarding applicants with GI who seek treatment. Applicants in the four clinics did not differ in living situation, employment status, sexual orientation, and age of onset of GI feelings. However, the Amsterdam and Ghent clinic were visited by a majority of natal males, whereas Hamburg and Oslo see more natal females. Male applicants were older than female applicants within each country, but female applicants in one country were sometimes older than male applicants in another country. Also, educational level differed between applicants of the four clinics. These data indicate that certain sociodemographic and/or cultural characteristics of applicants have to be taken into account in future studies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A Report on Gender and Gender-Related Issues in the Accounting Professoriate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lanier, Patricia A.; Tanner, John R.

1999-01-01

Responses from 188 of 500 female accounting faculty surveyed showed that only 34.3% had senior rank. Almost half earned $50,000-80,000. More than half experienced gender discrimination. They tended not to report incidents of racial or gender discrimination. (SK)

Gender role orientation and anxiety symptoms among African american adolescents.

PubMed

Palapattu, Anuradha G; Kingery, Julie Newman; Ginsburg, Golda S

2006-06-01

The present study evaluated gender role theory as an explanation for the observed gender differences in anxiety symptoms among adolescents. Specifically, the relation between gender, gender role orientation (i.e., masculinity and femininity), self-esteem, and anxiety symptoms was examined in a community sample of 114 African Americans aged 14 to 19 (mean age 15.77; 57 girls). Results revealed that masculinity was negatively associated with anxiety symptoms whereas femininity was positively associated with anxiety symptoms. Gender role orientation accounted for unique variance in anxiety scores above biological gender and self-esteem, and self-esteem moderated the relation between femininity (but not masculinity) and overall anxiety symptoms. Consistent with research on children and Caucasians, findings supported gender role theory as a partial explanation for the observed gender disparity in anxiety symptoms among African American adolescents.

Gender differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of methadone substitution therapy.

PubMed

Graziani, Manuela; Nisticò, Robert

2015-01-01

Gender-related differences in the pharmacological effects of drug are an emerging topic. This review examines gender differences in both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic aspects of methadone, a long-acting opioid agonist that is prescribed as a treatment for opioid dependence and the management of chronic pain. We performed a search in the Medline database from 1990 to 2014 in order to find published literature related to gender differences in pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of methadone. None of the studies were carried out with the primary or secondary aim to identify any gender differences in the pharmacokinetic profile of methadone. Importantly; high inter-subjects variability in PK parameters was found also intra female population. The reported differences in volume of distribution could be ascribed to the physiological differences between men and women in body weight and composition, taking into account that the dose of methadone was established irrespective of body weight of patients (Peles and Adelson, 2006). On the other hand, the few studies present in literature found no gender difference in some direct pharmacodynamic parameters. Some reports have suggested that female gender is associated with an increased risk for long-QT-related cardiac arrhythmias in methadone maintenance subjects. Even though it may be too simplistic to expect variability only in one parameter to explain inter-individual variation in methadone response, we believe that a better knowledge of gender-related differences might have significant implications for better outcomes in opioid dependence substitution therapy in women.

Gender Differences in Emotion Explain Women's Lower Immoral Intentions and Harsher Moral Condemnation.

PubMed

Ward, Sarah J; King, Laura A

2018-05-01

Why do men view morally questionable behaviors as more permissible than women do? Five studies investigated emotional factors as explanations for gender differences in moral decision-making. In Study 1 ( N = 324), gender differences in perceptions of moral wrongness were explained by guilt and shame proneness. Studies 2a and 2b (combined N = 562) demonstrated that instructions to adopt an unemotional perspective (vs. standard instructions) led women to have higher immoral intentions, no longer lower than men's, as they were in the control group. Studies 3 and 4 ( N = 834) showed that men expected immoral actions to result in higher positive and lower self-conscious moral emotions than women do. Study 4 ( N = 424) showed that these emotional expectancies account for gender differences in immoral intentions. Study 5 ( N = 450) showed that women-but not men-experience heightened self-conscious moral emotions and regret when recalling past transgressions done for personal gain.

Stress of home life and gender role socializations, family cohesion, and symptoms of anxiety and depression.

PubMed

Anyan, Frederick; Hjemdal, Odin

2017-04-05

This cross-sectional study investigated the relation of sociocultural prescriptions of gender role socializations to differences in stress at home and to anxiety and depressive symptoms for adolescent girls and boys, with family cohesion as a mediator. A total of 244 boys and 285 girls aged 13-17 years recruited from Accra, Ghana completed the Short Mood Feeling Questionnaire, Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory, Stress of Home Life and Family Cohesion self-report scales in April 2015. In each sample, two mediation analyses were conducted using Structural Equation Modelling. Exposure to stress at home that was perceived to result from sociocultural prescriptions of gender role norms largely accounted for anxiety and depressive symptoms among girls, whereas this relation was non-significant among boys. Significant indirect relations through low family cohesion to anxiety symptoms were observed for girls and boys but not to depressive symptoms for boys. These findings suggest that differences in gender role socializations at home may account for individual differences in associations between exposure to stress at home and anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as explain the differential indirect relations through low family cohesion. Improving family cohesion while reducing stress at home may contribute to reducing stress and thus anxiety and depressive symptoms.

The political economy of urban homicide: assessing the relative impact of gender inequality on sex-specific victimization.

PubMed

DeWees, Mari A; Parker, Karen F

2003-02-01

This research examines the ways in which the changing political economy of urban areas has contributed differently to the homicide victimization rates of females and males across US cities. Recent research, while relatively limited, has presented disparate results regarding the effect of gender inequality on urban sex-specific victimization. Our work further explores this relationship by taking into account relative gender disparities in income, education, labor market opportunities, and politics in an examination of sex-specific homicide victimization in 1990. Key to this current investigation is the evaluation of feminist and lifestyle arguments that suggest that structural gender inequality has a unique effect on female victimization. Overall, our findings reveal gender inequality to be a significant predictor of both male and female urban homicide. While these findings suggest mixed support for theoretical arguments regarding gender inequality, further analyses reveal significant differences in specific types of gender inequality on victimization patterns across genders. These additional results highlight the need for greater attention toward both methodological and theoretical issues when examining the interconnections between gender, political economy, and violence in research.

Childhood Gender Nonconformity, Bullying Victimization, and Depressive Symptoms Across Adolescence and Early Adulthood: An 11-Year Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Roberts, Andrea L.; Rosario, Margaret; Slopen, Natalie; Calzo, Jerel P.; Austin, S. Bryn

2012-01-01

Objective Childhood gender nonconformity has been associated with increased risk of caregiver abuse and bullying victimization outside the home, but it is unknown whether as a consequence children who are nonconforming are at higher risk of depressive symptoms. Method Using data from a large national cohort (N = 10,655), we examined differences in depressive symptoms from ages 12 through 30 years by gender nonconformity before age 11 years. We examined the prevalence of bullying victimization by gender nonconformity, then ascertained whether increased exposure to abuse and bullying accounted for possible increased risk of depressive symptoms. We further compared results stratified by sexual orientation. Results Participants in the top decile of childhood gender nonconformity were at elevated risk of depressive symptoms at ages 12 through 30 years (for females, 0.19 standard deviations more depressive symptoms than conforming females; for males, 0.34 standard deviations more symptoms than conforming males). By ages 23 to 30 years, 26% of participants in the top decile of childhood nonconformity had probable mild or moderate depression versus 18% of participants who were conforming (p < .001). Abuse and bullying victimization accounted for approximately half the increased prevalence of depressive symptoms in youth who were nonconforming versus conforming. Gender-nonconforming heterosexuals and males were at particularly elevated risk for depressive symptoms. Conclusion Gender nonconformity was a strong predictor of depressive symptoms beginning in adolescence, particularly among males and heterosexuals. Physical and emotional bullying and abuse, both inside and outside the home, accounted for much of this increased risk. PMID:23357441

The contribution of gender-role orientation, work factors and home stressors to psychological well-being and sickness absence in male- and female-dominated occupational groups.

PubMed

Evans, Olga; Steptoe, Andrew

2002-02-01

The associations of work stress, types of work and gender-role orientation with psychological well-being and sickness absence were investigated in a questionnaire survey of 588 male and female nurses and 387 male and female accountants. We hypothesised that health might be impaired among women working in the male-dominated occupation (accountancy), and men in the female-dominated occupation (nursing), but that effects might be moderated by job strain (perceptions of high demand and low control), work and home hassles, and traditional male (instrumentality) and female (expressivity) psychological characteristics. Responses were analysed from 172 female and 61 male nurses, and from 53 female and 81 male commercial accountants. Female accountants were more likely than other groups to have high anxiety scores on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scales, while male nurses had the highest rates of sickness absence. Male nurses and female accountants also reported more work-related hassles than did female nurses and male accountants. Men and women in the same occupation did not differ in job strain or job social support, but nurses reported greater job strain than accountants, due to higher ratings of demands and lower skill utilisation. After adjusting for age, sex, occupation, paid work hours and a measure of social desirability bias, risk of elevated anxiety was independently associated with higher job strain, lower job social support, more work hassles, more domestic responsibility, lower instrumentality and higher expressivity. The association between sex and anxiety was no longer significant after instrumentality had been entered into the regression model. Sickness absence of more than three days over the past 12 months was independently associated with higher job strain, more work hassles, lower instrumentality and higher expressivity. The results suggest that when men and women occupy jobs in which they are in the cultural and numerical minority, there may be adverse health effects that are gender-specific. Psychological traits related to socially constructed gender roles may also be relevant, and mediate in part the differences in psychological well-being between men and women.

Individual differences in melancholy gender among women: does ambivalence matter?

PubMed

Jay, Meg

2007-01-01

This research offers an empirical investigation inspired by Butler's theory of melancholy gender (1995) and a revision of this theory (Jay 2007a). Psychoanalytic feminist theory is drawn on to suggest that melancholy and gender are more likely to be associated in female development than in male development, and Freud's theory of melancholy (1917) is taken to suggest that ambivalence predicts individual differences in melancholy gender among women. In a longitudinal study of women's adult development, an examination of femininity, depressive symptoms, and ambivalence in attachment was conducted in order to evaluate these claims. Findings show that depressive symptoms and femininity are significantly correlated within the sample, but that individual differences in melancholy gender exist. To understand these differences, an analysis was conducted to determine whether ambivalence in attachment accounts for the relation between depressive symptoms and femininity; complementary analyses examined whether low ambivalence in attachment attenuates, or lessens, the relation between femininity and depressive symptoms. Results from these analyses support the notion that it is not the loss and internalization of the same-sex object choice per se that results in melancholy gender in women, as Butler argues; rather, it is the internalization of a lost, ambivalent same-sex attachment that forges the link between melancholy and gender. Narrative material is presented to personify melancholy and unmelancholy gender.

Social work and gender: An argument for practical accounts

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

This article contributes to the debate on gender and social work by examining dominant approaches within the field. Anti-discriminatory, woman-centered and intersectional accounts are critiqued for reliance upon both reification and isolation of gender. Via examination of poststructural, queer and trans theories within social work, the author then presents accounts based upon structural/materialist, ethnomethodological and discursive theories, in order to open up debates about conceptualization of gender. These are used to suggest that social work should adopt a focus on gender as a practical accomplishment that occurs within various settings or contexts. PMID:26273228

An Elaborated Model of Student Support to Allow for Gender Considerations in Asian Distance Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jung, Insung; Seongyoun, Hong

2014-01-01

Research indicates that distance education (DE) students regard learner support systems as the key element in quality provision. This study sought to identify the key concerns of Asian DE students regarding support provision in different types of DE and dual-mode providers and formulate a student support model which took account of gender issues.…

"It's Not All about Grades": Accounting for Gendered Degree Results in Geography at Brunel University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Fiona

2004-01-01

This paper explores the results of an 18-month study at Brunel University that aimed to explain the significant gendered differences in academic performance amongst geography students. Male students are doing considerably less well than their female peers, being awarded far fewer first class and upper second class degrees, a phenomenon that cannot…

The Roles of Stress and Coping in Explaining Gender Differences in Risk for Psychopathology among African American Urban Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlson, Ginger Apling; Grant, Kathryn E.

2008-01-01

This study used self-report symptom inventories administered in school classrooms to examine relations among gender, psychological symptoms, stress, and coping in 1,200 low-income African American urban early adolescents. Girls reported more symptoms than boys, accounted for by higher internalizing symptoms. Boys reported more stress than girls,…

Gender Grouping and Its Initial Effect on a Title I Upper Elementary School during the Pilot Year of Implementation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Pamela Reed

2013-01-01

Studies have documented challenges in meeting No Child Left Behind (NCLB) expectations as well as gender differences that contribute to the achievement gaps between boys and girls. In response to increased NCLB accountability and achievement gaps between boys and girls, several experts have promoted single-sex education as a possible strategy to…

Evolutionary psychology is compatible with equity feminism, but not with gender feminism: a reply to Eagly and Wood (2011).

PubMed

Kuhle, Barry X

2012-01-11

I comment on Eagly and Wood's biosocial constructionist evolutionary theory (2011; DOI: 10.1007/s11199-011-9949-9). Although this gender feminist theory allows for evolved physical differences between men and women and evolved psychological similarities for men and women, it fails to consider evolutionary accounts of psychological sex differences. I hypothesize that gender feminists' reluctance to acknowledge that evolution has left different fingerprints on men's and women's bodies and brains stems from two common misunderstandings of evolutionary psychology: the myth of immutability and the naturalistic fallacy. I conclude that although evolutionary psychology is eminently compatible with equity feminism, evolutionary psychology and feminist psychology will conflict as long as the latter adheres to gender feminism and its unwillingness to acknowledge the evidence for evolved psychological sex differences.  Gender feminism's dualistic view of evolution hinders the search for and understanding of the proximate and ultimate causes of inequality. Feminist psychology needs to evolve by embracing equity feminism, which has no a priori stance on the origin or existence of differences between the sexes.

The end of the gender revolution? Gender role attitudes from 1977 to 2008.

PubMed

Cotter, David; Hermsen, Joan M; Vanneman, Reeve

2011-07-01

After becoming consistently more egalitarian for more than two decades, gender role attitudes in the General Social Survey have changed little since the mid-1990s. This plateau mirrors other gender trends, suggesting a fundamental alteration in the momentum toward gender equality. While cohort replacement can explain about half of the increasing egalitarianism between 1974 and 1994, the changes since the mid-1990s are not well accounted for by cohort differences. Nor is the post-1994 stagnation explained by structural or broad ideological changes in American society. The recent lack of change in gender attitudes is more likely the consequence of the rise of a new cultural frame, an "egalitarian essentialism" that blends aspects of feminist equality and traditional motherhood roles.

Gender differences in narcissism: a meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Grijalva, Emily; Newman, Daniel A; Tay, Louis; Donnellan, M Brent; Harms, P D; Robins, Richard W; Yan, Taiyi

2015-03-01

Despite the widely held belief that men are more narcissistic than women, there has been no systematic review to establish the magnitude, variability across measures and settings, and stability over time of this gender difference. Drawing on the biosocial approach to social role theory, a meta-analysis performed for Study 1 found that men tended to be more narcissistic than women (d = .26; k = 355 studies; N = 470,846). This gender difference remained stable in U.S. college student cohorts over time (from 1990 to 2013) and across different age groups. Study 1 also investigated gender differences in three facets of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory (NPI) to reveal that the narcissism gender difference is driven by the Exploitative/Entitlement facet (d = .29; k = 44 studies; N = 44,108) and Leadership/Authority facet (d = .20; k = 40 studies; N = 44,739); whereas the gender difference in Grandiose/Exhibitionism (d = .04; k = 39 studies; N = 42,460) was much smaller. We further investigated a less-studied form of narcissism called vulnerable narcissism-which is marked by low self-esteem, neuroticism, and introversion-to find that (in contrast to the more commonly studied form of narcissism found in the DSM and the NPI) men and women did not differ on vulnerable narcissism (d = -.04; k = 42 studies; N = 46,735). Study 2 used item response theory to rule out the possibility that measurement bias accounts for observed gender differences in the three facets of the NPI (N = 19,001). Results revealed that observed gender differences were not explained by measurement bias and thus can be interpreted as true sex differences. Discussion focuses on the implications for the biosocial construction model of gender differences, for the etiology of narcissism, for clinical applications, and for the role of narcissism in helping to explain gender differences in leadership and aggressive behavior. Readers are warned against overapplying small effect sizes to perpetuate gender stereotypes. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

Measuring the Academic Self-Efficacy of First-Year Accounting Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Marann; Flood, Barbara; Griffin, Julie

2014-01-01

This study measured the levels of academic self-efficacy of first-year accounting students. It also investigated whether there were any gender differences and the extent to which efficacy levels explained variation in academic performance. Overall the analysis revealed that many students lacked the confidence to participate fully in the academic…

Gender Differences in Attitudes toward Computers and Performance in the Accounting Information Systems Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenard, Mary Jane; Wessels, Susan; Khanlarian, Cindi

2010-01-01

Using a model developed by Young (2000), this paper explores the relationship between performance in the Accounting Information Systems course, self-assessed computer skills, and attitudes toward computers. Results show that after taking the AIS course, students experience a change in perception about their use of computers. Females'…

Increased gender variance in autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

PubMed

Strang, John F; Kenworthy, Lauren; Dominska, Aleksandra; Sokoloff, Jennifer; Kenealy, Laura E; Berl, Madison; Walsh, Karin; Menvielle, Edgardo; Slesaransky-Poe, Graciela; Kim, Kyung-Eun; Luong-Tran, Caroline; Meagher, Haley; Wallace, Gregory L

2014-11-01

Evidence suggests over-representation of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and behavioral difficulties among people referred for gender issues, but rates of the wish to be the other gender (gender variance) among different neurodevelopmental disorders are unknown. This chart review study explored rates of gender variance as reported by parents on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) in children with different neurodevelopmental disorders: ASD (N = 147, 24 females and 123 males), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; N = 126, 38 females and 88 males), or a medical neurodevelopmental disorder (N = 116, 57 females and 59 males), were compared with two non-referred groups [control sample (N = 165, 61 females and 104 males) and non-referred participants in the CBCL standardization sample (N = 1,605, 754 females and 851 males)]. Significantly greater proportions of participants with ASD (5.4%) or ADHD (4.8%) had parent reported gender variance than in the combined medical group (1.7%) or non-referred comparison groups (0-0.7%). As compared to non-referred comparisons, participants with ASD were 7.59 times more likely to express gender variance; participants with ADHD were 6.64 times more likely to express gender variance. The medical neurodevelopmental disorder group did not differ from non-referred samples in likelihood to express gender variance. Gender variance was related to elevated emotional symptoms in ADHD, but not in ASD. After accounting for sex ratio differences between the neurodevelopmental disorder and non-referred comparison groups, gender variance occurred equally in females and males.

Gender-Specificity of Women's and Men's Self-Reported Attention to Sexual Stimuli.

PubMed

Huberman, Jackie S; Maracle, Amanda C; Chivers, Meredith L

2015-01-01

Men's sexual arousal is largely dependent on the actor's gender in a sexual stimulus (gender-specific), whereas for women, particularly androphilic women, arousal is less dependent on gender (gender-nonspecific). According to information-processing models of sexual response, sexual arousal requires that attention be directed toward sexual cues. We evaluated whether men's and women's self-reported attention to sexual stimuli of men or women were consistent with genital responses and self-reported arousal. We presented gynephilic men (n = 21) and women (n = 22) and androphilic men (n = 16) and women (n = 33) with audiovisual stimuli depicting men or women engaged in sexual activities. Genital responses were continuously recorded and, following each stimulus, participants reported the amount of attention paid to the video and feelings of sexual arousal. Self-reported attention was gender-specific for men and gender-nonspecific for women, and generally mirrored genital responses and self-reported arousal. Gender-specificity of genital responses significantly predicted gender-specificity of self-reported arousal; however, for men only, this effect was significantly mediated by gender-specificity of self-reported attention. Gender differences in gender-specificity of sexual arousal may be partially accounted for by differences in gender-specificity of self-reported attention, although attention may play a greater role in men's sexual arousal than women's.

The impact of cardiovascular disease prevalence on women's enrollment in landmark randomized cardiovascular trials: a systematic review.

PubMed

Tsang, Wendy; Alter, David A; Wijeysundera, Harindra C; Zhang, Tony; Ko, Dennis T

2012-01-01

Many studies have demonstrated that women are substantially underrepresented in cardiovascular trials, but few have considered that women develop cardiovascular disease at older ages than men. The extent to which observed gender enrollment inequalities persist after accounting for age-gender differences in disease prevalence is unknown. The purpose of the study was to compare observed rates of women participating in cardiovascular clinical trials with expected rates of female participation based on age- and gender-specific population disease prevalence. Publications between 1997 and 2009 in the three leading medical journals were included to calculate observed women's enrollment rates. Population-based data in Canada were used to determine the expected enrollment rates of women. Multicenter, randomized cardiovascular clinical trials that enrolled both men and women were analyzed. Two reviewers independently extracted data on women's enrollment and important clinical trial characteristics. The female enrollment rate was 30% in the included 325 trials, which ranged from 27% in trials of coronary artery disease, 27% in heart failure, 31% in arrhythmia, to 45% in primary prevention. Increased female enrollment correlated strongly with increasing age at recruitment in cardiovascular clinical trials (P < 0.001). After accounting for age- and gender-specific differences in disease prevalence, gaps in female enrollment were much lower than the expected enrollment rates estimated by 5% in coronary artery disease, 13% in heart failure, 9% in arrhythmia, and 3% in primary prevention. Only cardiovascular trials were evaluated in our study. Female underrepresentation in cardiovascular clinical trials is smaller than conventionally believed after accounting for age- and gender-specific population disease prevalence. Our findings suggest that greater representation of women in cardiovascular clinical trials can be achieved through the recruitment of older populations.

Gender differences in the perception and utilization of social support: theoretical perspectives and an empirical test.

PubMed

Flaherty, J; Richman, J

1989-01-01

The authors contend that women are the more supportive, nurturing and affectively-connected sex. They argue that these gender differences result from socialization experiences which may be modified by social and occupational roles. Theoretical perspectives and research addressing this proposition are reviewed. Empirical data on support-eliciting and support-providing behaviors in a cohort of medical students are then provided to test their thesis. The data suggest that women have developed a greater sensitivity to the needs of themselves and others, leading to a greater capacity to provide support and a greater dependence upon social support for psychological well-being. Personality and developmental factors that may account for these differences are examined. The implications of these findings for gender differences in mental health are discussed.

Gender-based differences in the cardiovascular response to standing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gotshall, Robert W.; Tsai, Pai-Feng; Frey, Mary A. B.

1991-01-01

The cardiovascular responses of men and women to the stand test were compared by measuring respective values for heart rate, blood pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance during a 5-min supine and a 5-min standing test in ten subjects of each gender. It was found that, while the male and female subjects had similar heart rate values, all other responses exhibited greater changes in men than in women. While differences in the height of the subjects did not account for differences in cardiovascular responses, no mechanism responsible for these differences could be identified.

A cue-based approach to the acquisition of grammatical gender in Russian.

PubMed

Rodina, Yulia; Westergaard, Marit

2012-11-01

This article discusses the acquisition of gender in Russian, focusing on some exceptional subclasses of nouns that display a mismatch between semantics and morphology. Experimental results from twenty-five Russian-speaking monolinguals (age 2 ; 6-4 ; 0) are presented and, within a cue-based approach to language acquisition, we argue that children rely on certain morphosyntactic micro-cues in the course of acquisition of semantic agreement. A discrepancy is observed in the acquisition of semantic agreement across the different noun classes, and this suggests that children are highly sensitive to fine distinctions in syntax and morphology and use detailed input information to make specific inferences concerning the gender of different noun classes. Furthermore, we argue that acquisition data may provide a more accurate account of how gender assignment proceeds in the mind of a speaker than has been traditionally assumed by gender assignment theories.

The association of gender, age, and intelligence with neuropsychological functioning in young typically developing children: The Generation R study.

PubMed

Mous, Sabine E; Schoemaker, Nikita K; Blanken, Laura M E; Thijssen, Sandra; van der Ende, Jan; Polderman, Tinca J C; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Hofman, Albert; Verhulst, Frank C; Tiemeier, Henning; White, Tonya

2017-01-01

Although early childhood is a period of rapid neurocognitive development, few studies have assessed neuropsychological functioning in various cognitive domains in young typically developing children. Also, results regarding its association with gender and intelligence are mixed. In 853 typically developing children aged 6 to 10 years old, the association of gender, age, and intelligence with neuropsychological functioning in the domains of attention, executive functioning, language, memory, sensorimotor functioning, and visuospatial processing was explored. Clear positive associations with age were observed. In addition, gender differences were found and showed that girls generally outperformed boys, with the exception of visuospatial tasks. Furthermore, IQ was positively associated with neuropsychological functioning, which was strongest in visuospatial tasks. Performance in different neuropsychological domains was associated with age, gender, and intelligence in young typically developing children, and these factors should be taken into account when assessing neuropsychological functioning in clinical or research settings.

Players' perceptions of accountability factors in secondary school sports settings.

PubMed

Hastie, P A

1993-06-01

The purpose of this study was to gauge the extent to which students believed that the accountability strategies employed by their coaches had significant effects on their involvement in sports training sessions. Questionnaire data from 235 secondary school athletes were analyzed using linear structural relations to test a model of accountability hypothesized as operating in these coaching settings. The accountability strategy of active instruction was found to be a variable that significantly affected the students' valuing of their coaches as well as their task involvement. However, the rewards/consequences variable was not found to be a predictor of valuing or task involvement, suggesting that these athletes seemed more task oriented than reliant on external sanctions. The results of this study can only be generalized to team sport settings. Detailed examination needs to be made of the processes through which accountability factors operate for other contexts, including individual sports and competitive levels. Further research could also be undertaken into gender differences, especially in relation to the gender of coaches.

Science and Engineering Ph.D. Students' Career Outcomes, by Gender.

PubMed

Conti, Annamaria; Visentin, Fabiana

2015-01-01

We examine differences in the careers of men and women Ph.D.s from two major European universities. Having performed regression analysis, we find that women are more likely than men to be employed in public administration when the alternatives are either academia or industry. Between the latter two alternatives, women are more likely to be employed in academia. These gender differences persist after accounting for Ph.D.s' and their supervisors' characteristics. Gender gaps are smaller for Ph.D.s with large research outputs and for those who conducted applied research. Restricting the analysis to Ph.D.s who pursued postdoc training, women are less likely than men to be employed in highly ranked universities, even after controlling for their research outputs. Finally, we find gender differences in Ph.D.s' appointment to professorship, which are explained by the Ph.D.s' publication output and the quality of their postdoc training.

Science and Engineering Ph.D. Students’ Career Outcomes, by Gender

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We examine differences in the careers of men and women Ph.D.s from two major European universities. Having performed regression analysis, we find that women are more likely than men to be employed in public administration when the alternatives are either academia or industry. Between the latter two alternatives, women are more likely to be employed in academia. These gender differences persist after accounting for Ph.D.s’ and their supervisors’ characteristics. Gender gaps are smaller for Ph.D.s with large research outputs and for those who conducted applied research. Restricting the analysis to Ph.D.s who pursued postdoc training, women are less likely than men to be employed in highly ranked universities, even after controlling for their research outputs. Finally, we find gender differences in Ph.D.s’ appointment to professorship, which are explained by the Ph.D.s’ publication output and the quality of their postdoc training. PMID:26244797

Multiple standards of aging: gender-specific age stereotypes in different life domains.

PubMed

Kornadt, Anna E; Voss, Peggy; Rothermund, Klaus

2013-12-01

Whereas it is often stated that aging might have more negative consequences for the evaluation of women compared to men, evidence for this assumption is mixed. We took a differentiated look at age stereotypes of men and women, assuming that the life domain in which older persons are rated moderates gender differences in age stereotypes. A sample of 298 participants aged 20-92 rated 65 - year-old men and women on evaluative statements in eight different life domains. Furthermore, perceptions of gender- and domain-specific age-related changes were assessed by comparing the older targets to 45 - year-old men and women, respectively. The results speak in favor of the domain specificity of evaluative asymmetries in age stereotypes for men and women, and imply that an understanding of gendered perceptions of aging requires taking into account the complexities of domain-specific views on aging.

Gender Differences and Correlated Factors of Heroin Use Among Heroin Users.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiaobo; Yi, Zhihua; Yang, Xiaorong; Wang, Zhuo; Lyu, Xianxiang; Li, Jing

2017-01-02

Gender differences in illicit drug use are becoming increasingly recognized. However, there are few studies concerning differences between male and female heroin users in China. The study aimed to explore gender differences in terms of socio-demographic characteristics, drug-related behaviors, and treatment history among a heroin-using population in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted in four cities in December 2013. A total of 788 participants were recruited from several types of sites in each city: compulsory detoxification centers, methadone maintenance treatment clinics, and detention facilities. The data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire. Analysis of variance, chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine gender differences in socio-demographic characteristics, drug-related behaviors, and treatment history. Female heroin users were more likely to be unemployed, have more education, and use heroin with their spouse/companion (p <.05). Male heroin users were more likely to be in detention facilities and MMT clinics, and relapse when they felt hopeless (p <.05). Conclusions/Importance: Although there were some similarities between male and female heroin users, significant gender differences do exist in some aspects of socio-demographic characteristics and heroin use. The data provide evidence that interventions aimed at preventing the initiation of heroin use and reducing relapse should take gender into account.

Gendered aspects of perceived and internalized HIV-related stigma in China.

PubMed

Li, Li; Lin, Chunqing; Ji, Guoping

2017-10-01

Although studies have demonstrated that females experience more HIV-related stigma than males do, questions remain regarding the different dimensions of the stigma (i.e., perceived versus internalized) in China. The present study investigated gender differences in perceived and internalized HIV-related stigma, taking into account the potential influence of education. The study was conducted between October 2011 and March 2013. A total of 522 people living with HIV (PLH) were recruited from Anhui Province, China. The PLH participated in a survey using the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) method. The gender differences in perceived and internalized HIV-related stigma were calculated with and without stratifying by education level. Female participants had significantly less education than the male participants. No significant difference was observed between females and males with respect to perceived stigma. However, females reported significantly higher internalized stigma than males did (p < .001). When socio-demographic characteristics were controlled, the gender difference in internalized stigma remained significant among educated participants (p = .038). The findings suggested that gender differences in HIV-related stigma were primarily found for internalized stigma. Heightened intervention efforts are encouraged to reduce internalized HIV-related stigma, particularly among female PLH in China and other regions with similar gender dynamics.

Gendered aspects of perceived and internalized HIV-related stigma in China

PubMed Central

Li, Li; Lin, Chunqing; Ji, Guoping

2016-01-01

Although studies have demonstrated that females experience more HIV-related stigma than males do, questions remain regarding the different dimensions of the stigma (i.e., perceived vs. internalized stigma) in China. The present study investigated gender differences in HIV-related perceived and internalized stigma, taking into account the potential influence of education. The study was conducted between October 2011 and March 2013. A total of 522 people living with HIV (PLH) were recruited from Anhui Province, China. The PLH participated in a survey using the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) method. The gender differences in perceived and internalized HIV-related stigma were calculated with and without stratifying by education level. Female participants had significantly less education than the male participants. No significant difference was observed between females and males with respect to perceived stigma. However, females reported significantly higher internalized stigma than males did (p < .001). When socio-demographic characteristics were controlled, the gender difference in internalized stigma remained significant among educated participants (p = .038). The findings suggested that gender differences in HIV-related stigma were primarily found for internalized stigma. Heightened intervention efforts are encouraged to reduce HIV-related internalized stigma, particularly among female PLH in China and other regions with similar gender dynamics. PMID:27629916

Gender differences in body consciousness and substance use among high-risk adolescents.

PubMed

Black, David Scott; Sussman, Steve; Unger, Jennifer; Pokhrel, Pallav; Sun, Ping

2010-08-01

This study explores the association between private and public body consciousness and past 30-day cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drug use among adolescents. Self-reported data from alterative high school students in California were analyzed (N = 976) using multilevel regression models to account for student clustering within schools. Separate regression analyses were conducted for males and females. Both cross-sectional baseline data and one-year longitudinal prediction models indicated that body consciousness is associated with specific drug use categories differentially by gender. Findings suggest that body consciousness accounts for additional variance in substance use etiology not explained by previously recognized dispositional variables.

The incorporation of gender perspective into Spanish health surveys.

PubMed

Rohlfs, Izabella; Borrell, Carme; Artazcoz, Lucia; Escribà-Agüir, Vicenta

2007-12-01

Most studies into social determinants of health conducted in Spain based on data from health surveys have focused on social class inequalities. This paper aims to review the progressive incorporation of gender perspective and sex differences into health surveys in Spain, and to suggest design, data collection and analytical proposals as well as to make policy proposals. Changes introduced into health surveys in Spain since 1995 to incorporate gender perspective are examined, and proposals for the future are made, which would permit the analysis of differences in health between women and men as a result of biology or because of gender inequalities. The introduction of gender perspective in health surveys requires the incorporation of questions related to family setting and reproductive work, workplace and society in general to detect gender differences and inequalities (for example, domestic work, intimate partner violence, discrimination, contract type or working hours). Health indicators reflecting differential morbidity and taking into account the different life cycle stages must also be incorporated. Analyses ought to be disaggregated by sex and interpretation of results must consider the complex theoretical frameworks explaining the differences in health between men and women based on sex differences and those related to gender. Analysis of survey data ought to consider the impact of social, political and cultural constructs of each society. Any significant modification in procedures for collection of data relevant to the study of gender will require systematic coordination between institutions generating the data and researchers who are trained in and sensitive to the topic.

Orienting to face expression during encoding improves men's recognition of own gender faces.

PubMed

Fulton, Erika K; Bulluck, Megan; Hertzog, Christopher

2015-10-01

It is unclear why women have superior episodic memory of faces, but the benefit may be partially the result of women engaging in superior processing of facial expressions. Therefore, we hypothesized that orienting instructions to attend to facial expression at encoding would significantly improve men's memory of faces and possibly reduce gender differences. We directed 203 college students (122 women) to study 120 faces under instructions to orient to either the person's gender or their emotional expression. They later took a recognition test of these faces by either judging whether they had previously studied the same person or that person with the exact same expression; the latter test evaluated recollection of specific facial details. Orienting to facial expressions during encoding significantly improved men's recognition of own-gender faces and eliminated the advantage that women had for male faces under gender orienting instructions. Although gender differences in spontaneous strategy use when orienting to faces cannot fully account for gender differences in face recognition, orienting men to facial expression during encoding is one way to significantly improve their episodic memory for male faces. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender, households, and decision-making for wildfire safety.

PubMed

Tyler, Meagan; Fairbrother, Peter

2018-03-13

This paper considers the impact of gendered norms on decision-making for wildfire preparation and response at the household level. Focusing on Australia, it provides a theoretical thematic analysis of data acquired in 107 interviews with residents of nine different localities. It builds on existing research on gender and disaster, as well as on decision-making and wildfires, and analyses the narratives that centre on 'split' households plans (where a male partner plans to stay and a female partner plans to evacuate) and disagreements within heterosexual couples as to an appropriate wildfire safety plan. The study finds that gender inequality and differences in gendered expectations are likely to create difficult conditions for negotiation between members of a heterosexual couple when there is disagreement over a plan and that this may contribute to risky decision-making practices and outcomes. The paper reiterates, therefore, the importance of taking into account the social construction of gender in wildfire research and policy. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

Gender Inequality and Disabled Inclusivity in Accounting Higher Education and the Accounting Profession during Financial Crises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lodh, Suman; Nandy, Monomita

2017-01-01

In this article, the authors find that, during financial crises, the wage gap between female and male accounting professionals declines and gender inequality in higher education is affected. In addition, less support and lower wages for disabled accounting professionals demotivate disabled students in accounting higher education. Because of budget…

Ethnic and gender differences in ideal body size and related attitudes among Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Whites.

PubMed

Townsend, Claire; Takishima-Lacasa, Julie Y; Latner, Janet D; Grandinetti, Andrew; Keawe'aimoku Kaholokula, Joseph

2014-08-01

Often overlooked explanations for the varied obesity rates across ethno-cultural groups include differences in attitudes toward excess weight, with certain populations assumed to have larger ideal body sizes (IBS). Past studies found ethnic and gender difference in IBS across and within different groups. This study examined the effects of ethnicity and gender, and their interaction, in accounting for differences in IBS and attitudes toward those ideals. Multiple regression analyses were used to better understand the effects of ethnicity and gender in accounting for differences in perceived IBS according to ethnic-specific and Western ideals and attitudes in 1,124 people of Native Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, and White ancestry. The analyses controlled for socio-demographics, body mass index, health-related behaviors, and psychosocial variables. The results indicated that Native Hawaiians selected larger ethnic IBS, Filipinos selected smaller ethnic IBS, and Native Hawaiians selected slightly smaller Western IBS than other ethnic groups. Overall, males selected larger IBS compared to females. Interaction analyses indicated that the relationship between ethnic IBS and attitude toward that IBS varied as a function of ethnicity, such that Native Hawaiians who selected a larger ethnic IBS held less favorable attitudes toward that IBS. The discrepancy between Native Hawaiians' selection of larger ethnic IBS as ideal and their less positive attitude toward that selection warrants more investigation. However, it does suggest that Native Hawaiians, on a personal level, do not prefer larger body sizes, which contradicts their perceptions of social norms. These findings have important implications for obesity interventions among Native Hawaiians.

Ethnic and Gender Differences in Ideal Body Size and Related Attitudes among Asians, Native Hawaiians, and Whites

PubMed Central

Takishima-Lacasa, Julie Y; Latner, Janet D; Grandinetti, Andrew; Keawe‘aimoku Kaholokula, Joseph

2014-01-01

Often overlooked explanations for the varied obesity rates across ethno-cultural groups include differences in attitudes toward excess weight, with certain populations assumed to have larger ideal body sizes (IBS). Past studies found ethnic and gender difference in IBS across and within different groups. This study examined the effects of ethnicity and gender, and their interaction, in accounting for differences in IBS and attitudes toward those ideals. Multiple regression analyses were used to better understand the effects of ethnicity and gender in accounting for differences in perceived IBS according to ethnic-specific and Western ideals and attitudes in 1,124 people of Native Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese, and White ancestry. The analyses controlled for socio-demographics, body mass index, health-related behaviors, and psychosocial variables. The results indicated that Native Hawaiians selected larger ethnic IBS, Filipinos selected smaller ethnic IBS, and Native Hawaiians selected slightly smaller Western IBS than other ethnic groups. Overall, males selected larger IBS compared to females. Interaction analyses indicated that the relationship between ethnic IBS and attitude toward that IBS varied as a function of ethnicity, such that Native Hawaiians who selected a larger ethnic IBS held less favorable attitudes toward that IBS. The discrepancy between Native Hawaiians' selection of larger ethnic IBS as ideal and their less positive attitude toward that selection warrants more investigation. However, it does suggest that Native Hawaiians, on a personal level, do not prefer larger body sizes, which contradicts their perceptions of social norms. These findings have important implications for obesity interventions among Native Hawaiians. PMID:25157324

Childhood gender nonconformity, bullying victimization, and depressive symptoms across adolescence and early adulthood: an 11-year longitudinal study.

PubMed

Roberts, Andrea L; Rosario, Margaret; Slopen, Natalie; Calzo, Jerel P; Austin, S Bryn

2013-02-01

Childhood gender nonconformity has been associated with increased risk of caregiver abuse and bullying victimization outside the home, but it is unknown whether as a consequence children who are nonconforming are at higher risk of depressive symptoms. Using data from a large national cohort (N = 10,655), we examined differences in depressive symptoms from ages 12 through 30 years by gender nonconformity before age 11 years. We examined the prevalence of bullying victimization by gender nonconformity, then ascertained whether increased exposure to abuse and bullying accounted for possible increased risk of depressive symptoms. We further compared results stratified by sexual orientation. Participants in the top decile of childhood gender nonconformity were at elevated risk of depressive symptoms at ages 12 through 30 years (for females, 0.19 standard deviations more depressive symptoms than conforming females; for males, 0.34 standard deviations more symptoms than conforming males). By ages 23 to 30 years, 26% of participants in the top decile of childhood nonconformity had probable mild or moderate depression versus 18% of participants who were conforming (p<.001). Abuse and bullying victimization accounted for approximately half the increased prevalence of depressive symptoms in youth who were nonconforming versus conforming. Gender-nonconforming heterosexuals and males were at particularly elevated risk for depressive symptoms. Gender nonconformity was a strong predictor of depressive symptoms beginning in adolescence, particularly among males and heterosexuals. Physical and emotional bullying and abuse, both inside and outside the home, accounted for much of this increased risk. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in adult foot shape: implications for shoe design.

PubMed

Wunderlich, R E; Cavanagh, P R

2001-04-01

To analyze gender differences in foot shape in a large sample of young individuals. Univariate t-tests and multivariate discriminant analyses were used to assess 1) significant differences between men and women for each foot and leg dimension, standardized to foot length, 2) the reliability of classification into gender classes using the absolute and standardized variable sets, and 3) the relative importance of each variable to the discrimination between men and women. Men have longer and broader feet than women for a given stature. After normalization of the measurements by foot length, men and women were found to differ significantly in two calf, five ankle, and four foot shape variables. Classification by gender using absolute values was correct at least 93% of the time. Using the variables standardized to foot length, gender was correctly classified 85% of the time. This study demonstrates that female feet and legs are not simply scaled-down versions of male feet but rather differ in a number of shape characteristics, particularly at the arch, the lateral side of the foot, the first toe, and the ball of the foot. These differences should be taken into account in the design and manufacture of women's sport shoes.

Gender differences in joint biomechanics during walking: normative study in young adults.

PubMed

Kerrigan, D C; Todd, M K; Della Croce, U

1998-01-01

The effect of gender on specific joint biomechanics during gait has been largely unexplored. Given the perceived, subjective, and temporal differences in walking between genders, we hypothesized that quantitative analysis would reveal specific gender differences in joint biomechanics as well. Sagittal kinematic (joint motion) and kinetic (joint torque and power) data from the lower limbs during walking were collected and analyzed in 99 young adult subjects (49 females), aged 20 to 40 years, using an optoelectronic motion analysis and force platform system. Kinetic data were normalized for both height and weight. Female and male data were compared graphically and statistically to assess differences in all major peak joint kinematic and kinetic values. Females had significantly greater hip flexion and less knee extension before initial contact, greater knee flexion moment in pre-swing, and greater peak mechanical joint power absorption at the knee in pre-swing (P < 0.0019 for each parameter). Other differences were noted (P < 0.05) that were not statistically significant when accounting for multiple comparisons. These gender differences may provide new insights into walking dynamics and may be important for both clinical and research studies in motivating the development of separate biomechanical reference databases for males and females.

Incorporating a gender perspective into sexual health promotion.

PubMed

Gordon, G

1995-01-01

The roles of men and women affect sexual health and often make it difficult for either sex to adopt safer behaviors. The author explains why a gender perspective is important and writes that programs can incorporate a gender perspective in their design by taking into account the differing needs and opportunities of men and women. She considers learning about sexual health needs, sexual health services, use of the media, policy and law, changing organizations, and evaluation. Education on HIV/STDs is more likely to be effective in changing behaviors if it is incorporated into a broader program of sexual health promotion which includes contraception, gender relations, sexuality, sexual pleasure, and abuse.

Introduction: gendering socio cultural alcohol and drug research.

PubMed

Hensing, G; Spak, F

2009-01-01

The gender gap in alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm still is considerable and largely unexplained. This paper introduces four studies performed in Sweden that explore factors influencing gender differences in levels of consumption, adverse consequences and treatment. We summarize and discuss these four studies performed within the same cultural setting, which each analyse interaction with the gender. Two studies focus on the individual level addressing criminal behaviour, alcohol problems and mortality, and gender identity and alcohol problems in women taking psychiatric co-morbidity into account. Two studies focus on the institutional and cultural levels addressing the handling of alcohol-related problems in primary healthcare and the effectiveness of using cultural analysis in identifying gender concerns for women. Future studies need to focus more on these complex associations to secure that treatment settings provide both genders with fair and adequate treatment of high quality and that prevention activities will start to test measures that take gender into consideration.

Does What You Study at Age 14-16 Matter for Educational Transitions Post-16?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moulton, Vanessa; Sullivan, Alice; Henderson, Morag; Anders, Jake

2018-01-01

This paper considers whether subject choice at 14-16 influences post-16 transitions, taking into account prior academic attainment and school characteristics, and if so, whether this accounts for socioeconomic, gender, and ethnic differences in access to post-16 education. We consider post-16 progression to full-time education, A-levels, and…

Characterizing, modeling, and addressing gender disparities in introductory college physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost-Smith, Lauren Elizabeth

2011-12-01

The underrepresentation and underperformance of females in physics has been well documented and has long concerned policy-makers, educators, and the physics community. In this thesis, we focus on gender disparities in the first- and second-semester introductory, calculus-based physics courses at the University of Colorado. Success in these courses is critical for future study and careers in physics (and other sciences). Using data gathered from roughly 10,000 undergraduate students, we identify and model gender differences in the introductory physics courses in three areas: student performance, retention, and psychological factors. We observe gender differences on several measures in the introductory physics courses: females are less likely to take a high school physics course than males and have lower standardized mathematics test scores; males outscore females on both pre- and post-course conceptual physics surveys and in-class exams; and males have more expert-like attitudes and beliefs about physics than females. These background differences of males and females account for 60% to 70% of the gender gap that we observe on a post-course survey of conceptual physics understanding. In analyzing underlying psychological factors of learning, we find that female students report lower self-confidence related to succeeding in the introductory courses (self-efficacy) and are less likely to report seeing themselves as a "physics person". Students' self-efficacy beliefs are significant predictors of their performance, even when measures of physics and mathematics background are controlled, and account for an additional 10% of the gender gap. Informed by results from these studies, we implemented and tested a psychological, self-affirmation intervention aimed at enhancing female students' performance in Physics 1. Self-affirmation reduced the gender gap in performance on both in-class exams and the post-course conceptual physics survey. Further, the benefit of the self-affirmation was strongest for females who endorsed the stereotype that men do better than women in physics. The findings of this thesis suggest that there are multiple factors that contribute to the underperformance of females in physics. Establishing this model of gender differences is a first step towards increasing females' participation and performance in physics, and can be used to guide future interventions to address the disparities.

What drives social in-group biases in face recognition memory? ERP evidence from the own-gender bias

PubMed Central

Kemter, Kathleen; Schweinberger, Stefan R.; Wiese, Holger

2014-01-01

It is well established that memory is more accurate for own-relative to other-race faces (own-race bias), which has been suggested to result from larger perceptual expertise for own-race faces. Previous studies also demonstrated better memory for own-relative to other-gender faces, which is less likely to result from differences in perceptual expertise, and rather may be related to social in-group vs out-group categorization. We examined neural correlates of the own-gender bias using event-related potentials (ERP). In a recognition memory experiment, both female and male participants remembered faces of their respective own gender more accurately compared with other-gender faces. ERPs during learning yielded significant differences between the subsequent memory effects (subsequently remembered – subsequently forgotten) for own-gender compared with other-gender faces in the occipito-temporal P2 and the central N200, whereas neither later subsequent memory effects nor ERP old/new effects at test reflected a neural correlate of the own-gender bias. We conclude that the own-gender bias is mainly related to study phase processes, which is in line with sociocognitive accounts. PMID:23474824

Problematizing gender, work and health: the relationship between gender, occupational grade, working conditions and minor morbidity in full-time bank employees.

PubMed

Emslie, C; Hunt, K; Macintyre, S

1999-01-01

It is commonly asserted that while women have longer life expectancy than men, they have higher rates of morbidity, particularly for minor and psychological conditions. However, most research on gender and health has taken only limited account of the gendered distribution of social roles. Here we investigate gender differences in morbidity whilst controlling, as far as possible, for one major role, namely participation in paid employment. There is substantial segregation of the labour market by gender; men and women typically work different hours in different occupations which involve varying conditions and differing rewards and costs. Here, we examine men and women working full-time for the same employer. This paper reports on a postal survey of employees (1112 men and 1064 women) of a large British bank. It addresses three main questions: do gender differences in minor morbidity remain if we compare men and women who are employed in similar circumstances (same industry and employer)? What is the relative importance of gender, grade of employment within the organisation, perceived working conditions and orientation to gender roles for minor morbidity? Finally, are these factors related to health differentially for men and women? There were statistically significant gender differences amongst these full-time employees in recent experience of malaise symptoms, but not in physical symptoms or GHQ scores. Controlling for other factors did not reduce the gender differences in malaise scores and produced a weak, but significant, gender difference in GHQ scores. However, gender explained only a small proportion of variance, particularly in comparison with working conditions. Generally similar relationships between experience of work and occupational grade and morbidity were observed for men and women. Throughout the paper, we attempt to problematize gender, recognising that there are similarities between women and men and diversity amongst women and amongst men. However, we conclude that the gendered nature of much of adult life, including paid work, continues to shape the experiences and health of men and women at the end of the twentieth century.

Conceptual physics differences by pedagogy and gender: Questioning the deficit model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majors, Twanelle Deann Walker

The differences in physics performance between males and females have been studied extensively (Blue & Heller, 2003; Coletta, 2015; Madsen, McKagan, & Sayre 2013; McCullough, 2002, 2004, 2011; Pollock, Finkelstein, & Kost, 2007; Zohar & Sela, 2003). The purpose of this study was to look at the ways teaching methods and assessment choices have fabricated a gender gap. Deficit ways of thinking have further marginalized women by renegotiating prior acts of power that initiated and perpetuated marginalization. Outside of the deficit model, the blame for the underperformance of females has been attributed to discourses of power as well as less-than-critical ways of evaluating learning and schooling. Students in introductory algebra-based physics courses from 2008-2014 at Tennessee Technological University were self-enrolled in PHYS2010 sections that were taught using either a traditional or constructivist, interactive-engagement Learner-centered Environment for Algebra-based Physics (LEAP) pedagogy. Propensity scoring on all feasible and relevant independent variables was used to adjust for the probability of students choosing either LEAP or traditional sections. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) and Gender Force Concept Inventory (GFCI) were used as the measures to gauge students' performance on physics concepts. The results showed that there were no differences in the FCI or GFCI performance of males and females. Results also showed that when accounting for pretest performance and the likelihood of choosing a LEAP section, LEAP pedagogy accounted for roughly 30% of performance differences. Not only was this true on the average, it was true for both genders. This meant that the main effect of LEAP pedagogy was even stronger and more generalizable. Gender did not moderate pedagogy, indicating that a pedagogy gap focus was more appropriate for evaluating physics learners.

Understanding the Gender Gap in Introductory Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finkelstein, Noah; Kost, Lauren; Pollock, Steven

2008-04-01

While it has been suggested interactive engagement (IE) techniques can eliminate the gender gap (the difference in performance between men and women on measures of conceptual learning), we find that, at our institution, the gender gap persisted from pre to posttest in IE classes (Pollock, Physical Review: ST PER. 3, 010107, 2007). This talk reports on a three-part follow-up study that investigates what factors contribute to the gender gap. First, we analyze student grades in different components of the course and find that men and women's course grades are not significantly different (p>0.1), but men outscore women on exams and women outscore men on homework and participation. Second, we compare average posttest scores of men and women who score similarly on the pretest and find that there are no significant differences between men and women's average posttest scores. Finally, we analyze other factors in addition to the pretest score that could influence the posttest score and find that gender does not account for a majorportion of the variation in posttest scores when a measure of mathematics performance is included. These findings indicate that the gender gap exists in interactive physics classes, but may be due in large part to differences in preparation, background, and math skills as assessed by traditional survey instruments.

Gender, race, and meritocracy in organizational careers.

PubMed

Castilla, Emilio J

2008-05-01

This study helps to fill a significant gap in the literature on organizations and inequality by investigating the central role of merit-based reward systems in shaping gender and racial disparities in wages and promotions. The author develops and tests a set of propositions isolating processes of performance-reward bias, whereby women and minorities receive less compensation than white men with equal scores on performance evaluations. Using personnel data from a large service organization, the author empirically establishes the existence of this bias and shows that gender, race, and nationality differences continue to affect salary growth after performance ratings are taken into account, ceteris paribus. This finding demonstrates a critical challenge faced by the many contemporary employers who adopt merit-based practices and policies. Although these policies are often adopted in the hope of motivating employees and ensuring meritocracy, policies with limited transparency and accountability can actually increase ascriptive bias and reduce equity in the workplace.

Quantitative scintigraphy of sacroiliac joints: effects of age, gender, and laterality

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vyas, K.; Eklem, M.; Seto, H.

The effects of age, gender, and laterality on sacroiliac/sacral ratios obtained during quantitative joint imaging were assessed in 97 nonarthritic control subjects. For the entire group, the right sacroiliac-to-sacral mean ratio of 1.27 in 54 males was significantly higher than the right mean ratio of 1.18 in 53 females. In both genders the right joint ratio tended to be higher than the left in all age groups. The difference in mean ratio between the two joints was wider for males than for females. The age did not afect the joint ratio in either gender. It is concluded that the rangemore » of normal sacroiliac-to-sacral ratios are different for males and females and should be taken into account during a quantitative sacroiliac joint imaging examination.« less

Elevated Risk of Posttraumatic Stress in Sexual Minority Youths: Mediation by Childhood Abuse and Gender Nonconformity

PubMed Central

Rosario, Margaret; Corliss, Heather L.; Koenen, Karestan C.; Austin, S. Bryn

2012-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether lifetime risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was elevated in sexual minority versus heterosexual youths, whether childhood abuse accounted for disparities in PTSD, and whether childhood gender nonconformity explained sexual-orientation disparities in abuse and subsequent PTSD. Methods. We used data from a population-based study (n = 9369, mean age = 22.7 years) to estimate risk ratios for PTSD. We calculated the percentage of PTSD disparities by sexual orientation accounted for by childhood abuse and gender nonconformity, and the percentage of abuse disparities by sexual orientation accounted for by gender nonconformity. Results. Sexual minorities had between 1.6 and 3.9 times greater risk of probable PTSD than heterosexuals. Child abuse victimization disparities accounted for one third to one half of PTSD disparities by sexual orientation. Higher prevalence of gender nonconformity before age 11 years partly accounted for higher prevalence of abuse exposure before age 11 years and PTSD by early adulthood in sexual minorities (range = 5.2%–33.2%). Conclusions. Clinicians, teachers, and others who work with youths should consider abuse prevention and treatment measures for gender-nonconforming children and sexual minority youths. PMID:22698034

Gender Differences in Employment and Earnings in Science and Engineering in the US

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, J.W.; Smith, S.A.

2005-01-01

College-educated women are less than half as likely as men to be employed in science and engineering (S&E); and if they are, earn about 20 percent less. Using data from the 1993 National Survey of College Graduates, we estimate jointly, determinants of S&E employment and earnings in both S&E and non-S&E jobs. Taking account of gender differences…

Career Interruptions and Subsequent Earnings: A Reexamination Using Swedish Data.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albrecht, James W.; Edin, Per-Anders; Sundstrom, Marianne; Vroman, Susan B.

1999-01-01

Cross-sectional and panel estimations of Swedish data reveal that different types of career interruptions have different effects on wages, varying by gender. Therefore, human capital depreciation does not entirely account for the negative effect of career interruptions on subsequent wages. (SK)

Clinical Performance Evaluations of Third-Year Medical Students and Association With Student and Evaluator Gender.

PubMed

Riese, Alison; Rappaport, Leah; Alverson, Brian; Park, Sangshin; Rockney, Randal M

2017-06-01

Clinical performance evaluations are major components of medical school clerkship grades. But are they sufficiently objective? This study aimed to determine whether student and evaluator gender is associated with assessment of overall clinical performance. This was a retrospective analysis of 4,272 core clerkship clinical performance evaluations by 829 evaluators of 155 third-year students, within the Alpert Medical School grading database for the 2013-2014 academic year. Overall clinical performance, assessed on a three-point scale (meets expectations, above expectations, exceptional), was extracted from each evaluation, as well as evaluator gender, age, training level, department, student gender and age, and length of observation time. Hierarchical ordinal regression modeling was conducted to account for clustering of evaluations. Female students were more likely to receive a better grade than males (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.50), and female evaluators awarded lower grades than males (AOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.55-0.93), adjusting for department, observation time, and student and evaluator age. The interaction between student and evaluator gender was significant (P = .03), with female evaluators assigning higher grades to female students, while male evaluators' grading did not differ by student gender. Students who spent a short time with evaluators were also more likely to get a lower grade. A one-year examination of all third-year clerkship clinical performance evaluations at a single institution revealed that male and female evaluators rated male and female students differently, even when accounting for other measured variables.

External prognostic validations and comparisons of age- and gender-adjusted exercise capacity predictions.

PubMed

Kim, Esther S H; Ishwaran, Hemant; Blackstone, Eugene; Lauer, Michael S

2007-11-06

The purpose of this study was to externally validate the prognostic value of age- and gender-based nomograms and categorical definitions of impaired exercise capacity (EC). Exercise capacity predicts death, but its use in routine clinical practice is hampered by its close correlation with age and gender. For a median of 5 years, we followed 22,275 patients without known heart disease who underwent symptom-limited stress testing. Models for predicted or impaired EC were identified by literature search. Gender-specific multivariable proportional hazards models were constructed. Four methods were used to assess validity: Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), right-censored c-index in 100 out-of-bootstrap samples, the Nagelkerke Index R2, and calculation of calibration error in 100 bootstrap samples. There were 646 and 430 deaths in 13,098 men and 9,177 women, respectively. Of the 7 models tested in men, a model based on a Veterans Affairs cohort (predicted metabolic equivalents [METs] = 18 - [0.15 x age]) had the highest AIC and R2. In women, a model based on the St. James Take Heart Project (predicted METs = 14.7 - [0.13 x age]) performed best. Categorical definitions of fitness performed less well. Even after accounting for age and gender, there was still an important interaction with age, whereby predicted EC was a weaker predictor in older subjects (p for interaction <0.001 in men and 0.003 in women). Several methods describe EC accounting for age and gender-related differences, but their ability to predict mortality differ. Simple cutoff values fail to fully describe EC's strong predictive value.

Gender differences in public office workers' satisfaction, subjective symptoms and musculoskeletal complaints in workplace and office environments.

PubMed

Lee, Sangbok; Park, Myoung Hwan; Jeong, Byung Yong

2018-06-01

This study investigates differences between male and female public office workers' satisfaction levels, sick building syndrome (SBS) symptoms and musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) complaints in workplace and office environments. Questionnaire surveys were performed in 30 offices from 15 public institutions. Male and female workers of the same age were coupled and selected from each office, gathering a total of 120 male and 120 female subjects. The results show that differences exist between genders in noise and lighting satisfaction levels, SBS-related symptoms (eye, nose, skin) and MSD complaints of hand/wrist/finger, while there is no difference in overall satisfaction level of office environments. The study also suggests that office design for public office workers should take into account gender differences in preventing MSDs and also SBS. The findings of this study are expected to serve as basic data for designing effective public office environments.

Achievement and Behaviour in Undergraduate Mathematics: Personality Is a Better Predictor than Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alcock, Lara; Attridge, Nina; Kenny, Steven; Inglis, Matthew

2014-01-01

We investigated two factors that predict students' achievement and behaviour in undergraduate mathematics: gender and personality. We found that gender predicted students' achievement and behaviour when considered in isolation, but ceased to be predictive when personality profiles were taken into account. Furthermore, personality accounted for…

Gender-Specific Jealousy and Infidelity Norms as Sources of Sexual Health Risk and Violence Among Young Coupled Nicaraguans.

PubMed

Boyce, Sabrina; Zeledón, Perla; Tellez, Ever; Barrington, Clare

2016-04-01

Gender inequity negatively affects health in Central America. In 2011, we conducted 60 semistructured interviews and 12 photovoice focus groups with young coupled men and women in León, Nicaragua, to explore the ways in which social norms around marriage and gender affect sexual health and gender-based violence. Participants' depictions of their experiences revealed gendered norms around infidelity that provided a narrative to justify male expressions of jealousy, which included limiting partner autonomy, sexual coercion, and physical violence against women, and resulted in increased women's risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. By understanding and taking account of these different narratives and normalized beliefs in developing health- and gender-based violence interventions, such programs might be more effective in promoting gender-equitable attitudes and behaviors among young men and women in Nicaragua.

Gender-Specific Jealousy and Infidelity Norms as Sources of Sexual Health Risk and Violence Among Young Coupled Nicaraguans

PubMed Central

Zeledón, Perla; Tellez, Ever; Barrington, Clare

2016-01-01

Gender inequity negatively affects health in Central America. In 2011, we conducted 60 semistructured interviews and 12 photovoice focus groups with young coupled men and women in León, Nicaragua, to explore the ways in which social norms around marriage and gender affect sexual health and gender-based violence. Participants’ depictions of their experiences revealed gendered norms around infidelity that provided a narrative to justify male expressions of jealousy, which included limiting partner autonomy, sexual coercion, and physical violence against women, and resulted in increased women’s risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV. By understanding and taking account of these different narratives and normalized beliefs in developing health- and gender-based violence interventions, such programs might be more effective in promoting gender-equitable attitudes and behaviors among young men and women in Nicaragua. PMID:26890184

How can individual differences in autobiographical memory distributions of older adults be explained?

PubMed

Wolf, Tabea; Zimprich, Daniel

2016-10-01

The reminiscence bump phenomenon has frequently been reported for the recall of autobiographical memories. The present study complements previous research by examining individual differences in the distribution of word-cued autobiographical memories. More importantly, we introduce predictor variables that might account for individual differences in the mean (location) and the standard deviation (scale) of individual memory distributions. All variables were derived from different theoretical accounts for the reminiscence bump phenomenon. We used a mixed location-scale logitnormal model, to analyse the 4602 autobiographical memories reported by 118 older participants. Results show reliable individual differences in the location and the scale. After controlling for age and gender, individual proportions of first-time experiences and individual proportions of positive memories, as well as the ratings on Openness to new Experiences and Self-Concept Clarity accounted for 29% of individual differences in location and 42% of individual differences in scale of autobiographical memory distributions. Results dovetail with a life-story account for the reminiscence bump which integrates central components of previous accounts.

Gender inequality in New Zealand life expectancy: decomposition by age and cause.

PubMed

Sandiford, Peter

2009-12-11

AIM To quantify gender inequality in life expectancy at birth (LEB) in New Zealand and the contribution to it made by different age groups and causes of death. To examine the response of the health sector.METHOD Determination of the trend in sex differences in LEB. Multiple decrement decomposition of LEB differences into components ages and causes. Review of the gender equity policies and priorities of New Zealand's main health sector stakeholders.RESULTS A difference between the sexes in LEB of 4.7 years for Māori and 4.0 years for non-Māori, reverses the historically lower gender disparity among the Māori. Over half of the sex difference in LEB is accounted for by heart disease and all types of cancer and almost a quarter by accidents and suicide but male survival disadvantage is evident in many other causes of death. The health sector is beginning to acknowledge the survival disadvantage of men as inequitable, and reducing disparity as a legitimate goal for health policy.CONCLUSION Although gender inequality in LEB is declining among the non-Māori it remains high among the Māori. Smoking habits may explain some of the difference in LEB but policies must also address the causes of sex differences in accidental death and suicide.

Gender differences in multiple underlying dimensions of health-related quality of life are associated with sociodemographic and socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Cherepanov, Dasha; Palta, Mari; Fryback, Dennis G; Robert, Stephanie A; Hays, Ron D; Kaplan, Robert M

2011-11-01

The purpose of the study was to examine whether gender differences in summary health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are due to differences in specific dimensions of health, and whether they are explained by sociodemographic and socioeconomic (SES) variation. The National Health Measurement Study collected cross-sectional data on a national sample of 3648 black and white noninstitutionalized adults ages 35 to 89 years. Data included the Short Form 36-Item survey, which yielded separate Mental and Physical Component Summary scores (MCS and PCS, respectively), and five HRQoL indexes: Short Form 6 dimension, EuroQol 5 dimension, the Health Utilities Indexes Mark 2 and 3, and the Quality of Well-Being Scale Self-Administered form. Structural equation models were used to explore gender differences in physical, psychosocial, and pain latent dimensions of the 5 indexes, adjusting for sociodemographic and SES indicators. Observed MCS and PCS scores were examined in regression models to judge robustness of latent results. Men had better estimated physical and psychosocial health and less pain than women with similar trends on the MCS and PCS scores. Adjustments for marital status or income reduced gender differences more than did other indicators. Adjusting results for partial factorial invariance of HRQoL attributes supported the presence of gender differentials, but also indicated that these differences are impacted by dimensions being related to some HRQoL attributes differently by gender. Men have better estimated health on 3 latent dimensions of HRQoL-physical, psychosocial, and pain-comparable to gender differences on the observed MCS and PCS scores. Gender differences are partly explained by sociodemographic and SES factors, highlighting the role of socioeconomic inequalities in perpetuating gender differences in health outcomes across multiple domains. These results also emphasize the importance of accounting for measurement invariance for meaningful comparison of group differences in estimated means of self-reported measures of health.

Physical Activity Disparities in Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Youth Ages 12-22 Years Old: Roles of Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Athletic Self-Esteem

PubMed Central

Calzo, Jerel P.; Roberts, Andrea L.; Corliss, Heather L.; Blood, Emily A.; Kroshus, Emily; Austin, S. Bryn

2014-01-01

Background Physical activity is an important health determinant. Little is known about sexual orientation differences in physical activity and their psychosocial determinants. Purpose To examine adolescent and young adult hours/week of moderate/vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and team sports participation by sexual orientation and investigate contributions of gender nonconformity and low athletic self-esteem to possible sexual orientation differences. Methods Analysis of data from 5,272 males and 7,507 females from 1999-2005 waves of the US Growing Up Today Study (ages 12-22 years). Results Sexual minorities (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, mostly heterosexual) reported 1.21-2.62 hours/week less MVPA (p's<0.01) and were 46%-76% less likely to participate in team sports than same-gender heterosexuals. Gender nonconformity and athletic self-esteem accounted for 46%-100% of sexual orientation MVPA differences. Conclusions Physical activity contexts should be modified to welcome sexual minority males and females. Targeting intolerance of gender nonconformity and fostering athletic self-esteem may mitigate sexual orientation MVPA disparities. PMID:24347406

A cross-culture, cross-gender comparison of perspective taking mechanisms.

PubMed

Kessler, Klaus; Cao, Liyu; O'Shea, Kieran J; Wang, Hongfang

2014-06-22

Being able to judge another person's visuo-spatial perspective is an essential social skill, hence we investigated the generalizability of the involved mechanisms across cultures and genders. Developmental, cross-species, and our own previous research suggest that two different forms of perspective taking can be distinguished, which are subserved by two distinct mechanisms. The simpler form relies on inferring another's line-of-sight, whereas the more complex form depends on embodied transformation into the other's orientation in form of a simulated body rotation. Our current results suggest that, in principle, the same basic mechanisms are employed by males and females in both, East-Asian (EA; Chinese) and Western culture. However, we also confirmed the hypothesis that Westerners show an egocentric bias, whereas EAs reveal an other-oriented bias. Furthermore, Westerners were slower overall than EAs and showed stronger gender differences in speed and depth of embodied processing. Our findings substantiate differences and communalities in social cognition mechanisms across genders and two cultures and suggest that cultural evolution or transmission should take gender as a modulating variable into account.

Gender differences in addiction severity.

PubMed

Díaz-Mesa, Eva M; García-Portilla, Paz; Fernández-Artamendi, Sergio; Sáiz, Pilar A; Bobes Bascarán, Teresa; Casares, María José; Fonseca, Eduardo; Al-Halabí, Susana; Bobes, Julio

2016-06-14

Gender has been associated with substance use disorders (SUD). However, there are few studies that have evaluated gender differences in a global and a standardized way, and with a large sample of patients with SUD. Our goal is to analyze the role of gender in addiction severity throughout multiple life domains, using the Addiction Severity Index-6 (ASI-6). A naturalistic, multicenter and prospective study was conducted. A total of 221 patients with SUD (80.1% men) were interviewed with the ASI-6. Our results indicate that the Recent Summary Scores (RSSs) of men and women are similar, with the exception of Psychiatric and Partner- Problems, where women showed higher severity (p = .017 and p = .013, respectively). Statistically significant gender differences were found in certain aspects of the ASI-6 domains: men have more problems of physical health, legal issues, and alcohol and other substance use; and woman score higher in problems of mental health, social network, subjective evaluations of SUD consequences, and treatment needs. These results should be taken into account to improve the identification, prevention, and treatment of SUD.

Physical activity disparities in heterosexual and sexual minority youth ages 12-22 years old: roles of childhood gender nonconformity and athletic self-esteem.

PubMed

Calzo, Jerel P; Roberts, Andrea L; Corliss, Heather L; Blood, Emily A; Kroshus, Emily; Austin, S Bryn

2014-02-01

Physical activity is an important health determinant. Little is known about sexual orientation differences in physical activity and their psychosocial determinants. The aim of this study is to examine adolescent and young adult hours/week of moderate/vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and team sports participation by sexual orientation and investigate contributions of gender nonconformity and low athletic self-esteem to possible sexual orientation differences. Analysis of data from 5,272 males and 7,507 females from 1999 to 2005 waves of the US Growing Up Today Study (ages 12-22 years). Sexual minorities (i.e., lesbian, gay, bisexual, mostly heterosexual) reported 1.21-2.62 h/week less MVPA (p < 0.01) and were 46-76 % less likely to participate in team sports than same-gender heterosexuals. Gender nonconformity and athletic self-esteem accounted for 46-100 % of sexual orientation MVPA differences. Physical activity contexts should be modified to welcome sexual minority males and females. Targeting intolerance of gender nonconformity and fostering athletic self-esteem may mitigate sexual orientation MVPA disparities.

Relationship between parenting styles and gender role identity in college students.

PubMed

Lin, Yi-Ching; Billingham, Robert E

2014-02-01

The relationship between perceived parenting styles and gender role identity was examined in college students. 230 undergraduate students (48 men, 182 women; 18-23 years old) responded to the Parental Authority Questionnaire (PAQ) and the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI). The hypothesis was that parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, and permissive for both fathers and mothers) would be significantly associated with gender role identity (undifferentiated, feminine, masculine, and androgynous) of college students, specifically whether authoritative parenting styles associated with androgyny. To account for differences in sex on gender role identity or parenting styles, sex was included as a factor. The pattern of the difference in identity groups was similar for males and females. There were significant differences in parenting styles between gender role groups. Maternal and paternal authoritativeness correlated with participants' femininity, and for both parents, the relationship was observed to be stronger in males than females; paternal authoritativeness was significantly associated with androgyny. Future research based on these results should investigate how the findings relate to children's psychological well-being and behavioral outcomes.

The effect of speakers' sex on voice onset time in Mandarin stops

PubMed Central

Li, Fangfang

2013-01-01

The goal of the present study is to examine the effect of speakers' gender on voice onset time in Mandarin speakers' stop productions. Word-initial lingual stops were elicited from 10 male and 10 female Mandarin speakers using a word-repetition task. The results revealed differentiated voice onset time (VOT) patterns between the two genders for all four lingual stops on raw VOT values. After factoring out speech rate variation, gender-related differences remained for voiced stops only with females' VOTs being shorter than males. The results, together with previous findings from other languages, suggest a sociolinguistic/stylistic account on the relation between gender and VOT that vary in a language-specific manner. PMID:23363195

Gender and climate change-induced migration: proposing a framework for analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chindarkar, Namrata

2012-06-01

This paper proposes frameworks to analyze the gender dimensions of climate change-induced migration. The experiences, needs and priorities of climate migrants will vary by gender and these differences need to be accounted for if policies are to be inclusive. Among the vulnerable groups, women are likely to be disproportionately affected due to climate change because on average women tend to be poorer, less educated, have a lower health status and have limited direct access to or ownership of natural resources. Both the process (actual movement) and the outcomes (rural-rural or rural-urban migration, out-migration mainly of men) of climate change-induced migration are also likely to be highly gendered.

Cross-national differences in the gender gap in subjective health in Europe: does country-level gender equality matter?

PubMed

Dahlin, Johanna; Härkönen, Juho

2013-12-01

Multiple studies have found that women report being in worse health despite living longer. Gender gaps vary cross-nationally, but relatively little is known about the causes of comparative differences. Existing literature is inconclusive as to whether gender gaps in health are smaller in more gender equal societies. We analyze gender gaps in self-rated health (SRH) and limiting longstanding illness (LLI) with five waves of European Social Survey data for 191,104 respondents from 28 countries. We use means, odds ratios, logistic regressions, and multilevel random slopes logistic regressions. Gender gaps in subjective health vary visibly across Europe. In many countries (especially in Eastern and Southern Europe), women report distinctly worse health, while in others (such as Estonia, Finland, and Great Britain) there are small or no differences. Logistic regressions ran separately for each country revealed that individual-level socioeconomic and demographic variables explain a majority of these gaps in some countries, but contribute little to their understanding in most countries. In yet other countries, men had worse health when these variables were controlled for. Cross-national variation in the gender gaps exists after accounting for individual-level factors. Against expectations, the remaining gaps are not systematically related to societal-level gender inequality in the multilevel analyses. Our findings stress persistent cross-national variability in gender gaps in health and call for further analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Neurodevelopment and Epigenetics

PubMed Central

Chung, Wilson C.J.; Auger, Anthony P.

2013-01-01

Summary The concept that the brain differs in make-up between males and females is not new. For example, it is well-established that anatomists in the nineteenth century found sex differences in human brain weight. The importance of sex differences in the organization of the brain cannot be overstated as they may directly affect cognitive functions, such as verbal skills and visio-spatial tasks in a sex-dependent fashion. Moreover, the incidence of neurological and psychiatric diseases is also highly dependent on sex. These clinical observations reiterate the importance that gender must be taken into account as a relevant possible contributing factor in order to understand the pathogenesis of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Gender-dependent differentiation of the brain has been detected at every levels of organization: morphological, neurochemical, and functional, and have been shown to be primarily controlled by sex differences in gonadal steroid hormone levels during perinatal development. In this review, we discuss how the gonadal steroid hormone testosterone and its metabolites, affect downstream signaling cascades, including gonadal steroid receptor activation, and epigenetic events in order to differentiate the brain in a gender-dependent fashion. PMID:23503727

Gender, Resources Across the Life Course, and Cognitive Functioning in Egypt

PubMed Central

YOUNT, KATHRYN M.

2008-01-01

In this article, I evaluate the life-course determinants of cognitive functioning among 1,003 women and men aged 50 and older in Ismailia, Egypt. Three questions motivate this analysis: (1) Do older women have poorer cognitive functioning than do older men?; (2) Do cognitive resources accrued in childhood and adulthood have net positive associations with later-life cognitive functioning for women and men?; and (3) To what extent do differences in the amounts and effects of women’s and men’s cognitive resources account for gaps in their cognitive functioning? Compared with men, women have lower Modified-Mini Mental Status Exam (M-MMSE) scores for overall cognitive functioning. Cognitive resources in childhood and adulthood are jointly associated with the M-MMSE score. About 83% of the gender gap in mean M-MMSE scores is attributable to gaps in men’s and women’s attributes across the life course. Gender gaps in childhood cognitive resources—and especially schooling attainment—account for the largest share (18%) of the residual gender gap in cognitive functioning. PMID:19110904

Gender Power in Elite Schools: Methodological Insights from Researcher Reflexive Accounts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Joan; Weiner, Gaby

2014-01-01

The main task of this paper is to understand the methodological insights from researchers' reflexive accounts about the production of gender in the specific practices of three Scottish elite schools. Accordingly, the paper poses three questions: How is gender re/constructed through the specific practices of these elite schools? What insights into…

Gender Role Stress in Relation to Shame, Guilt, and Externalization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Efthim, Paul W.; Kenny, Maureen E.; Mahalik, James R.

2001-01-01

Explores how gender role stress variables are related to shame-proneness, guilt-proneness, and externalization. Analyses revealed three significant roots for the male sample accounting for 50% of the total variance between gender role stress and self-conscious emotions, and 1 significant root for the female sample accounting for 31% of the…

Gender difference in sickness absence from work: a multiple mediation analysis of psychosocial factors.

PubMed

Casini, Annalisa; Godin, Isabelle; Clays, Els; Kittel, France

2013-08-01

Previous research has shown that job characteristics, private life and psychosocial factors partially account for gender difference in work absences because of sickness. Most studies have analysed these factors separately. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether these explanatory factors act as mediators when they are considered simultaneously. The evaluated data set comprises the merger of two Belgian longitudinal studies, BELSTRESS III and SOMSTRESS. It includes 3821 workers (1541 men) aged 21-66 years, employed in eight organizations. A multiple mediation analysis was performed to explain the higher prevalence among women. Estimated factors were occupational grade, total number of paid working hours per week, job strain, overcommitment, home-work interference and social support at and outside work. Prospective data concerning duration and frequency of medically justified sickness absence (registered by the organizations) were used as outcomes. Overall, the mediating factors partially account for gender difference in sickness absence. The strongest mediator for both outcomes is job strain. In addition, difference in absence duration is mediated by social support at work, whereas difference in frequency is mediated by professional grade and home-work interference. Our results call attention to the necessity to elaborate actual preventive actions aiming at favouring a better positioning of women on the labour market in term of hierarchical level as well as in terms of quality of work for reducing sickness absence in this group.

The $16,819 pay gap for newly trained physicians: the unexplained trend of men earning more than women.

PubMed

Lo Sasso, Anthony T; Richards, Michael R; Chou, Chiu-Fang; Gerber, Susan E

2011-02-01

Prior research has suggested that gender differences in physicians' salaries can be accounted for by the tendency of women to enter primary care fields and work fewer hours. However, in examining starting salaries by gender of physicians leaving residency programs in New York State during 1999-2008, we found a significant gender gap that cannot be explained by specialty choice, practice setting, work hours, or other characteristics. The unexplained trend toward diverging salaries appears to be a recent development that is growing over time. In 2008, male physicians newly trained in New York State made on average $16,819 more than newly trained female physicians, compared to a $3,600 difference in 1999.

Recovery in involuntary psychiatric care: is there a gender difference?

PubMed

Schön, Ulla-Karin

2013-10-01

Research on recovery from mental illness and the influence of compulsory psychiatric institutional care has revealed the complexity of this concept. There is also limited knowledge regarding the impact of gender-role expectations in these contexts, and how such expectations may influence both the care and individuals' recovery processes. To explore women's and men's perceptions of the impact of compulsory inpatient care on recovery from severe mental illness. Grounded theory was used to analyse 30 first-person accounts of recovery from mental illness, elicited via interviews with individuals who had been compulsorily treated in hospital and diagnosed with a severe mental illness. Inpatient care at an early stage was crucial for the informants' recovery. However, there was ambivalence in their perceptions of the impact of compulsory inpatient care. The narratives confirmed gender differences as well as gender stereotypes. The results have implications for recovery research, in that they emphasise the importance of understanding recovery as a gender-influenced process.

Social status correlates of reporting gender discrimination and racial discrimination among racially diverse women.

PubMed

Ro, Annie E; Choi, Kyung-Hee

2009-01-01

The growing body of research on discrimination and health indicates a deleterious effect of discrimination on various health outcomes. However, less is known about the sociodemographic correlates of reporting racial discrimination and gender discrimination among racially diverse women. We examined the associations of social status characteristics with lifetime experiences of racial discrimination and gender discrimination using a racially-diverse sample of 754 women attending family planning clinics in North California (11.4% African American, 16.8% Latina, 10.1% Asian and 61.7% Caucasian). A multivariate analysis revealed that race, financial difficulty and marital status were significantly correlated with higher reports of racial discrimination, while race, education, financial difficulty and nativity were significantly correlated with gender discrimination scores. Our findings suggest that the social patterning of perceiving racial discrimination is somewhat different from that of gender discrimination. This has implications in the realm of discrimination research and applied interventions, as different forms of discrimination may have unique covariates that should be accounted for in research analysis or program design.

Entrepreneurship in Higher Education in Tourism, Gender Issue? (El emprendimiento en la Educación Superior en la Titulación de Turismo, ¿cuestión de género?)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muñoz-Fernández, Guzmán A.; Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, Pablo; Santos-Roldán, Luna

2016-01-01

Introduction: This paper analyses those interpersonal skills which determine the entrepreneurial profile among students in Tourism Higher Education. We aim to verify if there are significant differences by gender diagnosis and to take this into account for future academic curriculums. Method: A survey was conducted with the students of Tourism at…

Examining Students' Feelings and Perceptions of Accounting Profession in a Developing Country: The Role of Gender and Student Category

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbawuni, Joseph

2015-01-01

This paper examines the preconceived notions accounting students in Ghana have about the accounting profession and whether these perceptions are influenced by gender and student category (graduates and undergraduates). This study was a cross-sectional survey of 516 undergraduate and 78 graduate accounting students from a public university in…

Gender differences in physical disability among older adults in underprivileged communities in Lebanon.

PubMed

Zeki Al Hazzouri, Adina; Mehio Sibai, Abla; Chaaya, Monique; Mahfoud, Ziyad; Yount, Kathryn M

2011-03-01

To examine the role of health conditions, socioeconomic, and socioenvironmental factors in explaining gender differences in physical disability among older adults. We compared 412 women and 328 men residing in underprivileged communities in Lebanon on their activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), and physical tasks (PT). Binary logistic regression analyses adjusting for possible explanatory covariates were conducted sequentially. Women showed higher prevalence rates of ADL, IADL, and PT compared to men. Gender disparities in ADL disability were explained by chronic-disease risk factors and health conditions (OR = 1.46; 95% CI = 0.94-2.25). The odds of disability in IADL and PT remained significantly higher for women compared to men after accounting for all available covariates. These results suggest underlying differences in functional status between women and men, yet, may have been influenced by the sensitivity of the measures to the social context and gendered environment surrounding daily activities.

Gender differences in the mental health of single parents: New Zealand evidence from a household panel survey.

PubMed

Collings, Sunny; Jenkin, Gabrielle; Carter, Kristie; Signal, Louise

2014-05-01

In many countries single parents report poorer mental health than partnered parents. This study investigates whether there are gender differences in the mental health of single parents in New Zealand (and whether any gender difference varies with that among partnered parents), and examines key social and demographic mediators that may account for this difference. We used data on 905 single parents and 4,860 partnered parents from a New Zealand household panel survey that included the Kessler-10 measure of psychological distress. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate both interactions of gender and parental status, and confounding or mediation by other covariates. High/very high levels of psychological distress were reported by 15.7 % of single mothers and 9.1 % of single fathers, and 6.1 % of partnered mothers and 4.1 % of partnered fathers. In an Ordinary Least Squares regression of continuous K10 scores on gender, parental status and the interaction of both (plus adjustment for ethnicity, number of children and age), female single parents had a 1.46 higher K10 score than male single parents (95 % CI 0.48-2.44; 1.46). This difference was 0.98 (95 % CI -0.04 to 1.99) points greater than the gender difference among partnered parents. After controlling for further confounding or mediating covariates (educational level, labour force status and socioeconomic deprivation) both the gender difference among single parents (0.38, -0.56 to 1.31) and the interaction of gender and parental status (0.28 greater gender difference among single parents, -0.69 to 1.65) greatly reduced in magnitude and became non-significant, mainly due to adjustment for individual socioeconomic deprivation. The poorer mental health of single parents remains an important epidemiological phenomenon. Although research has produced mixed findings of the nature of gender differences in the mental health of single parents, our research adds to the increasing evidence that it is single mothers who have worse mental health. Our findings on the potential explanations of the gender difference in sole parent mental health suggest that socioeconomic deprivation is a key contributor.

Contributions of Weight Perceptions to Weight Loss Attempts: Differences by Body Mass Index and Gender

PubMed Central

Lemon, Stephenie C.; Rosal, Milagros C.; Zapka, Jane; Borg, Amy; Andersen, Victoria

2009-01-01

Previous studies have consistently observed that women are more likely to perceive themselves as overweight compared to men. Similarly, women are more likely than men to report trying to lose weight. Less is known about the impact that self-perceived weight has on weight loss behaviors of adults and whether this association differs by gender. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among an employee sample to determine the association of self-perceived weight on evidence-based weight loss behaviors across genders, accounting for body mass index (BMI) and demographic characteristics. Women were more likely than men to consider themselves to be overweight across each BMI category, and were more likely to report attempting to lose weight. However, perceiving oneself to be overweight was a strong correlate for weight loss attempts across both genders. The effect of targeting accuracy of self-perceived weight status in weight loss interventions deserves research attention. PMID:19188102

The gender gap in peer-reviewed publications by physical therapy faculty members: a productivity puzzle.

PubMed

Kaufman, Regina R; Chevan, Julia

2011-01-01

Studies of peer-reviewed article publication by faculty in higher education show men publish more than women. Part of the difference in publishing appears to be attributable directly to gender. Gender differences in publishing productivity have not been explored in physical therapy. The purpose of this study was to explore effects of gender on peer-reviewed publication productivity in physical therapy. This was a cross-sectional study using survey methods. A survey was administered to a random sample of 881 physical therapy faculty members; 459 responses were used for analysis. Men were more likely than women to be married, have children, hold a PhD degree, be tenured or on a tenure track, and hold the position of department chair. There was a significant difference in peer-reviewed publication rates between male and female respondents. Negative binomial regression models revealed that female gender was a negative predictor of peer-reviewed publication, accounting for between 0.51 and 0.58 fewer articles per year for women than for men over the course of a career. Reasons for the gender differences are not clear. Factors such as grant funding, laboratory resources, nature of collaborative relationships, values for different elements of the teaching/research/service triad, and ability to negotiate the academic culture were not captured by our model. The gender gap in peer-reviewed publishing productivity may have implications for individuals and the profession of physical therapy and should be subject to further exploration.

Gender differences in cardiovascular disease and comorbid depression.

PubMed Central

Möller-Leimkühler, Anne Maria

2007-01-01

Although gender is increasingly perceived as a key determinant in health and illness, systematic gender studies in medicine are still lacking. For a long time, cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been seen as a “male” disease, due to men's higher absolute risk compared with women, but the relative risk in women of CVD morbidity and mortality is actually higher: Current knowledge points to important gender differences in age of onset, symptom presentation, management, and outcome, as well as traditional and psychosocial risk factors. Compared with men, CVD risk in women is increased to a greater extent by some traditional factors (eg, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity,) and socioeconomic and psychosocial factors also seem to have a higher impact on CVD in women. With respect la differences in CVD management, a gender bias in favor of men has to be taken into account, in spite of greater age and higher comorbidity in women, possibly contributing to a poorer outcome. Depression has been shown to be an independent risk factor and consequence of CVD; however, concerning gender differences, The results have been inconsistent. Current evidence suggests that depression causes a greater increase in CVD incidence in women, and that female CVD patients experience higher levels of depression than men. Gensier aspects should be more intensively considered, both in further research on gender differences in comorbid depresion, and in cardiac treatment and rehabilitation, with the goal of making secondary prevention more effective. PMID:17506227

[Gender Aspects in Gastrointestinal Tumours and Their Prognosis in Regard to Multimodal Treatment Concepts].

PubMed

Seeland, U; Heger, U; Heise, K; Ott, K

2015-06-01

Systematic analyses of gender effects in gastrointestinal malignancies are currently lacking, partly because sex and gender have not been used as stratification criteria in major studies on the topic. It is, however, indisputable that gastrointestinal tumours differ in risk factors, incidence and prognosis between the genders. This review summarises the most important findings on differences related to biological sex and sociocultural gender and discusses anatomic specifics with immediate significance for surgical interventions. Epidemiological differences in upper gastrointestinal malignancies are most prominent in regard to histological subtypes, directly affecting diagnostics, therapy, and prognosis. Women have a better prognosis in many of these tumour subtypes. For colorectal carcinoma, sex hormones, specifically oestrogens, appear to play a distinct role in tumourigenesis. Histopathological analysis of the expression of oestrogen receptor beta (ERβ) in the tumour tissue has attracted interest since it was shown that women with low ERβ expression have a better prognosis than men with comparable ERβ status. Data on the higher incidence of right-sided colon carcinoma and non-polypoid neoplasms in women could lead to improved screening programmes. Men and women cite differing reasons for avoidance of screening colonoscopies, thus gender specific approaches could improve colon cancer prevention programmes. Data on differing bioavailability of 5-fluorouracil between the genders are useful to minimise adverse effects of chemotherapy and should be accounted for in dosage. Further systematic analysis of gender effects on gastrointestinal tumours is warranted and would be a substantial step towards personalised oncological surgery. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Using the Dynamic Model of Affect (DMA) to examine leisure time as a stress coping resource: Taking into account stress severity and gender difference

PubMed Central

Qian, Xinyi Lisa; Yarnal, Careen M.; Almeida, David M.

2014-01-01

Affective complexity (AC) is a marker of psychological well-being. According to the Dynamic Model of Affect (DMA), stressful experiences reduce AC while positive events increase AC. One type of positive events is leisure, which was also identified as a coping resource. This study extended the DMA and leisure coping research by assessing gender difference in how daily stress severity and leisure time influence AC. Analyzing eight-day diary data, we found that females, compared to males, experienced greater decrease in AC with increase in stress severity but also bigger increase in AC with increase in leisure time. The finding highlights gender difference in affective reactivity to and coping with daily stress, the value of the DMA, and the importance of severity appraisal. PMID:25242824

Gender Differences in Training, Capital, and Wages.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barron, John M.; And Others

1993-01-01

Employment survey data show that, although training intensity in the first three months of employment is similar for men and women, women are employed in positions with shorter training and less capital. These differences and lower market valuation for women's work experience account for much of the wage gap. (SK)

Ethical Perceptions among Hispanic Students: Differences by Major and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landry, Raymond, Jr.; Moyes, Glen D.; Cortes, Angelica C.

2004-01-01

In this study, the authors examined ethical perceptions of Hispanic students by analyzing differences between (a) accounting and nonaccounting business majors and (b) women and men. The authors used the following five constructs: justice, relativism, egoism, utilitarianism, and deontology. Their study incorporated 12 moral characteristics into…

Survival Analysis of Faculty Retention and Promotion in the Social Sciences by Gender.

PubMed

Box-Steffensmeier, Janet M; Cunha, Raphael C; Varbanov, Roumen A; Hoh, Yee Shwen; Knisley, Margaret L; Holmes, Mary Alice

2015-01-01

Recruitment and retention of talent is central to the research performance of universities. Existing research shows that, while men are more likely than women to be promoted at the different stages of the academic career, no such difference is found when it comes to faculty retention rates. Current research on faculty retention, however, focuses on careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We extend this line of inquiry to the social sciences. We follow 2,218 tenure-track assistant professors hired since 1990 in seven social science disciplines at nineteen U.S. universities from time of hire to time of departure. We also track their time to promotion to associate and full professor. Using survival analysis, we examine gender differences in time to departure and time to promotion. Our methods account for censoring and unobserved heterogeneity, as well as effect heterogeneity across disciplines and cohorts. We find no statistically significant differences between genders in faculty retention. However, we do find that men are more likely to be granted tenure than women. When it comes to promotion to full professor, the results are less conclusive, as the effect of gender is sensitive to model specification. The results corroborate previous findings about gender patterns in faculty retention and promotion. They suggest that advances have been made when it comes to gender equality in retention and promotion, but important differences still persist.

Not only what you do, but how you do it: working with health care practitioners on gender equality.

PubMed

Fonn, Sharon

2003-01-01

The Women's Health Project, School of Public Health, Johannesburg, South Africa, has for more than the past decade been running various gender and health training courses for participants from at least 20 different countries. In this paper I interrogate the motivation behind and methods of the gender training and offer three prompts that assist facilitators in promoting participants' understanding of gender theory. (1) Does this program/action take gender into account? (2) Does this program/action challenge gender norms? (3) Does this program/action promote women's autonomy? Examples of training sessions are described to illustrate how our methods iterate with the content of the courses and, in particular, how the training links to actions practitioners may engage in to redress gender inequalities at work. I go on to argue that both structural and inter-relational aspects of health programs are important in addressing gender and health concerns and discuss the impact of such training on participants and health services.

Raters Interpret Positively and Negatively Worded Items Similarly in a Quality of Life Instrument for Children

PubMed Central

Lin, Chung-Ying; Strong, Carol; Tsai, Meng-Che; Lee, Chih-Ting

2017-01-01

Measurement invariance is an important assumption to meaningfully compare children’s quality of life (QoL) between different raters (eg, children and parents) and across genders. Moreover, QoL instruments may combine using negatively and positively worded items—a common method to reduce response bias. However, the wording effects may have different levels of impact on different raters and genders. Our aim was to investigate the measurement invariance of Kid-KINDL, a commonly used QoL instrument, across genders and raters and to consider the wording effects simultaneously. Third to sixth graders (208 boys and 235 girls) completed the self-rated Kid-KINDL, and 1 parent each of 241 children completed the parent-rated Kid-KINDL. The wording effects were accounted for by correlated traits-uncorrelated methods model. The measurement invariance was examined using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. Item loadings and item intercepts were invariant across gender and rater when we simultaneously accounted for the wording effects of Kid-KINDL. Our results suggest that Kid-KINDL could be used to compare QoL across gender and that parent-rated Kid-KINDL could be used to measure children’s QoL. Specifically, the invariant factor loadings across child-rated and parent-rated Kid-KINDL suggest that the score weights in each item were the same for both children and parents (ie, the important items identified by the children are the same items identified by the parents). The invariant item intercepts suggest that both children and parents share the same threshold for each item. Based on the results, we tentatively recommend that each score of a parent-rated Kid-KINDL can stand for each child’s QoL. PMID:28292193

Influences of gender role and anxiety on sex differences in temporal summation of pain.

PubMed

Robinson, Michael E; Wise, Emily A; Gagnon, Christine; Fillingim, Roger B; Price, Donald D

2004-03-01

Previous research has consistently shown moderate to large differences between pain reports of men and women undergoing experimental pain testing. These differences have been shown for a variety of types of stimulation. However, only recently have sex differences been demonstrated for temporal summation of second pain. This study examined sex differences in response to temporal summation of second pain elicited by thermal stimulation of the skin. The relative influences of state anxiety and gender role expectations on temporal summation were investigated. Asymptomatic undergraduates (37 women and 30 men) underwent thermal testing of the thenar surface of the hand in a temporal summation protocol. Our results replicated those of Fillingim et al indicating that women showed increased temporal summation compared to men. We extended those findings to demonstrate that temporal summation is influenced by anxiety and gender role stereotypes about pain responding. When anxiety and gender role stereotypes are taken into account, sex is no longer a significant predictor of temporal summation. These findings highlight the contribution of social learning factors in the differences between sexes' pain perception. Results of this study demonstrate that psychosocial variables influence pain mechanisms. Temporal summation was related to gender role expectations of pain and anxiety. These variables explain a significant portion of the differences between men and women's pain processing, and may be related to differences in clinical presentation.

Who does she think she is? Women, leadership and the 'B'(ias) word.

PubMed

Kubu, Cynthia S

2018-02-01

Despite the increasing number of women in professional fields, women are under-represented in leadership roles. The goal of this paper is to identify potential explanations for the gender gap in leadership. The academic literature with respect to gender roles, leadership, and organizational expectations; gender differences in leadership; and the potential role of second generation bias was reviewed. Women are as effective as male leaders in a variety of organizational settings. The role congruity theory suggests that women are placed in a double bind: maintenance of their gender role may result in a failure to meet the requirements of a leader role whereas conforming to a leader role may result in the failure to conform to their gender role. Second generation, or implicit, bias also influences women's leadership opportunities. This is further complicated by expectations that women will engage in more altruistic organizational citizenship behaviors or be penalized. Differences in ability do not account for the gender gap in leadership. Cultural factors, including gender role and leadership expectations, organizational demands, and second-generation bias impact women's ability to lead. Pragmatic recommendations to increase women's influence and representation in leadership are provided.

How gender and boat-side affect shape characteristics of force-angle profiles in single sculling: Insights from functional data analysis.

PubMed

Warmenhoven, John; Cobley, Stephen; Draper, Conny; Harrison, Andrew; Bargary, Norma; Smith, Richard

2018-05-01

To examine whether gender or side of the boat influenced shape characteristics of the force-angle profile in on-water single sculling. Cross-sectional study design. Bivariate functional principal components analysis (bfPCA) was applied to force-angle data to identify the main modes of variance in curves of forty highly skilled male and female rowers (national and international level), rowing at 32 strokes per minute in a single scull boat. Separate discriminant function analyses for each side of the boat showed strong classification of rowers for gender. Force application close to (or closely around) the perpendicular oar position was demonstrated to be different between genders. A mixed ANOVA exploring gender, boat side and their interaction revealed that bow and stroke side forces were also statistically different from each other independently of gender. A main effect, independent of side of the boat, was also present for gender and no interaction was found between gender and boat side. Bow side forces seemingly acted as a driver of power and peak force production, while stroke side forces may have acted as a mediator of propulsive forces with an additional potential role in steering due to known asymmetrical offsets in boat rigging. Results demonstrate that propulsive force differences according to gender and boat-side are evident and must be acknowledged and accounted for before force-angle graphs are explored relative to performance measures. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

[Food and nutrition studies in Mexico: a gender perspective].

PubMed

Gil-Romo, Sara Elena Pérez; Coria, Silvia Díez-Urdanivia

2007-01-01

The present paper reflects on utilization of the gender category in food and nutrition studies in Mexico. It highlights women's important role as caretakers of family health and nutrition. Briefly the authors review how women have been analysed in the different food an nutrition surveys; how gender has been effaced in the "mean per capita", and how women have been taken into account only as far as their reproductive role. This paper also outlines the importance of including the gender category and gender approach in food and nutrition studies; in order to clearly visualize the feeding inequities among men and women throughout the stages of the feeding process, i.e. decision, provision, preparation, distribution and intake. Moreover, improved understanding of women's nutrition practices and meanings that foods convey to women is advocated. In the conclusion the absolute need to articulate the gender issue in nutrition, nursing and medical academic curricula is stated.

Sex, gender, and pharmaceutical politics: From drug development to marketing.

PubMed

Fisher, Jill A; Ronald, Lorna M

2010-08-01

Biological sex differences and sociocultural gender norms affect the provision of health care products and services, but there has been little explicit analysis of the impact of sex differences and gender norms on the regulation of pharmaceutical development and marketing. This article provides an overview of the regulation of pharmaceuticals and examines the ways that regulatory agencies account for sex and gender in their review of scientific data and marketing materials. The primary focus is on the US context, but information is also included about regulatory models in Europe, Canada, and Japan for comparative purposes. Specific examples show how sex differences and gender norms influence scientific and policy decisions about pharmaceuticals. The United States and Canada were found to be the only countries that have explicit requirements to include women in clinical trials and to perform sex-based subgroup analysis on study results. The potential influence of politics on regulatory decisions may have led to an uneven application of standards, as seen through the examples of mifepristone (for abortion) and sildenafil citrate (for erectile dysfunction). Three detailed case studies illustrate the importance of considering sex and gender in pharmaceutical development and marketing: Phase I clinical trials; human papillomavirus quadrivalent vaccine; and tegaserod, a drug for irritable bowel syndrome. Sex and gender play important roles in pharmaceutical regulation, from the design of clinical trials and the approval of new drugs to advertising and postmarketing surveillance. However, regulatory agencies pay insufficient attention to both biological sex differences and sociocultural gender norms. This disregard perpetuates inequalities by ignoring drug safety problems that predominate in women and by allowing misleading drug marketing that reinforces gender stereotypes. Recommendations have been made to improve the regulation of pharmaceuticals in regard to sex and gender. Copyright © 2010 Excerpta Medica Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Stressors Related to Migration and Acculturation in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders and Turkish Migration Background.

PubMed

Müller, Matthias Johannes; Koch, Eckhardt

2017-06-01

Migration, acculturation, and psychiatric disorders may cause stress and adaptation processes differently in men and women, but empirical research is scarce. In a retrospective study n = 62 Turkish migrants and n = 62 native German inpatients with depressive or anxiety disorders, matched for age, gender, and diagnoses, were compared using a 10-item instrument for the assessment of migration- and acculturation related stressors (MIGSTR10). Gender differences in the prevalence of stressors and in the total sum of stressors were calculated and compared between migrants and indigenous patients. Results showed a higher global stress level in migrants and in women than in men with migration background. Regarding single stressors, the perceived loss of status was significantly more prevalent and more pronounced in men than in women (P < 0.05) whereas guilt feelings were more severe in women with Turkish migration background compared to men (P < 0.05). Gender differences of perceived stress should be taken into account in migration and acculturation research.

Using Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict the Physical Activity of Children: Probing Gender Differences.

PubMed

Wang, Lijuan; Wang, Lin

2015-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to use the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine the association between TPB variables and the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of children in Shanghai, China. Gender differences were also explored. The participants were 353 children (180 boys and 173 girls) aged 9 to 13 years from three primary schools in Shanghai. Accelerometers were used to measure the MVPA duration of the children. Questionnaires that focused on attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) related to MVPA engagement were completed by the participants. Regression analyses revealed that intention, and not PBC, accounted for 9% of the variance in MVPA. Meanwhile, attitude and PBC explained 33% of the variance in intentions to engage in MVPA. In terms of gender differences, TPB performed better in the physical activity (PA) domain for boys than for girls. Furthermore, attitude and PBC were significantly associated with intention among boys, whereas only PBC was significantly related to intention among girls. Practitioners should consider tailoring intervention to address gender differences to increase leisure-time PA participation of children.

An epidemiologic study on anthropometric dimensions of 7-11-year-old Iranian children: considering ethnic differences.

PubMed

Mirmohammadi, Seyyed Jalil; Hafezi, Rahmatollah; Mehrparvar, Amir Houshang; Gerdfaramarzi, Raziyeh Soltani; Mostaghaci, Mehrdad; Nodoushan, Reza Jafari; Rezaeian, Bibiseyedeh

2013-01-01

Anthropometric data can be used to identify the physical dimensions of equipment, furniture, clothing and workstations. The use of poorly designed furniture that fails to fulfil the users' anthropometric dimensions, has a negative impact on human health. In this study, we measured some anthropometric dimensions of Iranian children from different ethnicities. A total of 12,731 Iranian primary school children aged 7-11 years were included in the study and their static anthropometric dimensions were measured. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and key percentiles were calculated. All dimensions were compared among different ethnicities and different genders. This study showed significant differences in a set of 22 anthropometric dimensions with regard to gender, age and ethnicity. Turk boys and Arab girls were larger than their contemporaries in different ages. According to the results of this study, difference between genders and among different ethnicities should be taken into account by designers and manufacturers of school furniture. In this study, we measured 22 static anthropometric dimensions of 12,731 Iranian primary school children aged 7-11 years from different ethnicities. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation and key percentiles were measured for each dimension. This study showed significant differences in a set of 22 anthropometric dimensions in different genders, ages and ethnicities.

Different Things Make Different People Happy: Examining Social Capital and Subjective Well-Being by Gender and Parental Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroll, Christian

2011-01-01

This paper addresses a number of key challenges in current subjective well-being (SWB) research: A new wave of studies should take into account that different things may make different people happy, thus going beyond a unitary "happiness formula". Furthermore, empirical results need to be connected to broader theoretical narratives.…

Differences in wage rates for males and females in the health sector: a consideration of unpaid overtime to decompose the gender wage gap.

PubMed

Vecchio, Nerina; Scuffham, Paul A; Hilton, Michael F; Whiteford, Harvey A

2013-02-25

In Australia a persistent and sizable gender wage gap exists. In recent years this gap has been steadily widening. The negative impact of gender wage differentials is the disincentive to work more hours. This implies a substantial cost on the Australian health sector. This study aimed to identify the magnitude of gender wage differentials within the health sector. The investigation accounts for unpaid overtime. Given the limited availability of information, little empirical evidence exists that accounts for unpaid overtime. Information was collected from a sample of 10,066 Australian full-time employees within the health sector. Initially, ordinary least-squares regression was used to identify the gender wage gap when unpaid overtime was included and then excluded from the model. The sample was also stratified by gender and then by occupation to allow for comparisons. Later the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition method was employed to identify and quantify the contribution of individual endowments to wage differentials between males and females. The analyses of data revealed a gender wage gap that varied across occupations. The inclusion of unpaid overtime in the analysis led to a slight reduction in the wage differential. The results showed an adjusted wage gap of 16.7%. Unpaid overtime made a significant but small contribution to wage differentials. Being female remained the major contributing factor to the wage gap. Given that wage differentials provide a disincentive to work more hours, serious attempts to deal with the skilled labour shortage in the health sector need to address the gender wage gap.

Gender Imbalance in Accounting Academia: Past and Present

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Charles E.; Pate, Gwen R.; Clark, Stanley J.

2006-01-01

Studies conducted in the late 1980s and early 1990s reflected a gender imbalance in the accounting academy as the proportion of female professors fell far below the percentage of women accountants in practice. For a sample of doctoral-granting and nondoctoral-granting Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) institutions, the…

Exploring a motivation of medical staff.

PubMed

Goncharuk, Anatoliy G

2018-06-08

This paper aims to identify the true motivators (needs) of medical staff, compare them with the current labor incentives, and detect possible differences in motivators for main groups of medical staff. Observing personnel of 5 hospitals and students of the medical institute by special questionnaires, the author confirmed the hypothesis of different motivators for groups of medical staff with different ages, professions, and gender. The author used special questionnaires to collect the data. Study results confirmed the hypothesis of different motivators for groups of medical staff with different ages, professions, and gender. The author also found significant differences between the motivation of Ukrainian health workers and their colleagues from other countries. The main conclusion is that no matter how we would like to satisfy gender and age equality, all people are individual and what is good for an elderly male doctor cannot be acceptable for a young female nurse. Therefore, forming the motivation system for employees of medical institutions, it is necessary to take into account the age, gender, professions, and other characteristics of each employee. In this way, we can achieve the highest health-care performance. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Accounting for clinical action reduces estimates of gender disparities in lipid management for diabetic veterans.

PubMed

Vimalananda, Varsha G; Miller, Donald R; Hofer, Timothy P; Holleman, Robert G; Klamerus, Mandi L; Kerr, Eve A

2013-07-01

Women with diabetes have higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels than men, resulting in apparent disparities between genders on quality indicators tied to LDL thresholds. To investigate whether gender disparities persist when accounting for clinical action with statins or cardiovascular risk. Retrospective cohort study. Veterans Health Administration patients (21,780 women and 646,429 men) aged 50-75 with diabetes. Threshold measure: LDL < 100 mg/dL; clinical action measure: LDL < 100 mg/dL; or LDL ≥ 100 mg/dL and the patient was prescribed a moderate or high-dose statin at the time of the test; or LDL ≥ 100 mg/dL and the patient received other appropriate clinical action within 90 days; adherence: continuous multiple interval measure of gaps in dispensed medication (CMG). Women were much less likely to have LDL < 100 mg/dL than were men (55 % vs. 68 %). This disparity narrowed from 13 % to 6 % for passing the clinical action measure (79 % vs. 85 %). These gender differences persisted among those with ischemic heart disease (IHD). Women had a lower odds of passing the clinical action measure (odds ratio 0.68, 95 % confidence interval 0.66-0.71). Among those with IHD, the gender gap increased with age. Differences in pass rates were explained by women's higher LDL levels, but not by their slightly worse adherence (3 % higher CMG). Women and men veterans receive more similar quality of care for lipids in diabetes than previously indicated. Less reassuringly, the remaining gender differences appear to be as common in women at high cardiovascular risk as in those at low risk. Rather than focus on simply improving LDL levels in all women with diabetes, future efforts should ensure that patients with high cardiovascular risk are appropriately treated with statins when clinically indicated, feasible, and concordant with patient preferences.

Associations of economic and gender inequality with global obesity prevalence: understanding the female excess.

PubMed

Wells, Jonathan C K; Marphatia, Akanksha A; Cole, Tim J; McCoy, David

2012-08-01

Obesity is widely assumed to be associated with economic affluence; it has therefore been assumed to become more common with economic development. However, obesity has also been associated with poverty. These contrary findings highlight the need for an examination of the contribution of social and economic factors to the global distribution of obesity. Males and females may be differently exposed to social and economic inequality, however few studies have considered possible gender differences in the association between socio-economic indices and obesity prevalence. We analysed between-country associations between obesity prevalence and three social or economic indices: per capita gross domestic product (GDP), the Gini index of national wealth inequality, and the gender inequality index (GII). We considered the genders separately, the gender average, and also the gender difference (female excess) in obesity prevalence. Across 68 countries listing sample size, there were 3 obese women for every 2 obese men. Within populations, obesity prevalence in males and females was strongly correlated (r = 0.74), however, only 17% of the female excess prevalence was accounted for by the gender-average prevalence. In both genders, there was a positive association between obesity prevalence and GDP that attenuated at higher GDP levels, with this association weaker in females than males. Adjusting for GDP, both the Gini index and GII were associated with excess female obesity. These analyses highlight significant gender differences in the global distribution of obesity, and a gender difference in the association of obesity prevalence with socio-economic factors. The magnitude of female excess obesity is not constant across populations, and is greater in countries characterised by gender inequality and lower GDP. These findings indicate that improving women's status may be a key area for addressing the global obesity epidemic over the long term, with potential benefits for the women themselves and for their offspring. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Gender Pay Gap Beyond Human Capital: Heterogeneity in Noncognitive Skills and in Labor Market Tastes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grove, Wayne A.; Hussey, Andrew; Jetter, Michael

2011-01-01

Focused on human capital, economists typically explain about half of the gender earnings gap. For a national sample of MBAs, we account for 82 percent of the gap by incorporating noncognitive skills (for example, confidence and assertiveness) and preferences regarding family, career, and jobs. Those two sources of gender heterogeneity account for…

Gender affects semantic competition: the effect of gender in a non-gender-marking language.

PubMed

Fukumura, Kumiko; Hyönä, Jukka; Scholfield, Merete

2013-07-01

English speakers tend to produce fewer pronouns when a referential competitor has the same gender as the referent than otherwise. Traditionally, this gender congruence effect has been explained in terms of ambiguity avoidance (e.g., Arnold, Eisenband, Brown-Schmidt, & Trueswell, 2000; Fukumura, Van Gompel, & Pickering, 2010). However, an alternative hypothesis is that the competitor's gender congruence affects semantic competition, making the referent less accessible relative to when the competitor has a different gender (Arnold & Griffin, 2007). Experiment 1 found that even in Finnish, which is a nongendered language, the competitor's gender congruence results in fewer pronouns, supporting the semantic competition account. In Experiment 2, Finnish native speakers took part in an English version of the same experiment. The effect of gender congruence was larger in Experiment 2 than in Experiment 1, suggesting that the presence of a same-gender competitor resulted in a larger reduction in pronoun use in English than in Finnish. In contrast, other nonlinguistic similarity had similar effects in both experiments. This indicates that the effect of gender congruence in English is not entirely driven by semantic competition: Speakers also avoid gender-ambiguous pronouns. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Distant but relative: Similarities and differences in gender role beliefs among African American and Vietnamese American women.

PubMed

Abrams, Jasmine A; Javier, Sarah J; Maxwell, Morgan L; Belgrave, Faye Z; Nguyen, Boa Anh

2016-04-01

Research attempting to identify similarities or disentangle differences in ethnic minority gender role beliefs has been largely absent in the literature, and a gap remains for qualitative examinations of such phenomena. The purpose of this study is to fill this gap in the literature by providing a qualitative examination of the differences and similarities of gender role beliefs among African American and Vietnamese American women. Thematic analyses were conducted with data gathered from 8 focus groups with 44 African American women (mean age = 44 years) and 4 focus Groups 47 Vietnamese American women (mean age = 42 years). Women were diverse in generational, religious, and educational backgrounds. Two similar primary themes emerged: (a) women's roles as chief caretakers and (b) women's responsibility to fulfill multiple roles. There were also similar experiences of a need to convey strength and be self-sacrificial. Two distinct differences that emerged from the focus groups were beliefs about interpersonal interactions and perceptions of societal expectations. This study demonstrates that the conceptualization of gender role beliefs, although at times similar, diverges among culturally different groups. To account for these and other culturally nuanced differences, measures of gender role beliefs should be culturally tailored and culturally specific. However, researchers have largely excluded ethnic minority women in the development of the most widely used measures of gender role beliefs in the U.S. The inclusion of diverse women in research will help prevent pitfalls of conflating and ignoring intragroup differences among different groups of marginalized women. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Affective Computing and the Impact of Gender and Age

PubMed Central

Rukavina, Stefanie; Gruss, Sascha; Hoffmann, Holger; Tan, Jun-Wen; Walter, Steffen; Traue, Harald C.

2016-01-01

Affective computing aims at the detection of users’ mental states, in particular, emotions and dispositions during human-computer interactions. Detection can be achieved by measuring multimodal signals, namely, speech, facial expressions and/or psychobiology. Over the past years, one major approach was to identify the best features for each signal using different classification methods. Although this is of high priority, other subject-specific variables should not be neglected. In our study, we analyzed the effect of gender, age, personality and gender roles on the extracted psychobiological features (derived from skin conductance level, facial electromyography and heart rate variability) as well as the influence on the classification results. In an experimental human-computer interaction, five different affective states with picture material from the International Affective Picture System and ULM pictures were induced. A total of 127 subjects participated in the study. Among all potentially influencing variables (gender has been reported to be influential), age was the only variable that correlated significantly with psychobiological responses. In summary, the conducted classification processes resulted in 20% classification accuracy differences according to age and gender, especially when comparing the neutral condition with four other affective states. We suggest taking age and gender specifically into account for future studies in affective computing, as these may lead to an improvement of emotion recognition accuracy. PMID:26939129

Exploring racial differences in the obesity gender gap.

PubMed

Seamans, Marissa J; Robinson, Whitney R; Thorpe, Roland J; Cole, Stephen R; LaVeist, Thomas A

2015-06-01

To investigate whether the gender gap in obesity prevalence is greater among U.S. blacks than whites in a study designed to account for racial differences in socioeconomic and environmental conditions. We estimated age-adjusted, race-stratified gender gaps in obesity (% female obese - % male obese, defined as body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2)) in the National Health Interview Survey 2003 and the Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities-Southwest Baltimore 2003 study (EHDIC-SWB). EHDIC-SWB is a population-based survey of 1381 adults living in two urban, low-income, racially integrated census tracts with no race difference in income. In the National Health Interview Survey, the obesity gender gap was larger in blacks than whites as follows: 7.7 percentage points (ppts; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.4-11.9) in blacks versus -1.5 ppts (95% CI: -2.8 to -0.2) in whites. In EHDIC-SWB, the gender gap was similarly large for blacks and whites as follows: 15.3 ppts (95% CI: 8.6-22.0) in blacks versus 14.0 ppts (95% CI: 7.1-20.9) in whites. In a racially integrated, low-income urban community, gender gaps in obesity prevalence were similar for blacks and whites. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning your way in a city: experience and gender differences in configurational knowledge of one's environment.

PubMed

De Goede, Maartje; Postma, Albert

2015-01-01

Males tend to outperform females in their knowledge of relative and absolute distances in spatial layouts and environments. It is unclear yet in how far these differences are innate or develop through life. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether gender differences in configurational knowledge for a natural environment might be modulated by experience. In order to examine this possibility, distance as well as directional knowledge of the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands was assessed in male and female inhabitants who had different levels of familiarity with this city. Experience affected the ability to solve difficult distance knowledge problems, but only for females. While the quality of the spatial representation of metric distances improved with more experience, this effect was not different for males and females. In contrast directional configurational measures did show a main gender effect but no experience modulation. In general, it seems that we obtain different configurational aspects according to different experiential time schemes. Moreover, the results suggest that experience may be a modulating factor in the occurrence of gender differences in configurational knowledge, though this seems dependent on the type of measurement. It is discussed in how far proficiency in mental rotation ability and spatial working memory accounts for these differences.

Learning your way in a city: experience and gender differences in configurational knowledge of one’s environment

PubMed Central

De Goede, Maartje; Postma, Albert

2015-01-01

Males tend to outperform females in their knowledge of relative and absolute distances in spatial layouts and environments. It is unclear yet in how far these differences are innate or develop through life. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether gender differences in configurational knowledge for a natural environment might be modulated by experience. In order to examine this possibility, distance as well as directional knowledge of the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands was assessed in male and female inhabitants who had different levels of familiarity with this city. Experience affected the ability to solve difficult distance knowledge problems, but only for females. While the quality of the spatial representation of metric distances improved with more experience, this effect was not different for males and females. In contrast directional configurational measures did show a main gender effect but no experience modulation. In general, it seems that we obtain different configurational aspects according to different experiential time schemes. Moreover, the results suggest that experience may be a modulating factor in the occurrence of gender differences in configurational knowledge, though this seems dependent on the type of measurement. It is discussed in how far proficiency in mental rotation ability and spatial working memory accounts for these differences. PMID:25914663

Gender Wage Disparities among the Highly Educated.

PubMed

Black, Dan A; Haviland, Amelia; Sanders, Seth G; Taylor, Lowell J

2008-01-01

In the U.S. college-educated women earn approximately 30 percent less than their non-Hispanic white male counterparts. We conduct an empirical examination of this wage disparity for four groups of women-non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, and Asian-using the National Survey of College Graduates, a large data set that provides unusually detailed information on higher-level education. Nonparametric matching analysis indicates that among men and women who speak English at home, between 44 and 73 percent of the gender wage gaps are accounted for by such pre-market factors as highest degree and major. When we restrict attention further to women who have "high labor force attachment" (i.e., work experience that is similar to male comparables) we account for 54 to 99 percent of gender wage gaps. Our nonparametric approach differs from familiar regression-based decompositions, so for the sake of comparison we conduct parametric analyses as well. Inferences drawn from these latter decompositions can be quite misleading.

Gender Wage Disparities among the Highly Educated

PubMed Central

Black, Dan A.; Haviland, Amelia; Sanders, Seth G.; Taylor, Lowell J.

2015-01-01

In the U.S. college-educated women earn approximately 30 percent less than their non-Hispanic white male counterparts. We conduct an empirical examination of this wage disparity for four groups of women—non-Hispanic white, black, Hispanic, and Asian—using the National Survey of College Graduates, a large data set that provides unusually detailed information on higher-level education. Nonparametric matching analysis indicates that among men and women who speak English at home, between 44 and 73 percent of the gender wage gaps are accounted for by such pre-market factors as highest degree and major. When we restrict attention further to women who have “high labor force attachment” (i.e., work experience that is similar to male comparables) we account for 54 to 99 percent of gender wage gaps. Our nonparametric approach differs from familiar regression-based decompositions, so for the sake of comparison we conduct parametric analyses as well. Inferences drawn from these latter decompositions can be quite misleading. PMID:26097255

Quality of Life in Workers and Stress: Gender Differences in Exposure to Psychosocial Risks and Perceived Well-Being.

PubMed

De Sio, Simone; Cedrone, Fabrizio; Sanità, Donatella; Ricci, Pasquale; Corbosiero, Paola; Di Traglia, Mario; Greco, Emilio; Stansfeld, Stephen

2017-01-01

Quality of working life is the result of many factors inherent in the workplace environment, especially in terms of exposure to psychosocial risks. The purpose of this study is to assess the quality of life with special attention to gender differences. The HSE-IT questionnaire and the WHO-5 Well-Being Index were administered to a group of workers (74 males and 33 females). The authors also used Cronbach's alpha test to assess the internal consistency of both questionnaires and the Mann-Whitney test to evaluate the significance of gender differences in both questionnaires. The HSE-IT highlighted the existence of work-related stress in all the population with a critical perception regarding the domain "Relationships." Furthermore, gender analysis highlighted the presence of two additional domains in the female population: "Demand" ( p = 0,002) and "Support from Managers" ( p = 0,287). The WHO-5 highlighted a well-being level below the standard cut-off point with a significant gender difference ( p = 0.009) for males (18, SD = 6) as compared to females (14, SD = 6,4). Cronbach's alpha values indicated a high level of internal consistency for both of our scales. The risk assessment of quality of working life should take into due account the individual characteristics of workers, with special attention to gender.

Why Do More Boys than Girls Have a Reading Disability? A Review of the Evidence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Limbrick, Lisa; Wheldall, Kevin; Madelaine, Alison

2011-01-01

A number of explanations have been proposed in recent years to account for the observed preponderance of boys with a reading disability. The most notable explanations offered for gender differences in reading disability relate to differences in phonemic awareness, auditory processing, behaviour, neurology, variability in cognitive ability and…

The Relationship Between Parental Abuse with Parental and Marital Roles Attitude in Girls.

PubMed

Nekuei, Nafisehsadat; Zirakidana, Akram; Kazemi, Ashraf; Beigi, Nastaran Mohhamad Ali; Alijanpoor, Masoomeh

2017-01-01

Gender role attitude pertains to individuals' attitude toward proper role activities for men and women. Most of the factors relevant to family and society may affect individuals' attitudes toward their role. Meanwhile, parents' behaviors can act as an important factor in formation of different dimensions of children's personality. Accordingly, the present study was aimed to investigate the relationship between maltreatment and girls' attitudes toward parental and marital roles. This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in Isfahan University of Medical Sciences in 2013 with 190 female students as the sample. Participants were selected using the random-proportional sampling method. A demographic questionnaire, researcher-made maltreatment questionnaire, and Homami's gender role attitudes questionnaire were used as the data collection instruments. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests. Results indicated that the feminine attitude was the dominant attitude in gender roles. Findings also revealed no significant correlation between the type of gender role attitude in parental role and maltreatment. However, the correlation was meaningful in marital role of sexual and fertility affairs ( P = 0.02). Results revealed that participants had traditional female attitudes toward their gender roles in two aspects. First, taking the cultural domination on attitudes into account, that type of attitude is appreciated in which the individual feels relaxed and has an acceptable performance in the society. Furthermore, to promote certain types of attitudes, the entire socio-cultural and economic dimensions of the society must be taken into account. Family and social policy makings are regarded as starting points for different attitudes toward maltreatment.

5-HTTLPR and gender differences in affective disorders: A systematic review.

PubMed

Gressier, F; Calati, R; Serretti, A

2016-01-15

Serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) variants have been extensively studied in psychiatric disorders. Although gender effects have been reported, they have not been comprehensively reviewed. The aim of our study was to summarize literature findings on 5-HTTLPR and gender differences in affective disorders. A systematic search of PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and PsycINFO databases was performed for dates until January 2015. The included articles (n=78) analyzed the association between 5-HTTLPR and affective spectrum disorders, taking into account gender. The quality of each study was assessed through STROBE and CONSORT. 5-HTTLPR modulation of affective disorders varied by gender. The S allele (or SS genotype) seemed to be differently associated with an increased risk of depression, depressive symptoms, anxiety traits and symptoms, and symptoms of internalizing behavior among women and an increased risk of aggressiveness, conduct disorder and symptom counts of externalizing behavior among men. Moreover, the presence of stressful life events reinforced the association. Interestingly, these differences seemed to begin with adolescence and were not consistent among the elderly, suggesting a plausible role of hormonal fluctuations. The review is limited by the small number of included papers, due to the paucity of information in the literature regarding 5-HTTLPR and gender. 5-HTTLPR variants may exert a differential modulation on a number of features depending on gender. Further studies are needed to more deeply investigate the effect of 5-HTTLPR×gender on the modulation of affective disorders. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in illness behavior after cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Modica, Maddalena; Ferratini, Maurizio; Spezzaferri, Rosa; De Maria, Renata; Previtali, Emanuele; Castiglioni, Paolo

2014-01-01

Differences in the ways male and female patients confront their illness after cardiac surgery may contribute to previously observed gender differences in the outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to verify whether there are gender-related differences in illness behavior (IB) soon after cardiac surgery and before entering cardiac rehabilitation. Patients (N = 1323) completed the IB Questionnaire and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) 9 ± 5 (mean ± SD) days after cardiac surgery. The scores were tested for gender differences in score distributions (Mann-Whitney U test) and in prevalence of clinically relevant scores (the Pearson χ² test). Multivariate regression analyses were made with IB Questionnaire and HADS scores as independent variables, and gender, age, education, marital status, and type of surgery as predictors. Denial was significantly (P < .01) prevalent among the men (3.6 ± 1.4) versus women (3.2 ± 1.6), whereas disease conviction (men = 2.1 ± 1.5, women = 2.5 ± 1.6), dysphoria (men = 1.5 ± 1.5, women = 2.0 ± 1.6), anxiety (men = 6.0 ± 3.6, women = 6.9 ± 3.9), and depression (men = 5.3 ± 3.8, women = 6.5 ± 4.0) were significantly more prevalent among women. The prevalences of clinically relevant scores for disease conviction, anxiety, and depression were also significantly higher in women. Multivariate analysis showed that gender predicted these scores even after the removal of confounders. Gender differences exist in denial, disease conviction, and dysphoria, probably depending on the culturally assigned roles of men and women. As these aspects of IB may compromise treatment compliance and the quality of life, the efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation programs might be improved taking into account the different prevalences in men and women.

Marriage-Market Constraints and Mate-Selection Behavior: Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in Intermarriage

PubMed Central

Choi, Kate H.; Tienda, Marta

2016-01-01

Despite theoretical consensus that marriage markets constrain mate selection behavior, few studies directly evaluate how local marriage market conditions influence intermarriage patterns. Using data from the American Community Survey, we examine what aspects of marriage markets influence mate selection; assess whether the associations between marriage market conditions and intermarriage are uniform by gender and across pan-ethnic groups; and investigate the extent to which marriage market conditions account for group differences in intermarriage patterns. Relative group size is the most salient and consistent determinant of intermarriage patterns across pan-ethnic groups and by gender. Marriage market constraints typically explain a larger share of pan-ethnic differences in intermarriage rates than individual traits, suggesting that scarcity of co-ethnic partners is a key reason behind decisions to intermarry. When faced with market constraints, men are more willing or more successful than women in crossing racial and ethnic boundaries in marriage. PMID:28579638

Gender differences in social network characteristics and psychological well-being among Hong Kong Chinese: the role of future time perspective and adherence to Renqing.

PubMed

Yeung, D Y; Fung, H H; Lang, F R

2007-01-01

Gender differences in social network characteristics are well documented in the literature. Socio-emotional selectivity theory emphasizes the importance of future time perception on selection of social partners whereas cultural studies stress the roles of Renqing (relationship orientation) on social interactions. This study examined the effects of future time perspective and adherence to Renqing on social network characteristics, and their associations with psychological well-being of 321 Chinese men and women, aged 28-91 years. Results showed that adherence to Renqing partially accounted for gender differences in the number of relatives, even after controlling for the effects of extraversion and structural factors. Moreover, women, but not men, with lower adherence to Renqing and more limited future time perspective were found to be happier when they had fewer close friends in their social networks.

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in the Philippines.

PubMed

Alampay, Liane Peña; Jocson, Rosanne M

2011-07-29

OBJECTIVE.: This paper investigates the mean level and within-family similarities and differences in Filipino mothers' and fathers' attributions about success and failure in caregiving situations, and their progressive and authoritarian parenting attitudes. DESIGN.: Both mothers and fathers in 95 families in metropolitan Manila completed interviews. RESULTS.: Controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias, there was a significant gender difference in modernity of attitudes, with mothers exhibiting higher levels of modernity than fathers. There was a strong correlation in mothers' and fathers' authoritarian attitudes and moderate correlations in modernity of attitudes. There were neither parent gender effects nor concordance in the attributions of mothers and fathers. CONCLUSIONS.: Cultural explanations are presented to account for the findings, specifically the sociocultural values that foster traditional attitudes favoring parental authority and child obedience, and the differences in gender and family roles of Filipino mothers and fathers.

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in the Philippines

PubMed Central

Alampay, Liane Peña; Jocson, Rosanne M.

2011-01-01

SYNOPSIS Objective. This paper investigates the mean level and within-family similarities and differences in Filipino mothers’ and fathers’ attributions about success and failure in caregiving situations, and their progressive and authoritarian parenting attitudes. Design. Both mothers and fathers in 95 families in metropolitan Manila completed interviews. Results. Controlling for parents’ age, education, and possible social desirability bias, there was a significant gender difference in modernity of attitudes, with mothers exhibiting higher levels of modernity than fathers. There was a strong correlation in mothers’ and fathers’ authoritarian attitudes and moderate correlations in modernity of attitudes. There were neither parent gender effects nor concordance in the attributions of mothers and fathers. Conclusions. Cultural explanations are presented to account for the findings, specifically the sociocultural values that foster traditional attitudes favoring parental authority and child obedience, and the differences in gender and family roles of Filipino mothers and fathers. PMID:21826132

How Do Families Matter? Age and Gender Differences in Family Influences on Delinquency and Drug Use

PubMed Central

Fagan, Abigail A.; Van Horn, M. Lee; Antaramian, Susan; Hawkins, J. David

2010-01-01

Parenting practices, age, and gender all influence adolescent delinquency and drug use, but few studies have examined how these factors interact to affect offending. Using data from 18,512 students in Grades 6, 8, 10 and 12, this study found that across grades, parents treated girls and boys differently, but neither sex received preferential treatment for all practices assessed, and younger children reported more positive parenting than older students. Family factors were significantly related to delinquency and drug use for both sexes and for all grades. However, particular parenting practices showed gender and age differences in the degree to which they were related to outcomes, which indicates complexities in parent/child interactions that must be taken into account when investigating the causes of adolescent offending and when planning strategies to prevent the development of problem behaviors. PMID:21499537

Identification and the commitment shift: accounting for gender differences in relationship illusions.

PubMed

Gagné, Faby M; Lydon, John E

2003-07-01

Previous work revealed gender differences in relationship illusions. Women, and not men, perceived their dating partners more favorably than their partners' self-perceptions. In two studies, the authors replicated these findings and showed they are moderated by relationship commitment but not by relationship satisfaction. Dating men low in commitment devalued their partners' virtues, whereas those high in commitment exaggerated their partners' virtues compared to their partners' self-perceptions. In contrast, dating women showed relationship illusions irrespective of their commitment. In Study 2, similar results were obtained with relationship-specific identification. Moreover, men's commitment mediated the effect of identification with the relationship. This suggests that gender differences in relationship identities exist at a general level and that men need to identify with and then commit to a specific relationship before they exhibit pro-relationship thinking, which women exhibit as general dispositions.

Early acquisition of gender agreement in the Spanish noun phrase: starting small.

PubMed

Mariscal, Sonia

2009-01-01

Nativist and constructivist accounts differ in their characterization of children's knowledge of grammatical categories. In this paper we present research on the process of acquisition of a particular grammatical system, gender agreement in the Spanish noun phrase, in children under three years of age. The design of the longitudinal study employed presents some variations in relation to classical studies. The aim was to obtain a large corpus of NP data which would allow different types of analysis of the children's productions to be carried out. Intra-individual variability in early NP types was analyzed and measured, and an elicitation task for adjectives was used. Results show that the acquisition of NP and gender agreement is a complex process which advances as the children gradually integrate different pieces of evidence: phonological, distributional and functional. The reduction of variability as the grammatical process advances is a key feature for its explanation.

Gender, affiliation, assertion, and the interactive context of parent-child play.

PubMed

Leaper, C

2000-05-01

Ninety-eight young U.S. children (mean age = 48 months) with either European, Latin American, or multiple ethnic backgrounds were videotaped with their mothers and their fathers on separate occasions in their families' homes. Parent-child pairs played for 8 min each with a feminine-stereotyped toy set (foods and plates) and a masculine-stereotyped toy set (track and cars). Levels of affiliation (engaging vs. distancing) and assertion (direct vs. nondirect) were rated on 7-point scales every 5 s from the videotapes for both parent and child. Overall, the play activity accounted for a large proportion of the variance in parents' and children's mean affiliation and assertion ratings. Some hypothesized gender-related differences in behavior were also observed. In addition, exploratory analyses revealed some differences between the different ethnic groups. The results highlight the importance of role modeling and activity settings in the socialization and social construction of gender.

The role of gender and sexual experience in predicting adolescent condom use intentions using the theory of planned behaviour.

PubMed

Rich, Antonia; Mullan, Barbara A; Sainsbury, Kirby; Kuczmierczyk, Andrzej R

2014-08-01

To examine how the prediction of condom-related cognitions, intentions, and behaviour amongst adolescents may differ according to gender and sexual experience within a theory of planned behaviour (TPB) framework. Adolescents (N = 306) completed questionnaires about sexual experience, condom use, TPB variables, perceived risk, and safe sex knowledge. Significant differences in TPB variables, perceived risk, and knowledge were found; males and sexually experienced participants were generally less positive about condom use. Twenty percent of the variance in attitudes was accounted for by four variables; specifically, female gender, no previous sexual experience, better safe sex knowledge, and greater risk perceptions were associated with more positive attitudes. The prediction of intentions separately amongst sexually experienced (R(2) = 0.468) and inexperienced (R(2) = 0.436) participants revealed that, for the former group, attitudes and subjective norms were the most important considerations. In contrast, among the inexperienced participants, attitudes and the gender-by-perceived risk interaction term represented significant influences. The results suggest that interventions designed to improve adolescents' intentions to use condoms and rates of actual condom use should consider differences in gender and sexual experience.

Gender, multiple roles, role meaning, and mental health.

PubMed

Simon, R W

1995-06-01

This paper examines gender differences in the consequences of combining spouse, parent, and worker roles for mental health. I suggest that work and family roles have different meanings for males and females, and that differences in the meaning of these roles may be partially responsible for why the mental health advantages of holding multiple roles are fewer for women than for men. Based on qualitative analyses of follow-up, in-depth interviews with 40 employed married parents who participated in a community panel study of mental health, I find that sex differences in the perceived relationship between work and family roles may help account for sex differences in distress by contributing to male-female differences in both the extent and nature of work-parent conflicts, attributions of responsibility for marital problems, feelings of guilt, and self-evaluations as parents and spouses. By identifying gender differences in the meaning of roles among individuals who have the same multiple role configuration, and suggesting how these differences can help explain sex differences in well-being; this research may expand existing theories about the mental health consequences of multiple role involvements.

Polyvictimization and Girls' Involvement in the Juvenile Justice System: Investigating Gender-Differentiated Patterns of Risk, Recidivism, and Resilience.

PubMed

Kerig, Patricia K

2018-03-01

A recent dramatic rise in girls' arrests has increased our need to examine whether our models of youth justice system involvement need to be differentiated by gender. Polyvictimization, in particular, has been implicated as a powerful predictor of youth problem behavior. However, recent research suggests that polyvictimization is associated with youth involvement in the justice system in ways that differ for girls at the levels of the independent variables (i.e., the sources of risk), the dependent variables (i.e., youth outcomes), and the mediators of these associations (i.e., the purported mechanisms that account for these relations). The present critique describes growth points in the current research with the goal of suggesting promising directions for future investigations. In particular, gaps are noted regarding our understanding of the specific forms of polyvictimization that affect traumatized girls' development, especially given the highly disproportionate prevalence of sexual abuse among justice-involved girls. In addition, increased attention is needed to gender differences in the timing of victimization and the onset of risky behavior, as well as the nature of trauma-linked youth offenses and recidivism, which research also suggests may differ for boys and girls. Furthermore, a new body of research on psychophysiological reactivity promises to shed light on gender differences in trauma response, resilience, and risk. Finally, the importance acknowledging the intersection of polyvictimization, gender, and race is noted. The article ends with a discussion of the ways in which understanding gender differences and similarities can inform gender-responsive approaches to prevention and intervention efforts.

Stereotype threat and executive functions: which functions mediate different threat-related outcomes?

PubMed

Rydell, Robert J; Van Loo, Katie J; Boucher, Kathryn L

2014-03-01

Stereotype threat research shows that women's math performance can be reduced by activating gender-based math stereotypes. Models of stereotype threat assert that threat reduces cognitive functioning, thereby accounting for its negative effects. This work provides a more detailed understanding of the cognitive processes through which stereotype threat leads women to underperform at math and to take risks, by examining which basic executive functions (inhibition, shifting, and updating) account for these outcomes. In Experiments 1 and 2, women under threat showed reduced inhibition, reduced updating, and reduced math performance compared with women in a control condition (or men); however, only updating accounted for women's poor math performance under threat. In Experiment 3, only updating accounted for stereotype threat's effect on women's math performance, whereas only inhibition accounted for the effect of threat on risk-taking, suggesting that distinct executive functions can account for different stereotype threat-related outcomes.

Investigating the Source of the Gender Gap in Introductory Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost, Lauren E.; Pollock, Steven J.; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2007-11-01

Our previous research showed that despite the use of interactive engagement (IE) techniques at our institution, the difference in performance between men and women on a conceptual learning survey persisted from pre to posttest. This paper reports on a three-part follow-up study that investigates what factors contribute to the gender gap. First, we analyze student grades in different components of the course and find that men and women's course grades are not significantly different (p>0.1), but men outscore women on exams and women outscore men on homework and participation. Second, we compare average posttest scores of men and women who score similarly on the pretest and find that there are no significant differences between men and women's average posttest scores. Finally, we analyze other factors in addition to the pretest score that could influence the posttest score and find that gender does not account for a meaningful portion of the variation in posttest scores when a measure of mathematics performance is included. These findings indicate that the gender gap exists in interactive physics classes, but may be due in large part to differences in preparation, background, and math skills as assessed by traditional survey instruments.

Gender differences in gait kinematics in runners with iliotibial band syndrome.

PubMed

Phinyomark, A; Osis, S; Hettinga, B A; Leigh, R; Ferber, R

2015-12-01

Atypical running gait biomechanics are considered a primary factor in the etiology of iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS). However, a general consensus on the underpinning kinematic differences between runners with and without ITBS is yet to be reached. This lack of consensus may be due in part to three issues: gender differences in gait mechanics, the preselection of discrete biomechanical variables, and/or relatively small sample sizes. Therefore, this study was designed to address two purposes: (a) examining differences in gait kinematics for male and female runners experiencing ITBS at the time of testing and (b) assessing differences in gait kinematics between healthy gender- and age-matched runners as compared with their ITBS counterparts using waveform analysis. Ninety-six runners participated in this study: 48 ITBS and 48 healthy runners. The results show that female ITBS runners exhibited significantly greater hip external rotation compared with male ITBS and female healthy runners. On the contrary, male ITBS runners exhibited significantly greater ankle internal rotation compared with healthy males. These results suggest that care should be taken to account for gender when investigating the biomechanical etiology of ITBS. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Gender Lens: Development of a learning aid to introduce gender medicine.

PubMed

Weyers, Simone; Vervoorts, Anja; Dragano, Nico; Engels, Miriam

2017-01-01

Background and aim: Gender medicine takes into account biological and social differences between men and women in terms of prevalence and course of disease, diagnosis and therapy. Medical students should be made aware of this in the early stages of medical education. However, there is hardly any teaching material currently available. This article presents the adaption and first use of the German "Gender Lens," a tool to introduce gender medicine to medical students. Method: The original Canadian "Gender Lens Tool" was translated into German, tested by (n=5) teachers and adapted based on current scientific concepts. The instrument was applied and evaluated using qualitative methods in a student focus group (n=4). It was then piloted in a cohort of fourth-semester students (n=247) in a seminar addressing gender medicine. These experiences were evaluated using quantitative methods. Results: The German translation of the Gender Lens offers students a framework with which to analyze sex and gender differences in terms of the "prevalence, diagnosis, course, therapy and prevention" of a specific disease. Furthermore, it enables a refined search for causes such as "biological disposition, attitudes and behaviors, family and social networks, occupational and material circumstances and experiences with the health care system." Recommendations were received from the student groups regarding teaching methods. Male and female fourth-semester students agreed that the Gender Lens is useful as an introduction to gender medicine. Discussion: Initial experiences with the Gender Lens adapted for the German curriculum suggest that such a learning aid can contribute to raising awareness of gender medicine in medical students.

Motor excitability measurements: the influence of gender, body mass index, age and temperature in healthy controls.

PubMed

Casanova, I; Diaz, A; Pinto, S; de Carvalho, M

2014-04-01

The technique of threshold tracking to test axonal excitability gives information about nodal and internodal ion channel function. We aimed to investigate variability of the motor excitability measurements in healthy controls, taking into account age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and small changes in skin temperature. We examined the left median nerve of 47 healthy controls using the automated threshold-tacking program, QTRAC. Statistical multiple regression analysis was applied to test relationship between nerve excitability measurements and subject variables. Comparisons between genders did not find any significant difference (P>0.2 for all comparisons). Multiple regression analysis showed that motor amplitude decreases with age and temperature, stimulus-response slope decreases with age and BMI, and that accommodation half-time decrease with age and temperature. The changes related to demographic features on TRONDE protocol parameters are small and less important than in conventional nerve conduction studies. Nonetheless, our results underscore the relevance of careful temperature control, and indicate that interpretation of stimulus-response slope and accommodation half-time should take into account age and BMI. In contrast, gender is not of major relevance to axonal threshold findings in motor nerves. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Survival Analysis of Faculty Retention and Promotion in the Social Sciences by Gender

PubMed Central

Varbanov, Roumen A.; Hoh, Yee Shwen; Knisley, Margaret L.; Holmes, Mary Alice

2015-01-01

Background Recruitment and retention of talent is central to the research performance of universities. Existing research shows that, while men are more likely than women to be promoted at the different stages of the academic career, no such difference is found when it comes to faculty retention rates. Current research on faculty retention, however, focuses on careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We extend this line of inquiry to the social sciences. Methods We follow 2,218 tenure-track assistant professors hired since 1990 in seven social science disciplines at nineteen U.S. universities from time of hire to time of departure. We also track their time to promotion to associate and full professor. Using survival analysis, we examine gender differences in time to departure and time to promotion. Our methods account for censoring and unobserved heterogeneity, as well as effect heterogeneity across disciplines and cohorts. Results We find no statistically significant differences between genders in faculty retention. However, we do find that men are more likely to be granted tenure than women. When it comes to promotion to full professor, the results are less conclusive, as the effect of gender is sensitive to model specification. Conclusions The results corroborate previous findings about gender patterns in faculty retention and promotion. They suggest that advances have been made when it comes to gender equality in retention and promotion, but important differences still persist. PMID:26580565

The differential rates in cost-related non-adherence to medical care by gender in the US adult population.

PubMed

Zhang, James X; Crowe, James M; Meltzer, David O

2017-07-01

Cost-related non-adherence (CRN) to medical care is a persistent challenge in healthcare in the US. Gender is a key determinant of many healthcare behaviors and outcomes. Understanding variation in CRN by gender may provide opportunities to reduce disparities and improve outcomes. This study aims to examine the differential rates in CRN by gender across a spectrum of socio-economic factors among the adult population in the US. Data from the 2015 National Financial Capability Study (NFCS) were used for this study. CRN is identified if a respondent indicated not filling a prescription for medicine because of the cost and/or skipping a medical test, treatment, or follow-up recommended by a doctor because of the cost in the past 12 months. The differential rates in CRN by gender were assessed across socio-economic strata. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the difference in CRN rates by gender, controlling for potential confounders. A total of 26,287 adults were included in the analyses. Overall, the weighted CRN rate in the adult population is 19.8% for men and 26.2% for women. There was a clear pattern of differential rates in CRN across socio-economic strata by gender. Overall, men were less likely to report CRN (AOR = 0.74; 95% CI = 0.69-0.79), controlling for other risk factors. More research is needed to understand the behavioral aspects of gender difference in CRN. Patient-centered healthcare needs to take gender difference into account when addressing cost-related non-adherence behavior.

Negotiating gender roles: gender differences in assertive negotiating are mediated by women's fear of backlash and attenuated when negotiating on behalf of others.

PubMed

Amanatullah, Emily T; Morris, Michael W

2010-02-01

The authors propose that gender differences in negotiations reflect women's contextually contingent impression management strategies. They argue that the same behavior, bargaining assertively, is construed as congruent with female gender roles in some contexts yet incongruent in other contexts. Further, women take this contextual variation into account, adjusting their bargaining behavior to manage social impressions. A particularly important contextual variable is advocacy-whether bargaining on one's own behalf versus on another's behalf. In self-advocacy contexts, women anticipate that assertiveness will evoke incongruity evaluations, negative attributions, and subsequent "backlash"; hence, women hedge their assertiveness, using fewer competing tactics and obtaining lower outcomes. However, in other-advocacy contexts, women achieve better outcomes as they do not expect incongruity evaluations or engage in hedging. In a controlled laboratory experiment, the authors found that gender interacts with advocacy context in this way to determine negotiation style and outcomes. Additionally, process measures of anticipated attributions and backlash statistically mediated this interaction effect. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Men ask more questions than women at a scientific conference

PubMed Central

Sutherland, William J.; Johnston, Alison

2017-01-01

Gender inequity in science and academia, especially in senior positions, is a recognised problem. The reasons are poorly understood, but include the persistence of historical gender ratios, discrimination and other factors, including gender-based behavioural differences. We studied participation in a professional context by observing question-asking behaviour at a large international conference with a clear equality code of conduct that prohibited any form of discrimination. Accounting for audience gender ratio, male attendees asked 1.8 questions for each question asked by a female attendee. Amongst only younger researchers, male attendees also asked 1.8 questions per female question, suggesting the pattern cannot be attributed to the temporary problem of demographic inertia. We link our findings to the ‘chilly’ climate for women in STEM, including wider experiences of discrimination likely encountered by women throughout their education and careers. We call for a broader and coordinated approach to understanding and addressing the barriers to women and other under-represented groups. We encourage the scientific community to recognise the context in which these gender differences occur, and evaluate and develop methods to support full participation from all attendees. PMID:29036191

Flirting with disaster: short-term mating orientation and hostile sexism predict different types of sexual harassment.

PubMed

Diehl, Charlotte; Rees, Jonas; Bohner, Gerd

2012-01-01

We combine evolutionary and sociocultural accounts of sexual harassment, proposing that sexuality-related and hostility-related motives lead to different types of harassment. Specifically, men's short-term mating orientation (STMO) was hypothesized to predict only unwanted sexual attention but not gender harassment, whereas men's hostile sexism (HS) was hypothesized to predict both unwanted sexual attention and gender harassment. As part of an alleged computer-chat task, 100 male students could send sexualized personal remarks (representing unwanted sexual attention), sexist jokes (representing gender harassment), or nonharassing material to an attractive female target. Independently, participants' STMO, HS, and sexual harassment myth acceptance (SHMA) were assessed. Correlational and path analyses revealed that STMO specifically predicted unwanted sexual attention, whereas HS predicted both unwanted sexual attention and gender harassment. Furthermore, SHMA fully mediated the effect of HS on gender harassment, but did not mediate effects of STMO or HS on unwanted sexual attention. Results are discussed in relation to motivational explanations for sexual harassment and antiharassment interventions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Social Status Correlates of Reporting Racial Discrimination and Gender Discrimination among Racially Diverse Women

PubMed Central

Ro, Annie E.; Choi, Kyung-Hee

2009-01-01

The growing body of research on discrimination and health indicates a deleterious effect of discrimination on various health outcomes. However, less is known about the sociodemographic correlates of reporting racial discrimination and gender discrimination among racially diverse women. We examined the associations of social status characteristics with lifetime experiences of racial discrimination and gender discrimination using a racially-diverse sample of 754 women attending family planning clinics in Northern California (11.4% African American, 16.8% Latina, 10.1% Asian and 61.7% Caucasian). A multivariate analysis revealed that race, financial difficulty and marital status were significantly correlated with higher reports of racial discrimination, while race, education, financial difficulty and nativity were significantly correlated with gender discrimination scores. Our findings suggest that the social patterning of perceiving racial discrimination is somewhat different from that of gender discrimination. This has implications in the realm of discrimination research and applied interventions, as different forms of discrimination may have unique covariates that should be accounted for in research analysis or program design. PMID:19485231

Men ask more questions than women at a scientific conference.

PubMed

Hinsley, Amy; Sutherland, William J; Johnston, Alison

2017-01-01

Gender inequity in science and academia, especially in senior positions, is a recognised problem. The reasons are poorly understood, but include the persistence of historical gender ratios, discrimination and other factors, including gender-based behavioural differences. We studied participation in a professional context by observing question-asking behaviour at a large international conference with a clear equality code of conduct that prohibited any form of discrimination. Accounting for audience gender ratio, male attendees asked 1.8 questions for each question asked by a female attendee. Amongst only younger researchers, male attendees also asked 1.8 questions per female question, suggesting the pattern cannot be attributed to the temporary problem of demographic inertia. We link our findings to the 'chilly' climate for women in STEM, including wider experiences of discrimination likely encountered by women throughout their education and careers. We call for a broader and coordinated approach to understanding and addressing the barriers to women and other under-represented groups. We encourage the scientific community to recognise the context in which these gender differences occur, and evaluate and develop methods to support full participation from all attendees.

Lack of Gender and Age Differences in Pain Measurements Following Exercise in People with Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders.

PubMed

Ickmans, Kelly; Malfliet, Anneleen; De Kooning, Margot; Goudman, Lisa; Hubloue, Ives; Schmitz, Tom; Goubert, Dorien; Aguilar-Ferrandiz, Maria Encarnacion

2017-09-01

Individuals with chronic whiplash associated disorders (WAD) present persistent pain in the absence of structural pathology. In these people, altered central pain processing and central sensitization are observed. The role of personal factors, such as gender and age, on pain processing mechanisms in chronic WAD, however, is still unclear. This study investigated possible gender- and age-related differences in self-reported and experimental pain measurements in people with chronic WAD. Besides the exercise-induced response on pain measurements between gender and age subgroups was recorded. Case-control study. University Hospital, Brussels. Self-reported pain and experimental pain measurements (pressure pain thresholds [PPT], occlusion cuff pressure, temporal summation, and conditioned pain modulation) were performed in 52 individuals (26 chronic WAD patients and 26 healthy controls), before and after a submaximal cycle exercise. Lower PPTs and occlusion cuff pressures were shown in chronic WAD in comparison with healthy controls. No gender and age differences regarding PPTs, occlusion cuff pressures and conditioned pain modulation were found in chronic WAD. Within the chronic WAD group, men showed higher self-reported pain compared to women and younger adults showed enhanced generalized pain facilitation compared to older adults. In addition, chronic WAD patients are able to inhibit exercise-induced hyperalgesia, but no gender and age differences in pain response following exercise were found. This study was sufficiently powered to detect differences between the chronic WAD and control group. However, a sufficient power was not reached when patients were divided in age and gender groups. Furthermore, only mechanical stimuli were included in the experimental pain measurements. Besides, psychosocial factors were not taken into account. Some alterations of altered pain processing are present in chronic WAD patients, however not in response to exercise. No gender and age differences in pain measurements were observed in people with chronic WAD.Key words: Neck pain, whiplash associated disorders, chronic pain, personal factors, age, gender, central sensitization, exercise induced hyperalgesia, pressure pain thresholds, self reported pain.

Gender gap on concept inventories in physics: What is consistent, what is inconsistent, and what factors influence the gap?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, Adrian; McKagan, Sarah B.; Sayre, Eleanor C.

2013-12-01

We review the literature on the gender gap on concept inventories in physics. Across studies of the most commonly used mechanics concept inventories, the Force Concept Inventory and Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation, men’s average pretest scores are always higher than women’s, and in most cases men’s posttest scores are higher as well. The weighted average gender difference on these tests is 13% for pretest scores, 12% for posttest scores, and 6% for normalized gain. This difference is much smaller than the average difference in normalized gain between traditional lecture and interactive engagement (25%), but it is large enough that it could impact the results of studies comparing the effectiveness of different teaching methods. There is sometimes a gender gap on commonly used electricity and magnetism concept inventories, the Brief Electricity and Magnetism Assessment and Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism, but it is usually much smaller and sometimes is zero or favors women. The weighted average gender difference on these tests is 3.7% for pretest scores, 8.5% for posttest scores, and 6% for normalized gain. There are far fewer studies of the gender gap on electricity and magnetism concept inventories and much more variation in the existing studies. Based on our analysis of 26 published articles comparing the impact of 30 factors that could potentially influence the gender gap, no single factor is sufficient to explain the gap. Several high-profile studies that have claimed to account for or reduce the gender gap have failed to be replicated in subsequent studies, suggesting that isolated claims of explanations of the gender gap should be interpreted with caution. For example, claims that the gender gap could be eliminated through interactive engagement teaching methods or through a “values affirmation writing exercise” were not supported by subsequent studies. Suggestions that the gender gap might be reduced by changing the wording of “male-oriented” questions or refraining from asking demographic questions before administering the test are not supported by the evidence. Other factors, such as gender differences in background preparation, scores on different kinds of assessment, and splits between how students respond to test questions when answering for themselves or for a “scientist” do contribute to a difference between male and female responses, but the size of these differences is smaller than the size of the overall gender gap, suggesting that the gender gap is most likely due to the combination of many small factors rather than any one factor that can easily be modified.

Science self-efficacy of African American middle school students: Relationship to motivation self-beliefs, achievement, gender, and gender orientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britner, Shari Lynn

Motivation researchers have established that students' self-efficacy beliefs, the confidence they have in their academic capabilities, are related to academic outcomes. Self-efficacy has been amply researched in mathematics and language arts and nearly exclusively with White students. African American students and the area of science have each received scant attention. Typically, gender differences favor boys in mathematics and girls in language arts. Researchers have also found that these differences may be a function of gender orientation beliefs. The purpose of this study was to extend findings in science self-efficacy and to African American middle school students. I sought to determine whether self-efficacy assessed at differing levels of specificity (lab skills versus science grades) would each predict science achievement assessed at corresponding levels, to discover whether mean scores in academic motivation and achievement would differ by gender, and to determine whether these differences are a function of gender orientation (N = 268). Science grade self-efficacy was positively associated with the grades obtained by boys and by girls. For girls, grades were also associated positively with science self-concept and negatively with value of science. For reasons resulting from problematic instructional practices, lab skills self-efficacy was not associated with lab grades. Girls reported stronger science self-efficacy and received higher grades in science class. Gender orientation beliefs did not account for these differences, but masculinity and femininity were each associated with science grade self-efficacy, suggesting that androgyny is an adaptive orientation for the science self-efficacy beliefs of African American students. Findings are interpreted within the framework of A. Bandura's (1986) social cognitive theory.

Essentialism Regarding Human Nature in the Defence of Gender Equality in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holma, Katariina

2007-01-01

In this article I consider contemporary philosophical conceptions of human nature from the point of view of the ideal of gender equality. My main argument is that an essentialist account of human nature, unlike what I take to be its two main alternatives (the subjectivist account and the cultural account), is able coherently to justify the…

Addictive internet use among Korean adolescents: a national survey.

PubMed

Heo, Jongho; Oh, Juhwan; Subramanian, S V; Kim, Yoon; Kawachi, Ichiro

2014-01-01

A psychological disorder called 'Internet addiction' has newly emerged along with a dramatic increase of worldwide Internet use. However, few studies have used population-level samples nor taken into account contextual factors on Internet addiction. We identified 57,857 middle and high school students (13-18 year olds) from a Korean nationally representative survey, which was surveyed in 2009. To identify associated factors with addictive Internet use, two-level multilevel regression models were fitted with individual-level responses (1st level) nested within schools (2nd level) to estimate associations of individual and school characteristics simultaneously. Gender differences of addictive Internet use were estimated with the regression model stratified by gender. Significant associations were found between addictive Internet use and school grade, parental education, alcohol use, tobacco use, and substance use. Female students in girls' schools were more likely to use Internet addictively than those in coeducational schools. Our results also revealed significant gender differences of addictive Internet use in its associated individual- and school-level factors. Our results suggest that multilevel risk factors along with gender differences should be considered to protect adolescents from addictive Internet use.

Differences in wage rates for males and females in the health sector: a consideration of unpaid overtime to decompose the gender wage gap

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background In Australia a persistent and sizable gender wage gap exists. In recent years this gap has been steadily widening. The negative impact of gender wage differentials is the disincentive to work more hours. This implies a substantial cost on the Australian health sector. This study aimed to identify the magnitude of gender wage differentials within the health sector. The investigation accounts for unpaid overtime. Given the limited availability of information, little empirical evidence exists that accounts for unpaid overtime. Methods Information was collected from a sample of 10,066 Australian full-time employees within the health sector. Initially, ordinary least-squares regression was used to identify the gender wage gap when unpaid overtime was included and then excluded from the model. The sample was also stratified by gender and then by occupation to allow for comparisons. Later the Blinder–Oaxaca decomposition method was employed to identify and quantify the contribution of individual endowments to wage differentials between males and females. Results The analyses of data revealed a gender wage gap that varied across occupations. The inclusion of unpaid overtime in the analysis led to a slight reduction in the wage differential. The results showed an adjusted wage gap of 16.7%. Conclusions Unpaid overtime made a significant but small contribution to wage differentials. Being female remained the major contributing factor to the wage gap. Given that wage differentials provide a disincentive to work more hours, serious attempts to deal with the skilled labour shortage in the health sector need to address the gender wage gap. PMID:23433245

Does Integrating Family Planning into HIV Services Improve Gender Equitable Attitudes? Results from a Cluster Randomized Trial in Nyanza, Kenya.

PubMed

Newmann, Sara J; Rocca, Corinne H; Zakaras, Jennifer M; Onono, Maricianah; Bukusi, Elizabeth A; Grossman, Daniel; Cohen, Craig R

2016-09-01

This study investigated whether integrating family planning (FP) services into HIV care was associated with gender equitable attitudes among HIV-positive adults in western Kenya. Surveys were conducted with 480 women and 480 men obtaining HIV services from 18 clinics 1 year after the sites were randomized to integrated FP/HIV services (N = 12) or standard referral for FP (N = 6). We used multivariable regression, with generalized estimating equations to account for clustering, to assess whether gender attitudes (range 0-12) were associated with integrated care and with contraceptive use. Men at intervention sites had stronger gender equitable attitudes than those at control sites (adjusted mean difference in scores = 0.89, 95 % CI 0.03-1.74). Among women, attitudes did not differ by study arm. Gender equitable attitudes were not associated with contraceptive use among men (AOR = 1.06, 95 % CI 0.93-1.21) or women (AOR = 1.03, 95 % CI 0.94-1.13). Further work is needed to understand how integrating FP into HIV care affects gender relations, and how improved gender equity among men might be leveraged to improve contraceptive use and other reproductive health outcomes.

The Gender Gap in Second Language Acquisition: Gender Differences in the Acquisition of Dutch among Immigrants from 88 Countries with 49 Mother Tongues.

PubMed

van der Slik, Frans W P; van Hout, Roeland W N M; Schepens, Job J

2015-01-01

Gender differences were analyzed across countries of origin and continents, and across mother tongues and language families, using a large-scale database, containing information on 27,119 adult learners of Dutch as a second language. Female learners consistently outperformed male learners in speaking and writing proficiency in Dutch as a second language. This gender gap remained remarkably robust and constant when other learner characteristics were taken into account, such as education, age of arrival, length of residence and hours studying Dutch. For reading and listening skills in Dutch, no gender gap was found. In addition, we found a general gender by education effect for all four language skills in Dutch for speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Female language learners turned out to profit more from higher educational training than male learners do in adult second language acquisition. These findings do not seem to match nurture-oriented explanatory frameworks based for instance on a human capital approach or gender-specific acculturation processes. Rather, they seem to corroborate a nature-based, gene-environment correlational framework in which language proficiency being a genetically-influenced ability interacting with environmental factors such as motivation, orientation, education, and learner strategies that still mediate between endowment and acquiring language proficiency at an adult stage.

Organizational Theories and Analysis: A Feminist Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irefin, Peace; Ifah, S. S.; Bwala, M. H.

2012-06-01

This paper is a critique of organization theories and their failure to come to terms with the fact of the reproduction of labour power within a particular form of the division of labour. It examines feminist theory and its aims to understand the nature of inequality and focuses on gender, power relations and sexuality part of the task of feminists which organizational theories have neglected is to offer an account of how the different treatments of the sexes operate in our culture. The paper concludes that gender has been completely neglected within the organizational theory which result in a rhetorical reproduction of males as norms and women as others. It is recommended that only radical form of organization theory can account for the situation of women in organisational setting

Semantically Transparent and Opaque Compounds in German Noun-Phrase Production: Evidence for Morphemes in Speaking.

PubMed

Lorenz, Antje; Zwitserlood, Pienie

2016-01-01

This study examines the lexical representation and processing of noun-noun compounds and their grammatical gender during speech production in German, a language that codes for grammatical gender (masculine, feminine, and neuter). Using a picture-word interference paradigm, participants produced determiner-compound noun phrases in response to pictures, while ignoring written distractor words. Compound targets were either semantically transparent (e.g., birdhouse) or opaque (e.g., hotdog), and their constituent nouns either had the same or a different gender (internal gender match). Effects of gender-congruent but otherwise unrelated distractor nouns, and of two morphologically related distractors corresponding to the first or second constituent were assessed relative to a completely unrelated, gender-incongruent distractor baseline. Both constituent distractors strongly facilitated compound naming, and these effects were independent of the targets' semantic transparency. This supports retrieval of constituent morphemes for semantically transparent and opaque compounds during speech production. Furthermore, gender congruency between compounds and distractors did not speed up naming in general, but interacted with gender match of the compounds' constituent nouns, and their semantic transparency. A significant gender-congruency effect was obtained with semantically transparent compounds, consisting of two constituent nouns of the same gender, only. In principle, this pattern is compatible with a multiple lemma representation account for semantically transparent, but not for opaque compounds. The data also fit with a more parsimonious, holistic representation for all compounds at the lemma level, when differences in co-activation patterns for semantically transparent and opaque compounds are considered.

The Recalled Childhood Gender Questionnaire-Revised: a psychometric analysis in a sample of women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

PubMed

Meyer-Bahlburg, Heino F L; Dolezal, Curtis; Zucker, Kenneth J; Kessler, Suzanna J; Schober, Justine M; New, Maria I

2006-11-01

We administered the 18-item Recalled Childhood Gender Questionnaire-Revised (RCGQ-R), female version, to 147 adult women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) representing three different degrees of prenatal androgenization due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency and to non-CAH controls. A principal components analysis generated three components accounting for 46%, 9%, and 6% of the variance, respectively. Corresponding unit-weighted scales (high scores = feminine) were labeled Gender Role (13 items; Cronbach alpha = .91), Physical Activity (3 items; alpha = .64), and Cross-Gender Desire (2 items; alpha = .47). Discriminant validity was demonstrated in terms of highly significant comparisons across the four groups. We conclude that the first 2 RCGQ-R scales show good psychometric qualities, but that the third scale needs to be further evaluated in a sample that includes women with gender identity disorder.

Gender differences in financial risk aversion and career choices are affected by testosterone.

PubMed

Sapienza, Paola; Zingales, Luigi; Maestripieri, Dario

2009-09-08

Women are generally more risk averse than men. We investigated whether between- and within-gender variation in financial risk aversion was accounted for by variation in salivary concentrations of testosterone and in markers of prenatal testosterone exposure in a sample of >500 MBA students. Higher levels of circulating testosterone were associated with lower risk aversion among women, but not among men. At comparably low concentrations of salivary testosterone, however, the gender difference in risk aversion disappeared, suggesting that testosterone has nonlinear effects on risk aversion regardless of gender. A similar relationship between risk aversion and testosterone was also found using markers of prenatal testosterone exposure. Finally, both testosterone levels and risk aversion predicted career choices after graduation: Individuals high in testosterone and low in risk aversion were more likely to choose risky careers in finance. These results suggest that testosterone has both organizational and activational effects on risk-sensitive financial decisions and long-term career choices.

Signs of Change? At-Home and Breadwinner Parents' Housework and Child-Care Time.

PubMed

Chesley, Noelle; Flood, Sarah

2017-04-01

We analyze American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data to examine patterns in domestic work among at-home and breadwinner parents to further gauge how time availability, relative earnings, and gender shape time use in couples with extreme differences in earnings and work hours. We find that involvement in female-typed housework is an important driver of overall housework time. It is counter-normative housework behavior by at-home fathers that shapes conclusions about how time availability, relative resources, and gender influence parents' housework. While time availability appears to shape child care in comparable ways across parents, mothers are more engaged in child care than similarly-situated fathers. Overall, our comparisons point to the importance of distinguishing among gender-normative housework tasks and accounting for differences in engagement on work and non-work days. Our results also provide a basis for assessing the social significance of growing numbers of parents in work-family roles that are not gender-normative.

Signs of Change? At-Home and Breadwinner Parents’ Housework and Child-Care Time

PubMed Central

Chesley, Noelle; Flood, Sarah

2016-01-01

We analyze American Time Use Survey (ATUS) data to examine patterns in domestic work among at-home and breadwinner parents to further gauge how time availability, relative earnings, and gender shape time use in couples with extreme differences in earnings and work hours. We find that involvement in female-typed housework is an important driver of overall housework time. It is counter-normative housework behavior by at-home fathers that shapes conclusions about how time availability, relative resources, and gender influence parents’ housework. While time availability appears to shape child care in comparable ways across parents, mothers are more engaged in child care than similarly-situated fathers. Overall, our comparisons point to the importance of distinguishing among gender-normative housework tasks and accounting for differences in engagement on work and non-work days. Our results also provide a basis for assessing the social significance of growing numbers of parents in work-family roles that are not gender-normative. PMID:28596619

Gender-differences in risk factors for suicidal behaviour identified by perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness and acquired capability: cross-sectional analysis from a longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Donker, Tara; Batterham, Philip J; Van Orden, Kimberly A; Christensen, Helen

2014-01-01

The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicidal Behavior (IPT) is supported by recent epidemiological data. Unique risk factors for the IPT constructs have been identified in community epidemiological studies. Gender differences in these risk factors may contribute substantially to our understanding of suicidal risk, and require further investigation. The present study explores gender differences in the predictors and correlates of perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness and acquired capability for suicide. Participants (547 males, 739 females) aged 32-38 from the PATH through Life study, an Australian population-based longitudinal cohort study (n=1,177) were assessed on perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness and acquired capability for suicide using the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire and Acquired Capability for Suicide Survey, and on a range of demographic, social support, psychological, mental health and physical health measures. Gender differences in the predictors of the IPT constructs were assessed using linear regression analyses. Higher perceived burdensomeness increased suicide ideation in both genders, while higher thwarted belongingness increased suicide ideation only in females. In females, thwarted belongingness was uniquely related to perceived burdensomeness, while greater physical health was significantly associated with greater thwarted belongingness in males but not in females. There were trends suggesting greater effects of being single and greater perceived burdensomeness for men, and stronger effects of less positive friendship support for women associated with greater thwarted belongingness. Men and women differ in the pattern of psychological characteristics that predict suicide ideation, and in the factors predicting vulnerability. Suicide prevention strategies need to take account of gender differences.

Characterizing the gender gap in introductory physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost, Lauren E.; Pollock, Steven J.; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2009-06-01

Previous research [S. J. Pollock , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 3, 1 (2007)] showed that despite the use of interactive engagement techniques, the gap in performance between males and females on a conceptual learning survey persisted from pretest to post-test at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Such findings were counter to previously published work [M. Lorenzo , Am. J. Phys. 74, 118 (2006)]. This study begins by identifying a variety of other gender differences. There is a small but significant difference in the course grades of males and females. Males and females have significantly different prior understandings of physics and mathematics. Females are less likely to take high school physics than males, although they are equally likely to take high school calculus. Males and females also differ in their incoming attitudes and beliefs about physics. This collection of background factors is analyzed to determine the extent to which each factor correlates with performance on a conceptual post-test and with gender. Binned by quintiles, we observe that males and females with similar pretest scores do not have significantly different post-test scores (p>0.2) . The post-test data are then modeled using two regression models (multiple regression and logistic regression) to estimate the gender gap in post-test scores after controlling for these important prior factors. These prior factors account for about 70% of the observed gender gap. The results indicate that the gender gap exists in interactive physics classes at our institution but is largely associated with differences in previous physics and math knowledge and incoming attitudes and beliefs.

The Draw a Scientist Test: A Different Population and a Somewhat Different Story

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Mark D.; Henley, Tracy B.; Snell, Catherine M.

2006-01-01

This study examined Draw-a-Scientist-Test (DAST) images solicited from 212 undergraduate students for the presence of traditional gender stereotypes. Participants were 100 males and 112 females enrolled in psychology or computer science courses with a mean age of 21.02 years. A standard multiple regression generated a model that accounts for the…

Comparative Analysis of Gender Differences in the HIV-1 Infection Dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballesteros, P.; Estrada, J. L.; Barriga, G.; Molinar, F.; Hernández, M. C.; Huerta, L.; Cocho, G.; Villarreal, C.

2006-09-01

We have performed a retrospective study of the HIV-1 viral load and CD4 T-cell counts in blood plasma of more than 3000 Mexican patients. We found that women had consistently lower viral loads than men for CD4 T-cell counts higher than 50 cells/μL and higher viral loads when CD4 T-cell counts were at most 50 cells/μL. Our results show the same pattern as the one reported in studies performed in European and North American populations. We present theoretical predictions of viral load dynamics during highly active antiretroviral therapy taking into account gender differences.

Women's accounts of help-seeking in early rheumatoid arthritis from symptom onset to diagnosis.

PubMed

Townsend, Anne; Backman, Catherine L; Adam, Paul; Li, Linda C

2014-12-01

As interest in gender and health grows, the notion that women are more likely than men to consult doctors is increasingly undermined as more complex understandings of help seeking and gender emerge. While men's reluctance to seek help is associated with practices of masculinities, there has been less consideration of women's help-seeking practices. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that predominantly affects women and requires prompt treatment but considerable patient-based delays persist along the care pathway. This paper examines women's accounts of help seeking in early RA from symptom onset to diagnosis. We conducted in-depth interviews with 37 women with RA <12 months in Canada. Analysis was based on a constant comparison, thematic approach informed by narrative analysis. The women's accounts featured masculine practices associated with men's help-seeking. The women presented such behaviours as relational, e.g. rooted in family socialisation and a determination to maintain roles and 'normal' life. Our findings raise questions about how far notions of gender operate to differentiate men and women's help seeking and may indicate more similarities than differences. Recognising this has implications for policy and practice initiatives for both men and women. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Women’s accounts of help-seeking in early rheumatoid arthritis from symptom onset to diagnosis

PubMed Central

Townsend, Anne; Backman, Catherine L; Adam, Paul; Li, Linda C

2018-01-01

Background As interest in gender and health grows, the notion that women are more likely than men to consult doctors is increasingly undermined as more complex understandings of help seeking and gender emerge. While men’s reluctance to seek help is associated with practices of masculinities, there has been less consideration of women’s help-seeking practices. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that predominantly affects women and requires prompt treatment but considerable patient-based delays persist along the care pathway. This paper examines women’s accounts of help seeking in early RA from symptom onset to diagnosis. Methods We conducted in-depth interviews with 37 women with RA <12 months in Canada. Analysis was based on a constant comparison, thematic approach informed by narrative analysis. Results The women’s accounts featured masculine practices associated with men’s help-seeking. The women presented such behaviours as relational, e.g. rooted in family socialisation and a determination to maintain roles and ‘normal’ life. Discussion Our findings raise questions about how far notions of gender operate to differentiate men and women’s help seeking and may indicate more similarities than differences. Recognising this has implications for policy and practice initiatives for both men and women. PMID:24567194

Gender differences in attitudes about fish safety in a coastal population.

PubMed

Burger, J

1998-02-06

Behavioral approaches to reducing the adverse health effects of consuming fish with high contaminant levels benefit from understanding attitudes and perceptions about the relative safety of fish. Gender differences in attitudes about fish safety were investigated by interviewing 197 men and 94 women who attended a Duck Decoy show at Tuckerton, NJ. There were significant gender differences in perceptions of the safety of fish, ducks, and deer, with women generally believing that it was less safe to eat these foods than did men. Although people correctly perceived that ocean fish were safer than bay-caught fish from a chemical contaminant perspective, perceptions were less clear with respect to consuming predatory or herbivorous, or large versus small fish. Although men significantly perceived small fish as safer than large fish, women did not. However, people correctly believed that bluefish (a predaceous fish) were less safe than flounder (an herbivore). People uniformly believed it was safer to eat fish they caught themselves or bought in a fish store than those from a supermarket. These results suggest that any program to inform the public about the potential dangers from contaminated fish should take into account gender differences in perceptions.

Relatively Different? How Do Gender Differences in Well-Being Depend on Paid and Unpaid Work in Europe?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boye, Katarina

2009-01-01

Absolute as well as relative hours of paid and unpaid work may influence well-being. This study investigates whether absolute hours spent on paid work and housework account for the lower well-being among women as compared to men in Europe, and whether the associations between well-being and hours of paid work and housework differ by gender…

Gender Differences in Pay among Recent Graduates: Private Sector Employees in Ireland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Helen; Smyth, Emer; O'Connell, Philip J.

2010-01-01

In this paper we seek to investigate the role of different factors in accounting for the differences in earnings among recent graduates working in the private sector in Ireland. Three years after graduation there is a pay gap of 8 per cent in hourly wages between male and female graduates in the private sector and a 4 per cent non-significant gap…

Employer-sponsored health insurance and the gender wage gap.

PubMed

Cowan, Benjamin; Schwab, Benjamin

2016-01-01

During prime working years, women have higher expected healthcare expenses than men. However, employees' insurance rates are not gender-rated in the employer-sponsored health insurance (ESI) market. Thus, women may experience lower wages in equilibrium from employers who offer health insurance to their employees. We show that female employees suffer a larger wage gap relative to men when they hold ESI: our results suggest this accounts for roughly 10% of the overall gender wage gap. For a full-time worker, this pay gap due to ESI is on the order of the expected difference in healthcare expenses between women and men. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Why do women have back pain more than men? A representative prevalence study in the federal republic of Germany.

PubMed

Schneider, Sven; Randoll, Dorothee; Buchner, Matthias

2006-10-01

In comparison with men, women have a healthier lifestyle, are more rarely overweight, have less stressful occupations, or are not employed outside the home. The "gender pain bias" is the fact that women nevertheless have a higher prevalence of back pain. This paper looks at the possible underlying reasons for this as yet unexplained gender difference, using Stokols' socioecological health model as a basis. The first National Health Survey for the Federal Republic of Germany was carried out from October 1997 to March 1999. It comprised a representative total sample of 5315 persons between the ages of 20 and 64. The participants took part in a medical examination and answered a self-report form. chi test and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate correlations between self-reported low back pain and gender-specific biopsychobehavioral and sociophysical environmental factors. Seven-day back pain prevalence in the Federal Republic of Germany is 32% for men and 40% for women. Prevalences are significantly higher for overweight subjects, persons with a marked somatization tendency or a low level of social support, physically inactive individuals, smokers, elderly subjects, the nonemployed, "blue collar workers" and lower socioeconomic groups. From a multivariate perspective, however, none of these factors reduces (and hence sufficiently explains) the gender difference. Factoring in the gender-specific somatization tendency reduces the odds ratios of women versus men from 1.42 to 1.23. In view of the gender difference in pain prevalence, which remains stable despite a multivariate perspective, there is clearly a need for more research into the reasons underlying the gender difference. We believe that future studies should look at rarely investigated constructs such as "sex role expectancies," "anxiety," "ethnicity," and "family history" and take anatomic differences in muscle strength into account.

Gender disparities in second-semester college physics: The incremental effects of a ``smog of bias''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kost-Smith, Lauren E.; Pollock, Steven J.; Finkelstein, Noah D.

2010-07-01

Our previous research [Kost , Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 5, 010101 (2009)10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.5.010101] examined gender differences in the first-semester, introductory physics class at the University of Colorado at Boulder. We found that: (1) there were gender differences in several aspects of the course, including conceptual survey performance, (2) these differences persisted despite the use of interactive engagement techniques, and (3) the post-test gender differences could largely be attributed to differences in males’ and females’ prior physics and math performance and their incoming attitudes and beliefs. In the current study, we continue to characterize gender differences in our physics courses by examining the second-semester, electricity and magnetism course. We analyze three factors: student retention from Physics 1 to Physics 2, student performance, and students’ attitudes and beliefs about physics, and find gender differences in all three of these areas. Specifically, females are less likely to stay in the physics major than males. Despite males and females performing about equally on the conceptual pretest, we find that females score about 6 percentage points lower than males on the conceptual post-test. In most semesters, females outperform males on homework and participation, and males outperform females on exams, resulting in course grades of males and females that are not significantly different. In terms of students’ attitudes and beliefs, we find that both males and females shift toward less expertlike beliefs over the course of Physics 2. Shifts are statistically equal for all categories except for the Personal Interest category, where females have more negative shifts than males. A large fraction of the conceptual post-test gender gap (up to 60%) can be accounted for by differences in males’ and females’ prior physics and math performance and their pre-Physics 2 attitudes and beliefs. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that it is an accumulation of small gender differences over time that may be responsible for the large differences that we observe in physics participation of males and females.

"You Worry, 'cause You Want to Give a Reasonable Account of Yourself": Gender, Identity Management, and the Discursive Positioning of "Risk" in Men's and Women's Talk About Heterosexual Casual Sex.

PubMed

Farvid, Panteá; Braun, Virginia

2018-07-01

Heterosexual casual sex is routinely depicted as a physically, socially, and psychologically "risky" practice. This is the case in media accounts, psychological research, and other academic work. In this article, we examine 15 men's and 15 women's talk about casual sex from a discursive psychological stance to achieve two objectives. Firstly, we confirm the categories of risk typically associated with casual sex but expand these to include a domain of risks related to (gendered) identities and representation. Men's talk of risk centered on concerns about sexual performance, whereas women's talk centered on keeping safe from violence and sexual coercion. The notion of a sexual reputation was also identified as a risk and again manifested differently for men and women. While women were concerned about being deemed promiscuous, men displayed concern about the quality of their sexual performance. Secondly, within this talk about risks of casual sex, the participants' identities were identified as "at risk" and requiring careful management within the interview context. This was demonstrated by instances of: keeping masculinity intact in accounts of no erection, negotiating a responsible subject position, and crafting agency in accounts of sexual coercion-in the participants' talk. We argue that casual sex, as situated within dominant discourses of gendered heterosexuality, is a fraught practice for both men and women and subject to the demands of identity representation within co-present interactions.

Exploring sex and gender differences in sleep health: a Society for Women's Health Research Report.

PubMed

Mallampalli, Monica P; Carter, Christine L

2014-07-01

Previous attempts have been made to address sleep disorders in women; however, significant knowledge gaps in research and a lack of awareness among the research community continue to exist. There is a great need for scientists and clinicians to consider sex and gender differences in their sleep research to account for the unique biology of women. To understand the role of sex differences in sleep and the state of women's sleep health research, the Society for Women's Health Research convened an interdisciplinary expert panel of well-established sleep researchers and clinicians for a roundtable meeting. Focused discussions on basic and clinical research along with a focus on specific challenges facing women with sleep-related problems and effective therapies led to the identification of knowledge gaps and the development of research-related recommendations. Additionally, sex differences in sleep disorders were noted and discussed in the context of underlying hormonal differences. Differences in sleep behavior and sleep disorders may not only be driven by biological factors but also by gender differences in the way women and men report symptoms. Progress has been made in identifying sex and gender differences in many areas of sleep, but major research gaps in the areas of epidemiology, sleep regulation, sleep quality, diagnosis, and treatment need to be addressed. Identifying the underlying nature of sex and gender differences in sleep research has potential to accelerate improved care for both men and women facilitating better diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately prevention of sleep disorders and related comorbid conditions.

Exploring Sex and Gender Differences in Sleep Health: A Society for Women's Health Research Report

PubMed Central

Mallampalli, Monica P.

2014-01-01

Abstract Previous attempts have been made to address sleep disorders in women; however, significant knowledge gaps in research and a lack of awareness among the research community continue to exist. There is a great need for scientists and clinicians to consider sex and gender differences in their sleep research to account for the unique biology of women. To understand the role of sex differences in sleep and the state of women's sleep health research, the Society for Women's Health Research convened an interdisciplinary expert panel of well-established sleep researchers and clinicians for a roundtable meeting. Focused discussions on basic and clinical research along with a focus on specific challenges facing women with sleep-related problems and effective therapies led to the identification of knowledge gaps and the development of research-related recommendations. Additionally, sex differences in sleep disorders were noted and discussed in the context of underlying hormonal differences. Differences in sleep behavior and sleep disorders may not only be driven by biological factors but also by gender differences in the way women and men report symptoms. Progress has been made in identifying sex and gender differences in many areas of sleep, but major research gaps in the areas of epidemiology, sleep regulation, sleep quality, diagnosis, and treatment need to be addressed. Identifying the underlying nature of sex and gender differences in sleep research has potential to accelerate improved care for both men and women facilitating better diagnosis, treatment, and ultimately prevention of sleep disorders and related comorbid conditions. PMID:24956068

The impact of ageing and gender on visual mental imagery processes: A study of performance on tasks from the Complete Visual Mental Imagery Battery (CVMIB).

PubMed

Palermo, Liana; Piccardi, Laura; Nori, Raffaella; Giusberti, Fiorella; Guariglia, Cecilia

2016-09-01

In this study we aim to evaluate the impact of ageing and gender on different visual mental imagery processes. Two hundred and fifty-one participants (130 women and 121 men; age range = 18-77 years) were given an extensive neuropsychological battery including tasks probing the generation, maintenance, inspection, and transformation of visual mental images (Complete Visual Mental Imagery Battery, CVMIB). Our results show that all mental imagery processes with the exception of the maintenance are affected by ageing, suggesting that other deficits, such as working memory deficits, could account for this effect. However, the analysis of the transformation process, investigated in terms of mental rotation and mental folding skills, shows a steeper decline in mental rotation, suggesting that age could affect rigid transformations of objects and spare non-rigid transformations. Our study also adds to previous ones in showing gender differences favoring men across the lifespan in the transformation process, and, interestingly, it shows a steeper decline in men than in women in inspecting mental images, which could partially account for the mixed results about the effect of ageing on this specific process. We also discuss the possibility to introduce the CVMIB in clinical assessment in the context of theoretical models of mental imagery.

Ethical reflections of gender equality and equity in adolescence medicine.

PubMed

Tozzo, P; Caenazzo, L

2015-01-01

Gender differences, in both clinical and research environment, exist also in a particular category of patients, adolescents, who constitute a vulnerable group with respect to healthcare decisions. In clinical context, the main ethical issues that may be identified within gender medicine for adolescent patients are related to the information given to the patient and its parents, the adolescent's capacity of understanding considering his/her maturity, vulnerability and autonomy, the consent to medical treatment in relation to the different possible approaches to their different efficacy and possible side effects. Also, with regard to the research context, ethical issues may arise from the participation of female minors in clinical trials. Ethical concerns may also arise in the field of resource allocation in health policies, such as the equitable distribution and access to resources, considering the young age of the subjects involved. A bioethical reflection, which takes into account not only the differences biologically and epidemiologically relevant, but also the main determinants of health in adolescence, might find a role in structured education for diversity and gender equity. Given the magnitude of the problem, to encourage the pursuit of gender equity in health and, in some situations, also to promote the full recognition of the right to health of women are some of the most effective and direct ways to reduce inequalities and to ensure a rational and efficient use of available resources, including through a bioethical reflection on the topic. The Authors show the necessity to differentiate the various aspects of gender differences in adolescence medicine, providing arguments in support of the fact that interventions for health prevention and promotion should be modulated in relation to the gender of the recipients, emphasizing the most important aspects for each group of individuals. This approach could implement personalized medicine, even and especially considering gender differences, benefiting from the contribution that a bioethical reflection can provide.

Testosterone during pregnancy and gender role behavior of preschool children: a longitudinal, population study.

PubMed

Hines, Melissa; Golombok, Susan; Rust, John; Johnston, Katie J; Golding, Jean

2002-01-01

Levels of testosterone (T) and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) were measured in blood samples from pregnant women and related to gender role behavior in 342 male and 337 female offspring at the age of 3.5 years. Gender role behavior was assessed using the Pre-School Activities Inventory, a standardized measure on which a parent indicates the child's involvement with sex-typical toys, games, and activities. Levels of T, but not SHBG, related linearly to gender role behavior in preschool girls. Neither hormone related to gender role behavior in boys. Other factors, including the presence of older brothers or sisters in the home, parental adherence to traditional sex roles, the presence of a male partner in the home, and maternal education, did not relate to gender role behavior in this sample and did not account for the relation observed between T and behavior. Although other, unmeasured factors may explain the relation, the results suggest that normal variability in T levels prenatally may contribute to the development of individual differences in the gender role behavior of preschool girls.

Explaining sex differences in reactions to relationship infidelities: comparisons of the roles of sex, gender, beliefs, attachment, and sociosexual orientation.

PubMed

Brase, Gary L; Adair, Lora; Monk, Kale

2014-02-04

To the extent that sex differences are mediated by mechanisms such as sex-roles and beliefs, individual differences in these more proximate traits should account for significant portions of relevant sex differences. Differences between women and men in reactions to sexual and emotional infidelity were assessed in a large sample of participants (n = 477), and these target reactions were evaluated as a function of many potential proximate mediators (infidelity implications beliefs, gender-role beliefs, interpersonal trust, attachment style, sociosexuality, and culture of honor beliefs) and as a function of participant sex. Results found a consistent sex difference that was not mediated by any other variables, although a handful of other variables were related to male, but not female, individual differences. These findings suggest particularly promising directions for future research on integrating evolutionarily based sex differences and proximate individual differences.

Estimating the color of maxillary central incisors based on age and gender

PubMed Central

Gozalo-Diaz, David; Johnston, William M.; Wee, Alvin G.

2008-01-01

Statement of problem There is no scientific information regarding the selection of the color of teeth for edentulous patients. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate linear regression models that may be used to predict color parameters for central incisors of edentulous patients based on some characteristics of dentate subjects. Material and methods A spectroradiometer and an external light source were set in a noncontacting 45/0 degree (45-degree illumination and 0-degree observer) optical configuration to measure the color of subjects’ vital craniofacial structures (maxillary central incisor, attached gingiva, and facial skin). The subjects (n=120) were stratified into 5 age groups with 4 racial groups and balanced for gender. Linear first-order regression was used to determine the significant factors (α=.05) in the prediction model for each color direction of the color of the maxillary central incisor. Age, gender, and color of the other craniofacial structures were studied as potential predictors. Final predictions in each color direction were based only on the statistically significant factors, and then the color differences between observed and predicted CIELAB values for the central incisors were calculated and summarized. Results The statistically significant predictors of age and gender accounted for 36% of the total variability in L*. The statistically significant predictor of age accounted for 16% of the total variability in a*. The statistically significant predictors of age and gender accounted for 21% of the variability in b*. The mean ΔE (SD) between predicted and observed CIELAB values for the central incisor was 5.8 (3.2). Conclusions Age and gender were found to be statistically significant determinants in predicting the natural color of central incisors. Although the precision of these predictions was less than the median color difference found for all pairs of teeth studied, and may be considered an acceptable precision, further study is needed to reduce this precision to the limit of detection. Clinical Implications Age is highly correlated with the natural color of the central incisors. When age increases, the central incisor becomes darker, more reddish, and more yellow. Also, the women subjects in this study had lighter and less yellow central incisors than the men. PMID:18672125

Gender differences in recreational sports participation among Taiwanese adults.

PubMed

Tsai, Liang-Ting; Lo, Feng-En; Yang, Chih-Chien; Keller, Joseph Jordan; Lyu, Shu-Yu

2015-01-15

This study examines the gender differences in the enjoyment of recreational sports participation among Taiwanese adults. Data were obtained using the 2007 Taiwan Social Change Survey. The questionnaire included a topical module of the International Social Survey Program regarding leisure time and sports. Results showed that male subjects were more likely to participate in recreational sports to improve their appearance and on account of their personal interest. In addition to these factors, female subjects also experienced greater motivation to participate when Taiwanese athletes performed well in international sporting competitions. This study confirmed that the factors influencing enjoyment of recreational sports participation differ among men and women. These results can be used to better inform public health professionals and other regulatory organizations formulating physical activity intervention strategies.

Early onset of type 2 diabetes among visible minority and immigrant populations in Canada.

PubMed

Tenkorang, Eric Y

2017-06-01

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition that affects nearly over three million Canadians, including immigrants. The timing of the first onset of diabetes has been linked to several other severe diseases. Yet, there is a dearth of empirical studies that examine the timing of the first onset of diabetes among Canadians, in general, and among immigrants and ethnic minority populations within Canada, in particular. Applying event history techniques to the 2013 Canadian Community and Health Survey, we address this research void by examining factors that contribute to the first onset of diabetes among immigrant and visible minority populations in Canada (N = 8905). Given the gendered patterns in the epidemiology of diseases and the differences in risk factors for men and women, gender-specific models were estimated. Results showed that South Asian, Black and Filipino women developed diabetes earlier, compared to women from the UK. Similarly, South Asian, Chinese, Filipino, Black, South East Asian and Arab men developed diabetes earlier than men from the UK. A significant and important finding of this analysis was that the risks of developing diabetes vanished completely for Black and Filipino women, after accounting for lifestyle factors. For South Asian women, however, there was significant attenuation in their risks after accounting for lifestyle factors. The findings were strikingly different for immigrant men. Specifically, their risks of developing diabetes increased after accounting for lifestyle factors. These results suggest the development of gender-specific and lifestyle interventions, targeted at specific immigrant groups with increased risks of developing diabetes earlier in the life course.

The national trajectory project of individuals found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder. Part 5: how essential are gender-specific forensic psychiatric services?

PubMed

Nicholls, Tonia L; Crocker, Anne G; Seto, Michael C; Wilson, Catherine M; Charette, Yanick; Côté, Gilles

2015-03-01

To state the sociodemographic characteristics, mental health histories, index offence characteristics, and criminal histories of male and female forensic psychiatric patients. Clinicians and researchers advocate that mental health and criminal justice organizations implement gender-specific services; however, few studies have sampled forensic patients to evaluate the extent to which men's and women's treatment and management needs are different. Data were collected from Review Board files from May 2000 to April 2005 in the 3 largest Canadian provinces. Using official criminal records, participants were followed for 3 to 8 years, until December 2008. The final sample comprised 1800 individuals: 15.6% were women and 84.4% were men. There were few demographic differences, but women had higher psychosocial functioning than men. Both men and women had extensive mental health histories; women were more likely diagnosed with mood disorders and PDs and men were more likely diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and SUDs. The nature of the index offence did not differ by gender, except women were more likely to have perpetrated murders and attempted murders. For offences against a person, women were more likely to offend against offspring and partners and less likely to offend against strangers, compared with men. Women had significantly less extensive criminal histories than men. Not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder-accused women have a distinct psychosocial, clinical, and criminological profile from their male counterparts, which may suggest gender-specific assessment, risk management, and treatment in forensic services could benefit patients. The findings are also consistent with traditional models (Risk-Need-Responsivity) and ultimately demonstrate the importance of individual assessment and client-centred services.

Gender-role conflict and gender-role orientation in a sample of gay men.

PubMed

Choi, Namok; Herdman, Kevin; Fuqua, Dale R; Newman, Jody L

2011-01-01

This exploratory study was designed to examine the relationship between gender role dimensions derived from the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and the 4 dimensions of gender role conflict represented on the Gender Role Conflict Scale (GRCS) using a sample (N = 400) composed of exclusively gay men. Results from regression of 3 BSRI scores (femininity, social masculinity, personal masculinity) on the 4 subscale scores of the GRCS indicated that gender role conflict was most strongly and positively associated with the negative aspect of masculinity (social masculinity), accounting for about 11% of variability in social masculinity scores. In particular, the success-power-competition dimension of the GRCS was the major predictor of social masculinity in gay men. Gender role conflict was also strongly but negatively associated with femininity, accounting for approximately 10% of the variance in femininity scores among the men in the sample. Implications and recommendations for further studies are discussed.

The Role of Test Scores in Explaining Race and Gender Differences in Wages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackburn, McKinley L.

2004-01-01

Previous research has suggested that skills reflected in test-score performance on tests such as the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) can account for some of the racial differences in average wages. I use a more complete set of test scores available with the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 Cohort to reconsider this evidence, and…

Oral Sex, Young People, and Gendered Narratives of Reciprocity

PubMed Central

Lewis, Ruth; Marston, Cicely

2016-01-01

Young people in many countries report gender differences in giving and receiving oral sex, yet examination of young people’s own perspectives on gender dynamics in oral heterosex are relatively rare. We explored the constructs and discourses 16- to 18-year-old men and women in England used in their accounts of oral sex during in-depth interviews. Two contrasting constructs were in circulation in the accounts: on one hand, oral sex on men and women was narrated as equivalent, while on the other, oral sex on women was seen as “a bigger deal” than oral sex on men. Young men and women used a “give and take” discourse, which constructed the mutual exchange of oral sex as “fair.” Appeals to an ethic of reciprocity in oral sex enabled women to present themselves as demanding equality in their sexual interactions, and men as supporting mutuality. However, we show how these ostensibly positive discourses about equality also worked in narratives to obscure women’s constrained agency and work with respect to giving oral sex. PMID:26849152

Re/Theorising Gender: Female Masculinity and Male Femininity in the Classroom?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Becky

2010-01-01

Recent gender theorising has been enlivened by post-structuralist accounts of gender as "disembodied"; the reading of gender performances as distinct from sexed bodies. However, there has been little application of such theoretical positions to empirical analysis in gender and education. This article employs two such positions--that of…

Motivational factors, gender and engineering education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolmos, Anette; Mejlgaard, Niels; Haase, Sanne; Egelund Holgaard, Jette

2013-06-01

Based on survey data covering the full population of students enrolled in Danish engineering education in autumn 2010, we explore the motivational factors behind educational choice, with a particular aim of comparing male and female students1 reasons for choosing a career in engineering. We find that women are significantly more influenced by mentors than men, while men tend to be more motivated by intrinsic and financial factors, and by the social importance of the engineering profession. Parental influence is low across all programmes and by differentiating between specific clusters of engineering programmes, we further show that these overall gender differences are subtle and that motivational factors are unequally important across the different educational programmes. The findings from this study clearly indicate that intrinsic and social motivations are the most important motivational factors; however, gender and programme differentiation needs to be taken into account, and points towards diverse future strategies for attracting students to engineering education.

Gender differences and gender convergence in alcohol use over the past three decades (1984-2008), The HUNT Study, Norway.

PubMed

Bratberg, Grete Helen; C Wilsnack, Sharon; Wilsnack, Richard; Håvås Haugland, Siri; Krokstad, Steinar; Sund, Erik Reidar; Bjørngaard, Johan Haakon

2016-08-05

To examine changes in men's and women's drinking in Norway over a 20-year period, in order to learn whether such changes have led to gender convergence in alcohol drinking. Repeated cross-sectional studies (in 1984-86, 1995-97, and 2006-08) of a large general population living in a geographically defined area (county) in Norway. Information about alcohol drinking is based on self-report questionnaires. Not all measures were assessed in all three surveys. Adult alcohol drinking patterns have changed markedly over a 20-year period. Abstaining has become rarer while consumption and rates of recent drinking and problematic drinking have increased. Most changes were in the same direction for men and women, but women have moved towards men's drinking patterns in abstaining, recent drinking, problematic drinking and consumption. Intoxication (among recent drinkers) has decreased in both genders, but more in men than in women. The declines in gender differences, however, were age-specific and varied depending on which drinking behavior and which beverage was taken into account. There has been a gender convergence in most drinking behaviours, including lifetime history of problem drinking, over the past 2-3 decades in this Norwegian general population, but the reasons for this convergence appear to be complex.

Relationship between children's intelligence and their emotional/behavioral problems and social competence: gender differences in first graders.

PubMed

Tong, Lian; Shinohara, Ryoji; Sugisawa, Yuka; Tanaka, Emiko; Watanabe, Taeko; Onda, Yoko; Kawashima, Yuri; Yato, Yuko; Yamakawa, Noriko; Koeda, Tatsuya; Ishida, Hiraku; Terakawa, Shinako; Seki, Ayumi; Anme, Tokie

2010-01-01

The present study examines gender differences in the correlations between intelligence and developmental problems as well as social competence in first graders. Ninety parent-child dyads participated in this study. The children comprised 7-year-olds recruited from the first grade of an elementary school. All the children were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Third Edition (WISC-III), Parent-child Interaction Rating Scale (IRS), and the parent report version of Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). The findings clarified that the processing speed of boys significantly correlated with their peer relationship. On the other hand, the emotional symptoms exhibited by girls had a more common association with their intellectual abilities. The correlations between parenting and intellectual abilities differed in boys and girls. Children's gender should be taken into account when assessing the diversity in their intellectual abilities and developmental problems. Moreover, parenting also influences the development of children in various ways.

The Nature-Nurture Debates: 25 Years of Challenges in Understanding the Psychology of Gender.

PubMed

Eagly, Alice H; Wood, Wendy

2013-05-01

Nature-nurture debates continue to be highly contentious in the psychology of gender despite the common recognition that both types of causal explanations are important. In this article, we provide a historical analysis of the vicissitudes of nature and nurture explanations of sex differences and similarities during the quarter century since the founding of the Association for Psychological Science. We consider how the increasing use of meta-analysis helped to clarify sex difference findings if not the causal explanations for these effects. To illustrate these developments, this article describes socialization and preferences for mates as two important areas of gender research. We also highlight developing research trends that address the interactive processes by which nature and nurture work together in producing sex differences and similarities. Such theorizing holds the promise of better science as well as a more coherent account of the psychology of women and men that should prove to be more influential with the broader public. © The Author(s) 2013.

The impact of job and family demands on partner's fatigue: A study of Japanese dual-earner parents.

PubMed

Watanabe, Mayumi; Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B; Demerouti, Evangelia; Shimada, Kyoko; Kawakami, Norito

2017-01-01

This study of Japanese dual-earner couples examined the impact of family and job demands on one's own and one's partner's fatigue as well as gender differences in these effects. A total of 2,502 parents (1,251 couples) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. A crossover model was tested using structural equation modeling. The results of structural equation modeling analyses showed that both job and family demands independently exacerbated fatigue. There was an indirect effect of job and family demands on partner fatigue through one's own fatigue only from husbands to wives. An indirect effect of job demands on partner fatigue through partner's family demands was identified only from wives to husbands. Furthermore, there were gender differences in the crossover of fatigue. This study shows that job and family demands influence family circumstances. When considering means to reduce employees' fatigue, gender differences in the mechanism of fatigue need to be taken into account.

Relationship between Children’s Intelligence and Their Emotional/Behavioral Problems and Social Competence: Gender Differences in First Graders

PubMed Central

Tong, Lian; Shinohara, Ryoji; Sugisawa, Yuka; Tanaka, Emiko; Watanabe, Taeko; Onda, Yoko; Kawashima, Yuri; Yato, Yuko; Yamakawa, Noriko; Koeda, Tatsuya; Ishida, Hiraku; Terakawa, Shinako; Seki, Ayumi; Anme, Tokie

2010-01-01

Background The present study examines gender differences in the correlations between intelligence and developmental problems as well as social competence in first graders. Methods Ninety parent-child dyads participated in this study. The children comprised 7-year-olds recruited from the first grade of an elementary school. All the children were administered the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Third Edition (WISC-III), Parent-child Interaction Rating Scale (IRS), and the parent report version of Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results The findings clarified that the processing speed of boys significantly correlated with their peer relationship. On the other hand, the emotional symptoms exhibited by girls had a more common association with their intellectual abilities. The correlations between parenting and intellectual abilities differed in boys and girls. Conclusions Children’s gender should be taken into account when assessing the diversity in their intellectual abilities and developmental problems. Moreover, parenting also influences the development of children in various ways. PMID:20179377

A facial attractiveness account of gender asymmetries in interracial marriage.

PubMed

Lewis, Michael B

2012-01-01

In the US and UK, more Black men are married to White women than vice versa and there are more White men married to Asian women than vice versa. Models of interracial marriage, based on the exchange of racial status for other capital, cannot explain these asymmetries. A new explanation is offered based on the relative perceived facial attractiveness of the different race-by-gender groups. This explanation was tested using a survey of perceived facial attractiveness. This found that Black males are perceived as more attractive than White or East Asian males whereas among females, it is the East Asians that are perceived as most attractive on average. Incorporating these attractiveness patterns into the model of marriage decisions produces asymmetries in interracial marriage similar to those in the observed data in terms of direction and relative size. This model does not require differences in status between races nor different strategies based on gender. Predictions are also generated regarding the relative attractiveness of those engaging in interracial marriage.

Gender differences in navigational memory: pilots vs. nonpilots.

PubMed

Verde, Paola; Piccardi, Laura; Bianchini, Filippo; Guariglia, Cecilia; Carrozzo, Paolo; Morgagni, Fabio; Boccia, Maddalena; Di Fiore, Giacomo; Tomao, Enrico

2015-02-01

The coding of space as near and far is not only determined by arm-reaching distance, but is also dependent on how the brain represents the extension of the body space. Recent reports suggest that the dissociation between reaching and navigational space is not limited to perception and action but also involves memory systems. It has been reported that gender differences emerged only in adverse learning conditions that required strong spatial ability. In this study we investigated navigational versus reaching memory in air force pilots and a control group without flight experience. We took into account temporal duration (working memory and long-term memory) and focused on working memory, which is considered critical in the gender differences literature. We found no gender effects or flight hour effects in pilots but observed gender effects in working memory (but not in learning and delayed recall) in the nonpilot population (Women's mean = 5.33; SD= 0.90; Men's mean = 5.54; SD= 0.90). We also observed a difference between pilots and nonpilots in the maintenance of on-line reaching information: pilots (mean = 5.85; SD=0.76) were more efficient than nonpilots (mean = 5.21; SD=0.83) and managed this type of information similarly to that concerning navigational space. In the navigational learning phase they also showed better navigational memory (mean = 137.83; SD=5.81) than nonpilots (mean = 126.96; SD=15.81) and were significantly more proficient than the latter group. There is no gender difference in a population of pilots in terms of navigational abilities, while it emerges in a control group without flight experience. We found also that pilots performed better than nonpilots. This study suggests that once selected, male and female pilots do not differ from each other in visuo-spatial abilities and spatial navigation.

Women's mental health research: the emergence of a biomedical field.

PubMed

Blehar, Mary C

2006-01-01

This review surveys the field of women's mental health, with particular emphasis on its evolution into a distinct area of biomedical research. The field employs a biomedical disease model but it also emphasizes social and cultural influences on health outcomes. In recent years, its scope has expanded beyond studies of disorders occurring in women at times of reproductive transitions and it now encompasses a broader study of sex and gender differences. Historical and conceptual influences on the field are discussed. The review also surveys gender differences in the prevalence and clinical manifestations of mental disorders. Epidemiological findings have provided a rich resource for theory development, but without research tools to test theories adequately, findings of gender differences have begged the question of their biological, social, and cultural origins. Clinical depression is used to exemplify the usefulness of a sex/gender perspective in understanding mental illness; and major theories proposed to account for gender differences are critically evaluated. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary federal funding source for biomedical women's mental health research. The review surveys areas of emphasis in women's mental health research at the NIH as well as some collaborative activities that represent efforts to translate research findings into the public health and services arenas. As new analytic methods become available, it is anticipated that a more fundamental understanding of the biological and behavioral mechanisms underlying sex and gender differences in mental illness will emerge. Nonetheless, it is also likely that integration of findings predicated on different conceptual models of the nature and causes of mental illness will remain a challenge. These issues are discussed with reference to their impact on the field of women's mental health research.

The Gender Gap in Second Language Acquisition: Gender Differences in the Acquisition of Dutch among Immigrants from 88 Countries with 49 Mother Tongues

PubMed Central

van der Slik, Frans W. P.; van Hout, Roeland W. N. M.; Schepens, Job J.

2015-01-01

Gender differences were analyzed across countries of origin and continents, and across mother tongues and language families, using a large-scale database, containing information on 27,119 adult learners of Dutch as a second language. Female learners consistently outperformed male learners in speaking and writing proficiency in Dutch as a second language. This gender gap remained remarkably robust and constant when other learner characteristics were taken into account, such as education, age of arrival, length of residence and hours studying Dutch. For reading and listening skills in Dutch, no gender gap was found. In addition, we found a general gender by education effect for all four language skills in Dutch for speaking, writing, reading, and listening. Female language learners turned out to profit more from higher educational training than male learners do in adult second language acquisition. These findings do not seem to match nurture-oriented explanatory frameworks based for instance on a human capital approach or gender-specific acculturation processes. Rather, they seem to corroborate a nature-based, gene-environment correlational framework in which language proficiency being a genetically-influenced ability interacting with environmental factors such as motivation, orientation, education, and learner strategies that still mediate between endowment and acquiring language proficiency at an adult stage. PMID:26540465

The Association between Heavy Episodic Drinking and Gender Orientation among U.S. College Students: The Significance of Masculinity.

PubMed

Peralta, Robert L; L Mulhollem, Marcella; Blue, Courtney; Stewart, Breanna C

2018-05-12

Heavy episodic drinking (HED) remains a public health concern among college students. Sex differences are routinely reported in the literature although some evidence of convergence in drinking patterns has been observed. The association between sex and gender-orientation in HED remains unclear because sex and gender are often conflated. We examine the intersection of sex, gender-orientation and HED to determine if gender-orientation alone and/or in conjunction with sex play a role in HED among college students. Data were collected using a web-based self-administered survey made available to students enrolled in courses at a mid-sized Midwestern public university during the Fall of 2013 and the Spring of 2014 (N = 793). Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between HED, sex, and gender orientation (measured using the short-form Bem Sex Role Inventory). Our findings indicate that, regardless of sex, a masculine gender-orientation was positively associated with HED. Those who were found to have a feminine gender-orientation appeared to be at decreased risk for HED. Our findings indicate that sex and gender-orientation should be taken into account in prevention and intervention protocols at colleges and universities. Future work should examine the role of gender orientation among LGBTQ and ethno-racial minority populations.

Gauging the Impact of Gender Grammaticization in Different Languages: Application of a Linguistic-Visual Paradigm

PubMed Central

Sato, Sayaka; Gygax, Pascal M.; Gabriel, Ute

2016-01-01

Employing a linguistic-visual paradigm, we investigated whether the grammaticization of gender information impacts readers’ gender representations. French and German were taken as comparative languages, taking into account the male gender bias associated to both languages, as well as the comparative gender biases associated to their plural determiners (French: les [generic] vs. German: die [morphologically feminine]). Bilingual speakers of French and German had to judge whether a pair of facial images representing two men or a man and a woman could represent a gender stereotypical role noun prime (e.g., nurses). The prime was presented in the masculine plural form with or without a plural determiner. Results indicated that the overt grammaticization of the male gender in the masculine form dominated the representation of the role nouns (though interpretable as generic). However, the effect of the determiner was not found, indicating that only gender information associated to a human reference role noun had impacted readers’ representations. The results, discussed in the framework of the thinking-for-speaking hypothesis, demonstrated that linguistic-visual paradigms are well-suited to gauge the impact of both stereotype information and grammaticization when processing role nouns. PMID:26941663

Comparing the utility of the theory of planned behavior between boys and girls for predicting snack food consumption: implications for practice.

PubMed

Branscum, Paul; Sharma, Manoj

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use the theory of planned behavior to explain two types of snack food consumption among boys and girls (girls n = 98; boys n = 69), which may have implications for future theory-based health promotion interventions. Between genders, there was a significant difference for calorie-dense/nutrient-poor snacks (p = .002), but no difference for fruit and vegetable snacks. Using stepwise multiple regression, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms accounted for a large amount of the variance of intentions (girls = 43.3%; boys = 55.9%); however, for girls, subjective norms accounted for the most variance, whereas for boys, attitudes accounted for the most variance. Calories from calorie-dense/nutrient-poor snacks and fruit and vegetable snacks were also predicted by intentions. For boys, intentions predicted 6.4% of the variance for fruit and vegetable snacks (p = .03) but was not significant for calorie-dense/nutrient-poor snacks, whereas for girls, intentions predicted 6.0% of the variance for fruit and vegetable snacks (p = .007), and 7.2% of the variance for calorie-dense/nutrient-poor snacks (p = .004). Results suggest that the theory of planned behavior is a useful framework for predicting snack foods among children; however, there are important differences between genders that should be considered in future health promotion interventions.

Gender Dysphoria and Gender Change in Disorders of Sex Development/Intersex Conditions: Results From the dsd-LIFE Study.

PubMed

Kreukels, Baudewijntje P C; Köhler, Birgit; Nordenström, Anna; Roehle, Robert; Thyen, Ute; Bouvattier, Claire; de Vries, Annelou L C; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T

2018-05-01

Information on the psychosexual outcome of individuals with disorders of sex development (DSDs) and intersex conditions is of great importance for sex assignment at birth of newborns with DSD. To assess gender change and gender dysphoria in a large sample of individuals with different DSDs. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 14 European centers with 1,040 participants (717 female-identifying and 311 male-identifying persons and 12 persons identifying with another gender) with different forms of DSD. The cohort (mean age = 32.36 years, SD = 13.57) was divided into 6 major subgroups: women with 45,X DSD and variants (Turner syndrome; n = 325), men with 47,XXY DSD and variants (Klinefelter syndrome; n = 219), women with XY DSD without androgen effects (n = 107) and with androgen effects (n = 63), men with XY DSD (n = 87), and women with 46,XX congenital adrenal hyperplasia (n = 221). Data on psychosexual outcome were gathered by medical interviews and questionnaires. Gender change and gender dysphoria. Although gender changes were reported by 5% of participants, only in 1% (3% if those with Klinefelter and Turner syndromes-conditions in which gender issues are not prominent-are excluded) did the gender change take place after puberty and was likely initiated by the patient. 39 participants (4%) reported gender variance: between male and female, a gender other than male or female, or gender queer, alternating gender roles, or a gender expression that differed from the reported gender. This group had lower self-esteem and more anxiety and depression than the other participants. Clinicians should be aware of and sensitive to the possibility that their patients with DSD not only might have transgender feelings and a desire to change gender, but also identify as different from male or female. The complexity of their feelings might require counseling for some patients. The study is unique in the large number of participants from many different clinics, with sizable numbers in most subgroups, and in the large number of aspects that were measured. However, the very broadness of the study made it impossible to focus in detail on gender issues. Also, there is a need for instruments specifically measuring gender dysphoria in individuals with DSD that take non-binary genders into account. To make appropriate gender care possible for people with DSD, the gender-normative and gender-variant development of children with DSD should be studied in longitudinal studies. Kreukels BPC, Köhler B, Nordenström A, et al. Gender Dysphoria and Gender Change in Disorders of Sex Development/Intersex Conditions: Results From the dsd-LIFE Study. J Sex Med 2018;15:777-785. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Women's Work is Harder: The Arduous Task of Becoming an Expert.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horgan, Dianne D.

Despite advances made by women, male professionals still outperform and outearn women professionals. Various explanations have been put forth, including gender discrimination, biological and/or socialization differences between the sexes and differential demands of parenthood. However, none of these explanations seems to account for the magnitude…

Leading and Managing: Effects of Context, Culture, and Gender.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolman, Lee G.; Deal, Terrence E.

1992-01-01

Examines the relationship between management and leadership for school administrators in the United States and in Singapore. In both places, administrators were asked to write accounts of challenging leadership incidents. Analyses of cognitive patterns indicate that national boundaries make a difference, and the patterns for managerial and…

Child Socialization among Native Americans: The Lakota (Sioux) in Cultural Context.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medicine, Beatrice

1985-01-01

Child socialization research among American Indians must account for tribal differences, examining gender roles in a given tribal culture, and employing studies of enculturation and acculturation, life histories, and ethnographies. Child socialization in the Teton Sioux or Lakota tribe can be used to illustrate these research techniques. The…

Three Models of Education: Rights, Capabilities and Human Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robeyns, Ingrid

2006-01-01

This article analyses three normative accounts that can underlie educational policies, with special attention to gender issues. These three models of education are human capital theory, rights discourses and the capability approach. I first outline five different roles that education can play. Then I analyse these three models of educational…

Gender and age differences in suicide mortality in the context of violent death: findings from a multi-state population-based surveillance system.

PubMed

Bozzay, Melanie L; Liu, Richard T; Kleiman, Evan M

2014-07-01

Males are more likely than females to die by all forms of violent death, including suicide. The primary purpose of the present study was to explore whether the gender difference in suicide rates is largely accounted for by males' general greater tendency to experience violent deaths. The current study examined gender and age differences in suicides and other violent deaths, using data from a population-based surveillance system. Pearson's chi-square tests and logistic regression analyses were conducted with data for 32,107 decedents in the 2003-2005 National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). Decedents were categorized by gender, age, and death by suicide versus other violent means. When suicides were examined in the greater context of violent death, the total proportion of violent deaths due to suicide did not differ across gender. When deaths were examined by age group, after controlling for ethnicity, marital status, and U.S. location in which the death occurred, males in early to mid childhood were significantly more likely than same-aged females to die by suicide relative to all other violent deaths. The portion of deaths due to suicide was for the most part equal across both genders in late childhood, young adulthood, and mid-adulthood. Older males were more likely than older females to die by suicide relative to other violent deaths. Our findings suggest that that the risk of dying by suicide relative to other violent deaths may be more pronounced at certain developmental stages for each gender. This knowledge may be valuable in tailoring prevention strategies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Aiming in adults: sex and laterality effects.

PubMed

Barral, Jérôme; Debû, Bettina

2004-07-01

The purpose of the study was to twofold: to investigate gender-related differences in the asymmetry of aiming with the preferred and non-preferred hand in right-handed adults, and to examine the effect of the spatial requirements of the task on these asymmetries. The hypothesis was that if cognitive functions are more asymmetrically localised in men than in women, one should observe greater left-right differences on some variables in men than in women. Eleven men and eleven women were required to aim fast and accurately at one of three possible targets under a choice reaction time protocol. Performance and kinematics data were analysed. Results revealed an effect of target location on the left hand advantage in reaction time, and gender-related effects on movement time, accuracy, and on the velocity profiles. Overall, women performed more slowly and accurately than men. This gender-related effect could not be accounted for by differential strategies with regard to speed or accuracy, lending support to the idea that differences exist in the neural mechanisms of movement control between the two genders. Finally, although the results show a hand effect on terminal accuracy in men only, they do not support the hypothesis of a greater asymmetry of movement control in men.

Addictive Internet Use among Korean Adolescents: A National Survey

PubMed Central

Heo, Jongho; Oh, Juhwan; Subramanian, S. V.; Kim, Yoon; Kawachi, Ichiro

2014-01-01

Background A psychological disorder called ‘Internet addiction’ has newly emerged along with a dramatic increase of worldwide Internet use. However, few studies have used population-level samples nor taken into account contextual factors on Internet addiction. Methods and Findings We identified 57,857 middle and high school students (13–18 year olds) from a Korean nationally representative survey, which was surveyed in 2009. To identify associated factors with addictive Internet use, two-level multilevel regression models were fitted with individual-level responses (1st level) nested within schools (2nd level) to estimate associations of individual and school characteristics simultaneously. Gender differences of addictive Internet use were estimated with the regression model stratified by gender. Significant associations were found between addictive Internet use and school grade, parental education, alcohol use, tobacco use, and substance use. Female students in girls' schools were more likely to use Internet addictively than those in coeducational schools. Our results also revealed significant gender differences of addictive Internet use in its associated individual- and school-level factors. Conclusions Our results suggest that multilevel risk factors along with gender differences should be considered to protect adolescents from addictive Internet use. PMID:24505318

The Relative Performance of Female and Male Students in Accounting Principles Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouillon, Marvin L.; Doran, B. Michael

1992-01-01

The performance of female and male students in Accounting Principles (AP) I and II was compared by using multiple regression techniques to assess the incremental explanatory effects of gender. Males significantly outperformed females in AP I, contradicting earlier studies. Similar gender of instructor and student was insignificant. (JOW)

The roles of gender and profession on gender role expectations of pain in health care professionals.

PubMed

Wesolowicz, Danielle M; Clark, Jaylyn F; Boissoneault, Jeff; Robinson, Michael E

2018-01-01

Gender-related stereotypes of pain may account for some assessment and treatment disparities among patients. Among health care providers, demographic factors including gender and profession may influence the use of gender cues in pain management decision-making. The Gender Role Expectations of Pain Questionnaire was developed to assess gender-related stereotypic attributions of pain regarding sensitivity, endurance, and willingness to report pain, and has not yet been used in a sample of health care providers. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of gender role expectation of pain among health care providers. It was hypothesized that health care providers of both genders would endorse gender stereotypic views of pain and physicians would be more likely than dentists to endorse these views. One-hundred and sixty-nine providers (89 dentists, 80 physicians; 40% women) were recruited as part of a larger study examining providers' use of demographic cues in making pain management decisions. Participants completed the Gender Role Expectations of Pain Questionnaire to assess the participant's views of gender differences in pain sensitivity, pain endurance, and willingness to report pain. Results of repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that health care providers of both genders endorsed stereotypic views of pain regarding willingness to report pain ( F (1,165) =34.241, P <0.001; d =0.479). Furthermore, female dentists rated men as having less endurance than women ( F (1,165) =4.654, P =0.032; d =0.333). These findings affirm the presence of some gender-related stereotypic views among health care providers and suggest the presence of a view among health care providers that men are underreporting their pain in comparison to women. Future work can refine the effects of social learning history and other psychosocial factors that contribute to gender and provider differences in pain management decisions.

Barriers to meditation by gender and age among cancer family caregivers.

PubMed

Williams, Anna-Leila; Ness, Peter Van; Dixon, Jane; McCorkle, Ruth

2012-01-01

Despite solid basic science research supporting meditation's physiologic benefits, meditation remains a marginalized practice for many Westerners; observational and descriptive studies indicate a spectrum of barriers to meditation practice. The aim of this study was to determine differences in barriers to meditation by gender and age. A cross-sectional survey study of 150 family caregivers to adults with cancer visiting an outpatient chemotherapy center in Connecticut was conducted. The primary outcome was the Determinants of Meditation Practice Inventory. Explanatory variables included demographic characteristics, Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale, Big Five Inventory, and Caregiver Reaction Assessment. Participants included 98 women and 52 men. Age range was 18-84 years (M = 52.3 years). The highest frequency of barriers for both genders related to misconceptions about meditation. The total number of barriers to meditation did not significantly vary by gender (p = .10) nor age (p = .27). After adjusting for personality trait, reactions to caregiving, and emotional distress, gender (adjusted β = 0.81, SE = 1.70, p = .63) and age (adjusted β = 0.02, SE = 0.05, p = .67) still did not predict the number of barriers to meditation. Backward elimination in model building showed that personality trait and reactions to caregiving account for 32% of the variability in barriers. The total number of barriers to meditation was examined, and a difference was not found by age or gender. It is possible that differences by age and gender exist at the item level of evaluation but were not evident when evaluating total scores. Further study is needed with samples large enough to have statistical power for item-level analysis.

Picture reality decision, semantic categories and gender. A new set of pictures, with norms and an experimental study.

PubMed

Barbarotto, Riccardo; Laiacona, Marcella; Macchi, Valeria; Capitani, Erminio

2002-01-01

We present a new corpus of 80 pictures of unreal objects, useful for a controlled assessment of object reality decision. The new pictures were assembled from parts of the Snodgrass and Vanderwart [J. Exp. Psychol., Hum. Learning Memory 6; 1980: 174] set and were devised for the purpose of contrasting natural categories (animals, fruits and vegetables), artefacts (tools, vehicles and furniture), body parts and musical instruments. We examined 140 normal subjects in a free-choice and a multiple-choice object decision task, assembled with 80 pictures of real objects and above 80 new pictures of unreal objects in order to obtain a difficulty index for each picture. We found that the tasks were more difficult with pictures representing natural entities than with pictures of artefacts. We found a gender by category interaction, with a female superiority with some natural categories (fruits and vegetables, but not animals), and a male advantage with artefacts. On this basis, the difficulty index we calculated for each picture is separately reported for males and females. We discuss the possible origin of the gender effect, which has been found with the same categories in other tasks and has a counterpart in the different familiarity of the stimuli for males and females. In particular, we contrast explanations based on socially determined gender differences with accounts based on evolutionary pressures. We further comment on the relationship between data from normal subjects and the domain-specific account of semantic category dissociations observed in brain-damaged patients.

Simultaneous monitoring of maternal and fetal heart rate variability during labor in relation with fetal gender.

PubMed

Gonçalves, Hernâni; Fernandes, Diana; Pinto, Paula; Ayres-de-Campos, Diogo; Bernardes, João

2017-11-01

Male gender is considered a risk factor for several adverse perinatal outcomes. Fetal gender effect on fetal heart rate (FHR) has been subject of several studies with contradictory results. The importance of maternal heart rate (MHR) monitoring during labor has also been investigated, but less is known about the effect of fetal gender on MHR. The aim of this study is to simultaneously assess maternal and FHR variability during labor in relation with fetal gender. Simultaneous MHR and FHR recordings were obtained from 44 singleton term pregnancies during the last 2 hr of labor (H 1, H 2 ). Heart rate tracings were analyzed using linear (time- and frequency-domain) and nonlinear indices. Both linear and nonlinear components were considered in assessing FHR and MHR interaction, including cross-sample entropy (cross-SampEn). Mothers carrying male fetuses (n = 22) had significantly higher values for linear indices related with MHR average and variability and sympatho-vagal balance, while the opposite occurred in the high-frequency component and most nonlinear indices. Significant differences in FHR were only observed in H 1 with higher entropy values in female fetuses. Assessing the differences between FHR and MHR, statistically significant differences were obtained in most nonlinear indices between genders. A significantly higher cross-SampEn was observed in mothers carrying female fetuses (n = 22), denoting lower synchrony or similarity between MHR and FHR. The variability of MHR and the synchrony/similarity between MHR and FHR vary with respect to fetal gender during labor. These findings suggest that fetal gender needs to be taken into account when simultaneously monitoring MHR and FHR. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maternal Child Sexual Abuse Is Associated With Lower Maternal Warmth Toward Daughters but Not Sons.

PubMed

Cross, Dorthie; Kim, Ye Ji; Vance, L Alexander; Robinson, Gabriella; Jovanovic, Tanja; Bradley, Bekh

2016-01-01

Mothers with a history of child sexual abuse report less warmth toward their children, but whether this association differs by child gender is unknown. We examined the association of maternal child sexual abuse and warmth across child gender, accounting for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and child physical abuse. We verbally administered self-report measures to a cross-sectional sample of 154 mothers with a child between 8 and 12 years old. Eighty-five mothers based warmth responses on a son, and 69 on a daughter. We conducted a hierarchical multiple regression, including child gender, maternal child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and 4 two-way interaction terms with child gender. Maternal depression predicted decreased warmth, regardless of child gender, and maternal child sexual abuse predicted decreased warmth, but only toward daughters. Given previous research suggesting that maternal warmth predicts child well-being, the current finding may represent an important avenue of intergenerational transmission of risk in girls.

Gender and Material Transfers between Older Parents and Children in Ismailia, Egypt

PubMed Central

Yount, Kathryn M.; Cunningham, Solveig A.; Engelman, Michal; Agree, Emily M.

2011-01-01

In Egypt, kin relations have been governed by a patriarchal contract, which defines expectations for intergenerational support along gendered lines. Social changes may be disrupting these customs and bringing attention to the ways gender may influence intergenerational support in rapidly changing contexts. Using data from 4,465 parent–child dyads in Ismailia, Egypt, we examined whether intergenerational material transfers favored women over men and whether gaps in needs and endowments accounted for gender differences in transfers. Fathers gave children money and goods more often than did mothers; mothers received material transfers from children more often than did fathers. Compared to sons, daughters made transfers to parents less often and received transfers from parents more often. We found residual advantages to mothers and daughters, even adjusting for differential needs and endowments. Findings corroborate persistent norms of gender complementarity, patrilocal endogamy, and reciprocation for women’s caregiving, despite changes that have threatened patriarchal rules of exchange. PMID:22448075

Maternal Child Sexual Abuse Is Associated With Lower Maternal Warmth Toward Daughters but Not Sons

PubMed Central

Cross, Dorthie; Kim, Ye Ji; Vance, L. Alexander; Robinson, Gabriella; Jovanovic, Tanja; Bradley, Bekh

2017-01-01

Mothers with a history of child sexual abuse report less warmth toward their children, but whether this association differs by child gender is unknown. We examined the association of maternal child sexual abuse and warmth across child gender, accounting for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and child physical abuse. We verbally administered self-report measures to a cross-sectional sample of 154 mothers with a child between 8 and 12 years old. Eighty-five mothers based warmth responses on a son, and 69 on a daughter. We conducted a hierarchical multiple regression, including child gender, maternal child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and 4 two-way interaction terms with child gender. Maternal depression predicted decreased warmth, regardless of child gender, and maternal child sexual abuse predicted decreased warmth, but only toward daughters. Given previous research suggesting that maternal warmth predicts child well-being, the current finding may represent an important avenue of intergenerational transmission of risk in girls. PMID:27874726

[Differences in AIDS prevention among young men and women of public schools in Brazil].

PubMed

Antunes, Maria Cristina; Peres, Camila Alves; Paiva, Vera; Stall, Ron; Hearst, Norman

2002-08-01

To investigate risk sexual for HIV infection among young adult night school students (18 to 25 years old) and to assess gender differences in sexual practices and the impact of AIDS prevention program. A longitudinal intervention study was carried out among students of four public inner-city night schools, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, randomized into two groups: an intervention group and a control one. Three hundred and ninety-four students participated in the study; 77% completed the post-intervention questionnaire. The intervention consisted of a "Safer Sex Workshop" where the following topics were discussed: Aids symbolism, risk perception, influences of gender norms on attitudes, Aids-related knowledge, erotic and reproductive body, sexual pleasure, and condom use negotiation. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson's Chi-square test and variance. The frequency of condom use was low (33%). There were significant gender differences concerning sexuality and AIDS prevention. Workshop evaluation showed a statistically significant impact on women, who improved chiefly their attitudes regarding safer sex. Changes were not significant among men. HIV risk infection can be lowered but more significant results can be achieved if gender differences and sexual scripts are taken into account while developing specific long-term community programs.

Heterogeneous patterns of health status among immigrants in Spain.

PubMed

Villarroel, Nazmy; Artazcoz, Lucía

2012-11-01

(1) To analyse differences in the self-perceived health and mental health status between the Spanish population and immigrants from the seven leading countries in terms of number of immigrants; (2) to examine whether differences are accounted for by socio-economic characteristics, and (3) to determine whether the patterns of associations differ by gender. Data come from the 2006 Spanish National Health Survey. The sample was composed of all 20-64 year old Spaniards and immigrants from the seven countries with most immigrants in Spain (Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Romania and Morocco) [n=20,731]. In both sexes, people from Bolivia had poorer health outcomes, above all Bolivian males. Conversely, people from Argentina and Colombia had the best health outcomes. For the rest of the countries varied results depending on gender, country and health indicator were found. Differences in health status between people born in Spain and foreign-born people depend on relationships between country of birth, characteristics of the migration process, gender, ethnicity and the health outcome analyzed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does gender matter? An analysis of men's and women's accounts of responding to symptoms of lung cancer.

PubMed

MacLean, Alice; Hunt, Kate; Smith, Sarah; Wyke, Sally

2017-10-01

Men are often portrayed - in research studies, 'common-sense' accounts and popular media - as reluctant users of health services. They are said to avoid going to the GP whenever possible, while women are portrayed, in presumed opposition, as consulting more readily, more frequently and with less serious complaints. Such stereotypes may inadvertently encourage doctors to pay greater heed to men's symptoms in 'routine' consultations. Although previous research has challenged this view with evidence, and suggested that links between gender identities and help-seeking are complex and fluid, gender comparative studies remain uncommon, and particularly few studies (either qualitative or quantitative) compare men and women with similar morbidity. We contribute here to gender comparative research on help-seeking by investigating men's and women's accounts of responding to symptoms later diagnosed as lung cancer. A secondary analysis of qualitative interviews with 27 men and 18 women attending Scottish cancer centres revealed striking similarities between men's and women's accounts. Participants were seen as negotiating a complex and delicate balance in constructing their moral integrity as, on the one hand, responsible service users who were conscious of the demands on health care professionals' time, and as patients who did not take undue risks with their health, in the context of an illness for which people are often held culpable, on the other. In accounting for their responses to symptoms, men and women drew equally on culturally-embedded moral frameworks of stoicism and responsible service use. Regardless of gender, the accounts portrayed participants as stoic in response to illness and responsible service users; and as people seeking explanations for bodily changes and taking appropriate and timely action. Our analysis challenges simplistic, 'common-sense' views of gendered help-seeking and highlights that both men and women need support to consult their doctor for investigation of significant or concerning bodily changes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Factorial invariance of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale across gender.

PubMed

South, Susan C; Krueger, Robert F; Iacono, William G

2009-12-01

The Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS; G. B. Spanier, 1976) is the most widely used inventory of relationship satisfaction in the social sciences, yet the question of whether it is measuring the same concept in men and women has never been addressed. In the current study, the authors examined the factor structure of the DAS in a sample of 900 currently married couples who participated in the Minnesota Twin Family Study. Confirmatory factor analysis was applied to a second-order factor solution with Spanier's four factors (Dyadic Consensus, Dyadic Satisfaction, Dyadic Cohesion, Affectional Expression) loading on one higher order factor (Relationship Adjustment), to test for measurement invariance across gender. The second-order solution was relatively invariant across gender, even when taking into account the nonindependent nature of the data. This suggests that the best conceptualization of the DAS is one of a gender-invariant measure of marital adjustment with four distinct subfactors and that differences between men and women on any of these constructs can be interpreted by both clinicians and researchers as true mean differences rather than measurement bias.

Quantitative evaluation of gender bias in astronomical publications from citation counts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caplar, Neven; Tacchella, Sandro; Birrer, Simon

2017-06-01

Numerous studies across different research fields have shown that both male and female referees consistently give higher scores to work done by men than to identical work done by women 1,2,3 . In addition, women are under-represented in prestigious publications and authorship positions 4,5 and women receive ~10% fewer citations 6,7 . In astronomy, similar biases have been measured in conference participation 8,9 and success rates for telescope proposals 10,11 . Even though the number of doctorate degrees awarded to women is constantly increasing, women still tend to be under-represented in faculty positions 12 . Spurred by these findings, we measure the role of gender in the number of citations that papers receive in astronomy. To account for the fact that the properties of papers written by men and women differ intrinsically, we use a random forest algorithm to control for the non-gender-specific properties of these papers. Here we show that papers authored by women receive 10.4 ± 0.9% fewer citations than would be expected if the papers with the same non-gender-specific properties were written by men.

The time course of face processing: startle eyeblink response modulation by face gender and expression.

PubMed

Duval, Elizabeth R; Lovelace, Christopher T; Aarant, Justin; Filion, Diane L

2013-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of both facial expression and face gender on startle eyeblink response patterns at varying lead intervals (300, 800, and 3500ms) indicative of attentional and emotional processes. We aimed to determine whether responses to affective faces map onto the Defense Cascade Model (Lang et al., 1997) to better understand the stages of processing during affective face viewing. At 300ms, there was an interaction between face expression and face gender with female happy and neutral faces and male angry faces producing inhibited startle. At 3500ms, there was a trend for facilitated startle during angry compared to neutral faces. These findings suggest that affective expressions are perceived differently in male and female faces, especially at short lead intervals. Future studies investigating face processing should take both face gender and expression into account. © 2013.

Does Gender Moderate the Relations Between Externalizing Behavior and Key Emergent Literacy Abilities? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Allan, Nicholas P; Joye, Shauna W; Lonigan, Christopher J

2017-05-01

There is a significant negative relation between externalizing behavior and emergent literacy skills among preschool children. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender on the predictive relation of externalizing behavior and emergent literacy in a group of 178 preschool children (mean age = 48.50 months, SD = 3.66; 48% boys). Externalizing behaviors predicted emergent literacy over time. Distinct patterns of predictive associations dependent on gender were found. Girls with higher levels of externalizing behaviors experienced less change in their vocabulary skills compared with the vocabulary change shown by girls with lower levels of these problem behaviors. The results suggest that early identification programs that include externalizing behavior problems and their relation with emergent literacy development should account for potential gender differences. A theoretical framework in which girls with behavior problems receive less opportunity for vocabulary acquisition is presented.

Ethnicity, development and gender: Tsáchila indigenous women in Ecuador.

PubMed

Radcliffe, Sarah; Pequeño, Andrea

2010-01-01

In recent decades, indigenous populations have become the subjects and agents of development in national and international multicultural policy that acknowledges poverty among indigenous peoples and their historic marginalization from power over development. Although the impact of these legal and programmatic efforts is growing, one persistent axis of disadvantage, male–female difference, is rarely taken into account in ethno-development policy and practice. This article argues that assumptions that inform policy related to indigenous women fail to engage with indigenous women's development concerns. The institutional separation between gender and development policy (GAD) and multiculturalism means that provisions for gender in multicultural policies are inadequate, and ethnic rights in GAD policies are invisible. Drawing on post-colonial feminism, the paper examines ethnicity and gender as interlocking systems that structure indigenous women's development experiences. These arguments are illustrated in relation to the case of the Tsáchila ethno-cultural group in the South American country of Ecuador.

Navigating in the landscape of care: a critical reflection on theory and practise of care and ethics.

PubMed

Skærbæk, Eva

2011-03-01

The theory and practise of care is defined and enacted differently in different national as well as cultural contexts, illuminating how differently constructed the personal and societal structures in Europe are. A common trait is however that care work paid or non-paid, private or public is identified with women. To navigate in the landscape of care and ethics requires taking into account the constitutive relation between one's identity, embodiment and position. The author suggests conceiving care as an existential condition of life demanded from all human beings. This will free care from the identification with women and pave a way towards a more gender equal and just society with less gender segregation in the labour market and at the arena of education.

Gender Differences in Recreational Sports Participation among Taiwanese Adults

PubMed Central

Tsai, Liang-Ting; Lo, Feng-En; Yang, Chih-Chien; Keller, Joseph Jordan; Lyu, Shu-Yu

2015-01-01

This study examines the gender differences in the enjoyment of recreational sports participation among Taiwanese adults. Data were obtained using the 2007 Taiwan Social Change Survey. The questionnaire included a topical module of the International Social Survey Program regarding leisure time and sports. Results showed that male subjects were more likely to participate in recreational sports to improve their appearance and on account of their personal interest. In addition to these factors, female subjects also experienced greater motivation to participate when Taiwanese athletes performed well in international sporting competitions. This study confirmed that the factors influencing enjoyment of recreational sports participation differ among men and women. These results can be used to better inform public health professionals and other regulatory organizations formulating physical activity intervention strategies. PMID:25599374

Gender role, sexual orientation and suicide risk.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Kathleen Kara; Euton, Stephanie J; Jones, Jamie N; Schmidt, Norman B

2005-07-01

There has been interest in the relationship between homosexuality, gender role and suicide risk. Though homosexuals are more likely to identify as cross-gender, research has not simultaneously examined sexual orientation and gender role in assessing suicide risk. In the current study, the unique and interactive effects of sexual orientation and gender role were assessed in regard to suicidal ideation, related psychopathology and measures of coping. 77 participants were recruited from an undergraduate psychology subject pool (n=47) or from gay, lesbian and transgender student organizations (n=30) and assessed on measures of gender role, homosexuality, and psychopathology. Consistent with expectations, cross-gender role (i.e., personality traits associated with the opposite sex) is a unique predictor of suicidal symptoms. Moreover, gender role accounted for more of the overall variance in suicidal symptoms, positive problem orientation, peer acceptance and support, than sexual orientation. After accounting for gender role, sexual orientation contributed little to the variance in suicidal symptoms, associated pathology and problem-solving deficits. There was no support for gender role by sexual orientation interaction effects. The cross-sectional nature of the data limits statements regarding causality. Cross-gendered individuals, regardless of sexual orientation, appear to have higher risk for suicidal symptoms. Researchers and clinicians should assess gender role in evaluations of youth samples.

Sex/Gender Differences in Cotinine Levels Among Daily Smokers in the Pennsylvania Adult Smoking Study.

PubMed

Chen, Allshine; Krebs, Nicolle M; Zhu, Junjia; Sun, Dongxiao; Stennett, Andrea; Muscat, Joshua E

2017-11-01

This study was conducted to determine sex/gender differences in smoke exposure and to quantify the role of potential predictors including puffing behaviors, nicotine dependence, and non-nicotinic factors. The Pennsylvania Adult Smoking Study (PASS) of 332 adult cigarette smokers utilized portable handheld topography devices to capture the smokers' profiles in a naturalistic environment. Sex/gender differences in salivary biomarkers were modeled using ANCOVA to account for measures of dependence (Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, nicotine metabolite ratio [3-hydroxycotinine/cotinine]), and nondependence covariates including anthropomorphic factors and stress. The Blinder-Oaxaca method was used to decompose the sex/gender differences in nicotine uptake due to covariates. Men had significantly higher cotinine levels (313.5 ng/mL vs. 255.8 ng/mL, p < 0.01), cotinine +3-hydroxycotinine levels, (0.0787 mol/L vs. 0.0675 mol/L, p = 0.01), puff volumes (52.95 mL vs. 44.77 mL, p < 0.01), and a lower nicotine metabolite ratio (0.396 vs. 0.475, p = 0.01) than women. The mean Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score did not differ between men and women (p = 0.24). Women had a higher mean Hooked on Tobacco Checklist score than men (7.64 vs. 6.87, p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, nicotine metabolite levels were not significantly different by sex. Decomposition results show that ten predictors can explain 83% of the sex/gender differences in cotinine uptake. Height was the greatest contributor to these differences, followed by average puff volume. Conclusion and Impact: The higher levels of nicotine metabolites in men, compared to women, can be explained by height, weight, puff volume, and nicotine metabolism.

Drinking motives mediate cultural differences but not gender differences in adolescent alcohol use.

PubMed

Kuntsche, Emmanuel; Wicki, Matthias; Windlin, Béat; Roberts, Chris; Gabhainn, Saoirse Nic; van der Sluijs, Winfried; Aasvee, Katrin; Gaspar de Matos, Margarida; Dankulincová, Zuzana; Hublet, Anne; Tynjälä, Jorma; Välimaa, Raili; Bendtsen, Pernille; Vieno, Alessio; Mazur, Joanna; Farkas, Judith; Demetrovics, Zsolt

2015-03-01

To test whether differences in alcohol use between boys and girls and between northern and southern/central Europe are mediated by social, enhancement, coping, and conformity motives. Cross-sectional school-based surveys were conducted among 33,813 alcohol-using 11- to 19-year-olds from northern Europe (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, and Wales) and southern/central Europe (Belgium, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, and Switzerland). Particularly in late adolescence and early adulthood, boys drank more frequently and were more often drunk than girls. Instead of mediation, gender-specific motive paths were found; 14- to 16-year-old girls drank more because of higher levels of coping motives and lower levels of conformity motives, whereas 14- to 19-year-old boys drank more because of higher levels of social and enhancement motives. Geographical analyses confirmed that adolescents from southern/central European countries drank more frequently, but those from northern Europe reported being drunk more often. The strong indirect effects demonstrate that some of the cultural differences in drinking are because of higher levels of social, enhancement, and coping motives in northern than in southern/central Europe. The results from the largest drinking motive study conducted to date suggest that gender-specific prevention should take differences in the motivational pathways toward (heavy) drinking into account, that is, positive reinforcement seems to be more important for boys and negative reinforcement for girls. Preventive action targeting social and enhancement motives and taking drinking circumstances into account could contribute to tackling underage drinking in northern Europe. Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender pay gap and employment sector: sources of earnings disparities in the United States, 1970-2010.

PubMed

Mandel, Hadas; Semyonov, Moshe

2014-10-01

Using data from the IPUMS-USA, the present research focuses on trends in the gender earnings gap in the United States between 1970 and 2010. The major goal of this article is to understand the sources of the convergence in men's and women's earnings in the public and private sectors as well as the stagnation of this trend in the new millennium. For this purpose, we delineate temporal changes in the role played by major sources of the gap. Several components are identified: the portion of the gap attributed to gender differences in human-capital resources; labor supply; sociodemographic attributes; occupational segregation; and the unexplained portion of the gap. The findings reveal a substantial reduction in the gross gender earnings gap in both sectors of the economy. Most of the decline is attributed to the reduction in the unexplained portion of the gap, implying a significant decline in economic discrimination against women. In contrast to discrimination, the role played by human capital and personal attributes in explaining the gender pay gap is relatively small in both sectors. Differences between the two sectors are not only in the size and pace of the reduction but also in the significance of the two major sources of the gap. Working hours have become the most important factor with respect to gender pay inequality in both sectors, although much more dominantly in the private sector. The declining gender segregation may explain the decreased impact of occupations on the gender pay gap in the private sector. In the public sector, by contrast, gender segregation still accounts for a substantial portion of the gap. The findings are discussed in light of the theoretical literature on sources of gender economic inequality and in light of the recent stagnation of the trend.

[Gender difference in risk factors for depression in community-dwelling elders].

PubMed

Kim, Chul-Gyu; Park, Seungmi

2012-02-01

This study was conducted to compare the degree of depression between men and women and to identify factors influencing their depression. Participants in this cross-sectional descriptive study were 263 persons over 65 years old (men: 103, women: 160). Data were collected through face to face interviews using questionnaires and were done in two urban areas in 2010. Research instruments utilized in this study were SGDS, MMSE-K, SRH, FILE, sleep pattern scale, family and friend support scale, and social support scale. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing depression in elders. The proportions of participants with depression were significantly different between men and women (52.4% vs. 67.5%). Regression model for depression in elderly men significantly accounted for 54%; disease stress (32%), economic stress (10%), perceived health status (4%), and family support, educational level, age, and hypertension. Regression model for depression in elderly women significantly accounted for 47%; disease stress (25%), perceived social loneliness (8%), friend support (5%), family stress (4%), and sleep satisfaction, and family support. Results demonstrate that depression is an important health problem for elders, and show gender differences for factors influencing depression. These results could be used in the developing depression prevention programs.

Examining gender differences for gambling engagement and gambling problems among emerging adults.

PubMed

Wong, Gloria; Zane, Nolan; Saw, Anne; Chan, Alan Ka Ki

2013-06-01

Gambling is fast becoming a public health problem in the United States, especially among emerging adults (18-25 year olds). Since 1995, rates have recently doubled with around 7-11 % of the emerging adult population having problems with gambling (Shaffer et al. in Am J Public Health 89(9):1369-1376, 1999; Cyders and Smith in Pers Individ Diff 45(6):503-508, 2008). Some states have lowered their gambling age to 18 years old; in turn, the gambling industry has recently oriented their market to target this younger population. However, little is known about the gender variation and the factors placing emerging adults at risk for getting engaged and developing problems with gambling. The purpose of the study was to determine the risk factors accounting for gender differences at the two levels of gambling involvement: engagement and problems. Mediation analyses revealed that impulsive coping and risk-taking were significant partial mediators for gender differences on engagement in gambling. Men took more risks and had lower levels of impulsive coping than women, and those who took more risks and had lower levels of impulsive coping were more likely to engage in gambling. Risk-taking and social anxiety were the significant mediators for gender differences in problems with gambling. Men took more risks and were more socially anxious than women, and greater risk-taking and more socially anxious individuals tended to have more problems with gambling. Implications for counseling preventions and intervention strategies are discussed.

Gender Differences in Compulsive Buying Disorder: Assessment of Demographic and Psychiatric Co-Morbidities

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyoun S.; Requião, Marinalva G.; Marasaldi, Renata F.; Filomensky, Tatiana Z.; Hodgins, David C.; Tavares, Hermano

2016-01-01

Compulsive buying is a common disorder found worldwide. Although recent research has shed light into the prevalence, etiology and clinical correlates of compulsive buying disorder, less is known about gender differences. To address this empirical gap, we assessed potential gender differences in demographic and psychiatric co-morbidities in a sample of 171 compulsive buyers (20 men and 151 women) voluntarily seeking treatment in São Paulo, Brazil. A structured clinical interview confirmed the diagnosis of compulsive buying. Of the 171 participants, 95.9% (n = 164) met criteria for at least one co-morbid psychiatric disorder. The results found that male and female compulsive buyers did not differ in problem severity as assessed by the Compulsive Buying Scale. However, several significant demographic and psychiatric differences were found in a multivariate binary logistic regression. Specifically, male compulsive buyers were more likely to report being non-heterosexual, and reported fewer years of formal education. In regards to psychiatric co-morbidities, male compulsive buyers were more likely to be diagnosed with sexual addiction, and intermittent explosive disorder. Conversely, men had lower scores on the shopping subscale of the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire. The results suggest that male compulsive buyers are more likely to present with co-morbid psychiatric disorders. Treatment planning for compulsive buying disorder would do well to take gender into account to address for potential psychiatric co-morbidities. PMID:27907082

Gender Differences in Compulsive Buying Disorder: Assessment of Demographic and Psychiatric Co-Morbidities.

PubMed

Nicoli de Mattos, Cristiana; Kim, Hyoun S; Requião, Marinalva G; Marasaldi, Renata F; Filomensky, Tatiana Z; Hodgins, David C; Tavares, Hermano

2016-01-01

Compulsive buying is a common disorder found worldwide. Although recent research has shed light into the prevalence, etiology and clinical correlates of compulsive buying disorder, less is known about gender differences. To address this empirical gap, we assessed potential gender differences in demographic and psychiatric co-morbidities in a sample of 171 compulsive buyers (20 men and 151 women) voluntarily seeking treatment in São Paulo, Brazil. A structured clinical interview confirmed the diagnosis of compulsive buying. Of the 171 participants, 95.9% (n = 164) met criteria for at least one co-morbid psychiatric disorder. The results found that male and female compulsive buyers did not differ in problem severity as assessed by the Compulsive Buying Scale. However, several significant demographic and psychiatric differences were found in a multivariate binary logistic regression. Specifically, male compulsive buyers were more likely to report being non-heterosexual, and reported fewer years of formal education. In regards to psychiatric co-morbidities, male compulsive buyers were more likely to be diagnosed with sexual addiction, and intermittent explosive disorder. Conversely, men had lower scores on the shopping subscale of the Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire. The results suggest that male compulsive buyers are more likely to present with co-morbid psychiatric disorders. Treatment planning for compulsive buying disorder would do well to take gender into account to address for potential psychiatric co-morbidities.

Comparing Private Schools and Public Schools Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling. NCES 2006-461

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braun, Henry; Jenkins, Frank; Grigg, Wendy

2006-01-01

The goal of the study was to examine differences in mean National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading and mathematics scores between public and private schools when selected characteristics of students and/or schools were taken into account. Among the student characteristics considered were gender, race/ethnicity, disability status,…

Personality Procrastination and Cheating in Students from different University Degree Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clariana, Merce

2013-01-01

Introduction: Personality, procrastination and dishonest behaviour in the classroom (or cheating) are variables that have been seen to have an important influence on learning. However, they have seldom been studied together and even less taking into account the gender of the student and their choice of degree course. This work analyses the…

Factors that May Influence or Hinder Use of Instructional Technology among Accounting Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahadiat, Nasrollah

2005-01-01

Purpose: To determine what factors influence faculty's decisions to use technology in their classes, what factors prevent them from use, and whether there are differences among faculty by gender, ethnicity, rank, sub-areas, etc. in using instructional technology. Design/methodology/approach: A survey instrument was used to measure attitudes…

Differences in Performance between Male and Female Business Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hornaday, Robert W.; And Others

1989-01-01

A study analyzed the grade point averages (GPAs) and scores on a business concepts quiz of 419 undergraduate business students. Effect of student major was also controlled. Females earned higher overall grades than males; males outperformed females in ability to describe basic business concepts. Gender and academic major accounted for over 10…

The role of neuroticism and extraversion in the stress-anxiety and stress-depression relationships.

PubMed

Uliaszek, Amanda A; Zinbarg, Richard E; Mineka, Susan; Craske, Michelle G; Sutton, Jonathan M; Griffith, James W; Rose, Raphael; Waters, Allison; Hammen, Constance

2010-07-01

Though there is a considerable amount of research supporting the association between stressful life events and major depression, there is a paucity of research concerning a range of other life stress constructs, non-depressive disorders, the role of stable personality traits, and gender differences. This study addresses these deficits by: (a) focusing on the association between interpersonal and non-interpersonal chronic life stress (CLS) and both depressive and anxiety disorders; (b) examining the roles of neuroticism and low extraversion in these associations; and (c) assessing gender differences. Participants were 603 adolescents from a study examining risk factors for emotional disorders. Depression and social phobia were associated with interpersonal CLS (IP-CLS), with neuroticism partially accounting for these associations. Low extraversion partially accounted for the association between social phobia and IP-CLS. Depression was also associated with non-interpersonal CLS (NI-CLS), but only in females. This study provides preliminary evidence for the importance of personality variables in explaining shared associations between stress and depression. Additionally, the stress-social phobia relationship is highlighted with no evidence supporting an association between other anxiety disorders and CLS.

Basotho Teachers' Constructions of Gender: Implications on Gender Equality in the Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morojele, P. J.

2012-01-01

This paper gives prominence to rural teachers' own accounts of gender in three co-educational primary schools in Lesotho. The paper employs the social constructionist paradigm as its theoretical framework. Drawing from ethnographic data (observations and informal discussions), it discusses factors that inform teachers' constructions of gender and…

[Gender as a key effect modifier of the relationship between physician work stressors and the acquired cardiovascular disorders].

PubMed

Nedić, Olesja; Belkić, Karen; Filipović, Danka; Jocić, Neda

2008-01-01

To assess gender as an effect-modifier vis-â-vis exposure to work stressors and the acquired cardiovascular disorders (ACVDC). The Occupational Stress Index for physicians was used in a case-control study (>90% participation rate) among physicians in Novi Sad (Cases: 50 males and 51 females with ACVD, Referents: 46 males and 6l females without ACVD). Patterns of disease manifestation, sociodemography, risk factors, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) tendency and exposure to work stressors differed in male compared to female physicians with ACVD. Accounting for these covariates, the males with ACVD had significantly higher general-level threat avoidance vigilance scores (more witnessed accidents at work and expert-witnessing in court (p < 0.0l)). Female physicians with ACVD had higher general-level underload (more fixed pay) and strictness (more limited decision-making concerning work-schedules and institutional policies) (p < 0.05). In stratified analysis, the relationship between working conditions and ACVD was most apparent among the women physicians. Compared to those without ACVD, female physicians with ACVD showed higher extrinsic time-pressure (speed-up (p < 0.01)), threat of job loss (p < 0.05), and elements of high demand (heterogeneous information, complex and heterogeneous task performance) (p < 0.05)), after accounting for covariates. Females in the surgical care specialties with ACVD were exposed to significantly higher demands, speed-up, and need for constant high attention than their female colleagues without ACVD, after accounting for covariates. Gender is a key effect-modifier of the relationship between exposure to work stressors and ACVD among physicians. Intervention studies should consider gender-specific work stressors, as well as those specific to physicians.

Gender-based Differential Item Functioning in the Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior for the Study of Entrepreneurial Intentions

PubMed Central

Zampetakis, Leonidas A.; Bakatsaki, Maria; Litos, Charalambos; Kafetsios, Konstantinos G.; Moustakis, Vassilis

2017-01-01

Over the past years the percentage of female entrepreneurs has increased, yet it is still far below of that for males. Although various attempts have been made to explain differences in mens’ and women’s entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions, the extent to which those differences are due to self-report biases has not been yet considered. The present study utilized Differential Item Functioning (DIF) to compare men and women’s reporting on entrepreneurial intentions. DIF occurs in situations where members of different groups show differing probabilities of endorsing an item despite possessing the same level of the ability that the item is intended to measure. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the present study investigated whether constructs such as entrepreneurial attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and intention would show gender differences and whether these gender differences could be explained by DIF. Using DIF methods on a dataset of 1800 Greek participants (50.4% female) indicated that differences at the item-level are almost non-existent. Moreover, the differential test functioning (DTF) analysis, which allows assessing the overall impact of DIF effects with all items being taken into account simultaneously, suggested that the effect of DIF across all the items for each scale was negligible. Future research should consider that measurement invariance can be assumed when using TPB constructs for the study of entrepreneurial motivation independent of gender. PMID:28386244

Gender-based Differential Item Functioning in the Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior for the Study of Entrepreneurial Intentions.

PubMed

Zampetakis, Leonidas A; Bakatsaki, Maria; Litos, Charalambos; Kafetsios, Konstantinos G; Moustakis, Vassilis

2017-01-01

Over the past years the percentage of female entrepreneurs has increased, yet it is still far below of that for males. Although various attempts have been made to explain differences in mens' and women's entrepreneurial attitudes and intentions, the extent to which those differences are due to self-report biases has not been yet considered. The present study utilized Differential Item Functioning (DIF) to compare men and women's reporting on entrepreneurial intentions. DIF occurs in situations where members of different groups show differing probabilities of endorsing an item despite possessing the same level of the ability that the item is intended to measure. Drawing on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the present study investigated whether constructs such as entrepreneurial attitudes, perceived behavioral control, subjective norms and intention would show gender differences and whether these gender differences could be explained by DIF. Using DIF methods on a dataset of 1800 Greek participants (50.4% female) indicated that differences at the item-level are almost non-existent. Moreover, the differential test functioning (DTF) analysis, which allows assessing the overall impact of DIF effects with all items being taken into account simultaneously, suggested that the effect of DIF across all the items for each scale was negligible. Future research should consider that measurement invariance can be assumed when using TPB constructs for the study of entrepreneurial motivation independent of gender.

The gender wealth gap:structural and material constraints and implications for later life.

PubMed

Denton, Margaret; Boos, Linda

2007-01-01

Wealth is an important measure of economic well-being, because while income captures the current state of inequality, wealth has the potential for examining accumulated and historically structured inequality. This presentation documents the extent of gender inequality in wealth for Canadian women and men aged 45 and older. The analysis uses data from the 1999 Canadian Survey of Financial Security, a large nationally representative survey of household wealth in Canada. Wealth is measured by total net worth as measured by total assets minus debt. We test two general hypotheses to account for gender differences in wealth. The differential exposure hypothesis suggests that women report less wealth accumulation because of their reduced access to the material and social conditions of life that foster economic security. The differential vulnerability hypothesis suggests that women report lower levels of wealth because they receive differential returns to material and social conditions of their lives. Support is found for both hypotheses. Much of the gender differences in wealth can be explained by the gendering of work and family roles that restricts women's ability to build up assets over the life course. But beyond this, there are significant gender interaction effects that indicate that women are further penalized by their returns to participation in family life, their health and where they live. When women do work, net of other factors, they are better able to accumulate wealth than their male counterparts.

Countries with Higher Levels of Gender Equality Show Larger National Sex Differences in Mathematics Anxiety and Relatively Lower Parental Mathematics Valuation for Girls

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Despite international advancements in gender equality across a variety of societal domains, the underrepresentation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields persists. In this study, we explored the possibility that the sex difference in mathematics anxiety contributes to this disparity. More specifically, we tested a number of predictions from the prominent gender stratification model, which is the leading psychological theory of cross-national patterns of sex differences in mathematics anxiety and performance. To this end, we analyzed data from 761,655 15-year old students across 68 nations who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most importantly and contra predictions, we showed that economically developed and more gender equal countries have a lower overall level of mathematics anxiety, and yet a larger national sex difference in mathematics anxiety relative to less developed countries. Further, although relatively more mothers work in STEM fields in more developed countries, these parents valued, on average, mathematical competence more in their sons than their daughters. The proportion of mothers working in STEM was unrelated to sex differences in mathematics anxiety or performance. We propose that the gender stratification model fails to account for these national patterns and that an alternative model is needed. In the discussion, we suggest how an interaction between socio-cultural values and sex-specific psychological traits can better explain these patterns. We also discuss implications for policies aiming to increase girls’ STEM participation. PMID:27100631

Gender and age differences in components of traffic-related pedestrian death rates: exposure, risk of crash and fatality rate.

PubMed

Onieva-García, María Ángeles; Martínez-Ruiz, Virginia; Lardelli-Claret, Pablo; Jiménez-Moleón, José Juan; Amezcua-Prieto, Carmen; de Dios Luna-Del-Castillo, Juan; Jiménez-Mejías, Eladio

2016-12-01

This ecological study aimed i) to quantify the association of age and gender with the three components of pedestrians' death rates after a pedestrian-vehicle crash: exposure, risk of crash and fatality, and ii) to determine the contribution of each component to differences in death rates according to age and gender in Spain. We analyzed data for 220 665 pedestrians involved in road crashes recorded in the Spanish registry of road crashes with victims from 1993 to 2011, and a subset of 39 743 pedestrians involved in clean collisions (in which the pedestrian did not commit an infraction). Using decomposition and quasi-induced exposure methods, we obtained the proportion of increase in death rates for each age and gender group associated with exposure, risk of collision and fatality. Death rates increased with age. The main contributor to this increase was fatality, although exposure also increased with age. In contrast, the risk of collision decreased with age. Males had higher death rates than females, especially in the 24-54 year old group. Higher fatality rates in males were the main determinant of this difference, which was also related with a higher risk of collision in males. However, exposure rates were higher in females. The magnitude and direction of the associations between age and gender and each of the three components of pedestrians' death rates differed depending on the specific component explored. These differences need to be taken into account in order to prioritize preventive strategies intended to decrease mortality among pedestrians.

Gender and age differences in components of traffic-related pedestrian death rates: exposure, risk of crash and fatality rate.

PubMed

Onieva-García, María Ángeles; Martínez-Ruiz, Virginia; Lardelli-Claret, Pablo; Jiménez-Moleón, José Juan; Amezcua-Prieto, Carmen; de Dios Luna-Del-Castillo, Juan; Jiménez-Mejías, Eladio

This ecological study aimed i) to quantify the association of age and gender with the three components of pedestrians' death rates after a pedestrian-vehicle crash: exposure, risk of crash and fatality, and ii) to determine the contribution of each component to differences in death rates according to age and gender in Spain. We analyzed data for 220 665 pedestrians involved in road crashes recorded in the Spanish registry of road crashes with victims from 1993 to 2011, and a subset of 39 743 pedestrians involved in clean collisions (in which the pedestrian did not commit an infraction). Using decomposition and quasi-induced exposure methods, we obtained the proportion of increase in death rates for each age and gender group associated with exposure, risk of collision and fatality. Death rates increased with age. The main contributor to this increase was fatality, although exposure also increased with age. In contrast, the risk of collision decreased with age. Males had higher death rates than females, especially in the 24-54 year old group. Higher fatality rates in males were the main determinant of this difference, which was also related with a higher risk of collision in males. However, exposure rates were higher in females. The magnitude and direction of the associations between age and gender and each of the three components of pedestrians' death rates differed depending on the specific component explored. These differences need to be taken into account in order to prioritize preventive strategies intended to decrease mortality among pedestrians.

Countries with Higher Levels of Gender Equality Show Larger National Sex Differences in Mathematics Anxiety and Relatively Lower Parental Mathematics Valuation for Girls.

PubMed

Stoet, Gijsbert; Bailey, Drew H; Moore, Alex M; Geary, David C

2016-01-01

Despite international advancements in gender equality across a variety of societal domains, the underrepresentation of girls and women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) related fields persists. In this study, we explored the possibility that the sex difference in mathematics anxiety contributes to this disparity. More specifically, we tested a number of predictions from the prominent gender stratification model, which is the leading psychological theory of cross-national patterns of sex differences in mathematics anxiety and performance. To this end, we analyzed data from 761,655 15-year old students across 68 nations who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Most importantly and contra predictions, we showed that economically developed and more gender equal countries have a lower overall level of mathematics anxiety, and yet a larger national sex difference in mathematics anxiety relative to less developed countries. Further, although relatively more mothers work in STEM fields in more developed countries, these parents valued, on average, mathematical competence more in their sons than their daughters. The proportion of mothers working in STEM was unrelated to sex differences in mathematics anxiety or performance. We propose that the gender stratification model fails to account for these national patterns and that an alternative model is needed. In the discussion, we suggest how an interaction between socio-cultural values and sex-specific psychological traits can better explain these patterns. We also discuss implications for policies aiming to increase girls' STEM participation.

Perceived Demands of Schooling, Stress and Mental Health: Changes from Grade 6 to Grade 9 as a Function of Gender and Cognitive Ability.

PubMed

Giota, Joanna; Gustafsson, Jan-Eric

2017-08-01

The link between perceived demands of school, stress and mental health in relation to gender is complex. The study examined, with two waves of longitudinal data at age 13 and age 16, how changes in perceived academic demands relate to changes in perceived stress, taking into account gender and cognitive ability, and to investigate how these factors affect the level of psychosomatic and depressive symptoms at the age of 16. A nationally representative sample including about 9000 individuals from the Swedish longitudinal Evaluation Through Follow up database born in 1998 was included. A growth modelling approach was applied to examine relations over time. The results show girls to have a considerably higher self-reported level of mental health problems at the end of compulsory school than boys. This gender difference is entirely accounted for by perceived school demands and stress in grades 6 and 9. Students who were stronger in inductive than vocabulary ability reported lower levels of perceived academic demands and less stress in grade 6. There is a need to develop interventions for minimizing the consequences of stress among adolescents and modify those particular aspects of academic demands which cause stress and poor mental health, especially among girls. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Women's Experience in the Workers' Compensation System.

PubMed

Guthrie, Robert; Jansz, Janis

2006-09-01

Gender differences is a question of major importance within workers' compensation given the increased role of women in the workforce over the past several decades. This article reviews literature relating to women's experiences following work injury. An Australian study is used as background to exploring the broad issue of the question of gender equity in workers' compensation. In doing so it takes account of historical, legal and medical issues. Women's experience in the workers' compensation system is different to that of men due to a range of factors. It is heavily influenced by the industrial environment in which they work. Women are paid less than men in many instances and work in gender-segregated circumstances, which often reduces their industrial bargaining power. Women also suffer different forms of injury and disease to men because of the different nature of their work. The Australian experience suggests that as a consequence of the combination of lesser industrial bargaining power, lower wages and differing forms of injury and disease women often receive less than men in compensation payments, struggle to obtain equity in the dispute resolution process and experience greater difficulties in returning to work following injury or disease.

Mainstreaming gender and promoting intersectionality in Papua New Guinea's health policy: a triangulated analysis applying data-mining and content analytic techniques.

PubMed

Lamprell, G; Braithwaite, J

2017-04-20

Gender mainstreaming is an approach to policy and planning that emphasizes equality between the sexes. It is the stated policy for gender equity in Papua New Guinea's (PNG) health sector, as well as all other sectors, and is enshrined in the policies of its biggest aid givers. However, there is criticism that gender mainstreaming's application has too often been technocratic and lacking in conceptual clarity not only in PNG but elsewhere. In the health sector this is further exacerbated by a traditional bio-medical approach, which is often paternalistic and insufficiently patient- and family-centered. This study analyses the policy attitudes toward gender in PNG's health sector using both data-mining and a traditional, summative content analysis. Our results show that gender is rarely mentioned. When it is, it is most often mentioned in relation to programs such as maternity and childcare for women, and elsewhere is applied technocratically. For PNG to promote greater levels of equity, the focus should first be on conceptualizing gender in a way that is meaningful for Papuans, taking into account the diversity of experiences and setting. Second, there should be greater focus on activists and civil society groups as the stakeholders most likely to make a difference in gender equity.

A Comparative Study of Suicide Rates among 10–19-Year-Olds in 29 OECD Countries

PubMed Central

Roh, Beop-Rae; Jung, Eun Hee; Hong, Hyun Ju

2018-01-01

Objective This study had two main objectives: to compare current suicide rates in OECD countries among 10–19-year-olds and to identify patterns of suicide rates based on age, gender and time. Furthermore we investigated the main dimensions that contributed to the variation in child and adolescent suicide rates across countries. Methods We combined the WHO mortality data and the population data released by OECD to calculate the suicide rates in 29 OECD countries. A self-organizing map (SOM), k-means clustering analysis, and multi-dimensional scaling were used to classify countries based on similarities in suicide rate structure and to identify the important dimensions accounting for differences among groups. Results We identified significant differences in suicide rates depending on age, sex, country, and time period. Late adolescence and male gender were universal risk factors for suicide, and we observed a general trend of declining suicide rates in OECD countries. The SOM analysis yielded eight types of countries. Most countries showed gender gaps in suicide rates of similar magnitudes; however, there were outliers in which the gender gap was particularly large or small. Conclusion Significant variation exists with respect to suicide rates and their associated gender gaps in OECD countries. PMID:29486551

Fetal/Placental weight ratio in term Japanese pregnancy: its difference among gender, parity, and infant growth.

PubMed

Matsuda, Yoshio; Ogawa, Masaki; Nakai, Akihito; Hayashi, Masako; Satoh, Shoji; Matsubara, Shigeki

2015-01-01

The "inappropriately heavy placenta" has been considered to be associated with various pregnancy disorders; however, data is scarce what factors affect it. To determine whether the following three affect it; (1) infant gender and mother's parity, (2) growth restriction, and (3) preeclampsia. We employed fetal/placental weight ratio (F/P). Subjects consisted of 53,650 infants and their placentas from women who vaginally delivered singleton live term infants. First, we examined whether F/P differs among the infant's gender or mother's parity. We classified the population into 4 categories according to gender and parity: male, nulliparous (n=7,431), male, multiparous (n=7,859), female, nulliparous (n=7,559), female, multiparous (n=7,800), and, compared F/P among the four groups. Next, we determined whether F/P differs in "small" or "large" for gestational age (SGA or LGA) infants, compared with appropriate for gestational age infants. Last, we determined whether preeclampsia (representative disorder of SGA) affects F/P. (1) F/P significantly differed according to infant gender and parity: female and nulliparity had significantly smaller F/P. F/P was significantly smaller in (2) SGA infants, and (3) infants from preeclamptic mothers. We for the first time showed that in Japanese term vaginally-delivered singleton population, the following three had significantly smaller F/P than controls thus had "inappropriately heavy placenta": (1) female gender and nulliparity, (2) SGA infants, and (3) infants from preeclamptic mothers. We recommend that these factors should be taken into account in evaluating placental weight. These data may also be useful for further clarifying the fetal-placental pathophysiology in these conditions.

Gender differences in the risk and protective factors associated with PTSD: a prospective study of National Guard troops deployed to Iraq.

PubMed

Kline, Anna; Ciccone, Donald S; Weiner, Marc; Interian, Alejandro; St Hill, Lauren; Falca-Dodson, Maria; Black, Christopher M; Losonczy, Miklos

2013-01-01

This study examines gender differences in post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and PTSS risk/protective factors among soldiers deployed to Iraq. We pay special attention to two potentially modifiable military factors, military preparedness and unit cohesion, which may buffer the deleterious psychological effects of combat. Longitudinal data were collected on 922 New Jersey National Guard soldiers (91 women) deployed to Iraq in 2008. Anonymous surveys administered at pre- and post-deployment included the PTSD Checklist (PCL), the Unit Support Scale, and a preparedness scale adapted from the Iowa Gulf War Study. Bivariate analyses and hierarchical multiple regression were used to identify predictors of PTSS and their explanatory effects on the relationship between gender and PTSS. Women had a higher prevalence of probable post-deployment PTSD than men (18.7% vs. 8.7%; OR = 2.45; CI [1.37, 4.37]) and significantly higher post-deployment PTSS (33.73 vs. 27.37; p = .001). While there were no gender differences in combat exposure, women scored higher on pre-deployment PTSS (26.9 vs. 23.1; p ≤ .001) and lower on military preparedness (1.65 vs. 2.41; p ≤ .001) and unit cohesion (32.5 vs. 38.1; p ≤ .001). In a multivariate model, controlling for all PTSS risk/resilience factors reduced the gender difference as measured by the unstandardized Beta (B) by 45%, with 18% uniquely attributable to low cohesion and low preparedness. In the fully controlled model, gender remained a significant predictor of PTSS but the effect size was small (d = .26). Modifiable military institutional factors may account for much of the increased vulnerability of women soldiers to PTSD.

Toward Transformative Gender Justice: Listening to Gender Non-Binary Individuals' Experiences of School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Katherine

2017-01-01

The primary purpose of this study is to investigate and understand gender diverse individuals' retrospective accounts of their experiences of school and to interpret these experiences under the influence of deconstruction. A second purpose is to use these experiences to inform a model of gender-inclusive education. In this qualitative study,…

Navigating between two cultures: Immigrants’ gender attitudes toward working women

PubMed Central

Pessin, Léa; Arpino, Bruno

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND Gender attitudes toward women’s employment are of particular importance because they positively influence gender-equal outcomes in the labor market. Our understanding of the mechanisms that promote egalitarian gender attitudes among immigrants, however, remains limited. OBJECTIVE By studying first- and second-generation immigrants from multiple origins and living in different countries, this article seeks to explain under what conditions the prevalent cultural attitudes toward gender roles at the origin and destination influence immigrants’ gender attitudes. We address three main research questions. First, does the country-of-origin gender ideology influence immigrants’ views toward working women? Second, does the country-of-destination gender ideology influence immigrants’ view toward working women? Are these relationships moderated by (1) the immigrant generation; (2) the age at arrival in the country of destination; (3) the length of residence at destination? METHODS Using data from the European Social Survey, we model immigrants’ gender attitudes toward working women using linear cross-classified models to account for clustering into the country of origin and destination. RESULTS The results highlight the importance of the context of early socialization in shaping immigrants’ gender attitudes. First-generation immigrants, and more specifically, adult migrants hold gender attitudes that reflect more strongly the country of origin’s gender culture. In contrast, the positive association between gender ideology at destination and immigrants’ gender attitudes is stronger among second-generation immigrants and child migrants. CONTRIBUTION We add to the literature on gender ideology formation by analyzing the influence of gender ideology at the origin- and destination-levels on the gender attitudes of immigrants from 96 countries of origin and residing across 32 countries of destination. PMID:29606913

Medial temporal lobe atrophy ratings in a large 75-year-old population-based cohort: gender-corrected and education-corrected normative data.

PubMed

Velickaite, V; Ferreira, D; Cavallin, L; Lind, L; Ahlström, H; Kilander, L; Westman, E; Larsson, E-M

2018-04-01

To find cut-off values for different medial temporal lobe atrophy (MTA) measures (right, left, average, and highest), accounting for gender and education, investigate the association with cognitive performance, and to compare with decline of cognitive function over 5 years in a large population-based cohort. Three hundred and ninety 75-year-old individuals were examined with magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and cognitive testing. The Scheltens's scale was used to assess visually MTA scores (0-4) in all subjects. Cognitive tests were repeated in 278 of them after 5 years. Normal MTA cut-off values were calculated based on the 10th percentile. Most 75-year-old individuals had MTA score ≤2. Men had significantly higher MTA scores than women. Scores for left and average MTA were significantly higher in highly educated individuals. Abnormal MTA was associated with worse results in cognitive test and individuals with abnormal right MTA had faster cognitive decline. At age 75, gender and education are confounders for MTA grading. A score of ≥2 is abnormal for low-educated women and a score of ≥2.5 is abnormal for men and high-educated women. Subjects with abnormal right MTA, but normal MMSE scores had developed worse MMSE scores 5 years later. • Gender and education are confounders for MTA grading. • We suggest cut-off values for 75-year-olds, taking gender and education into account. • Males have higher MTA scores than women. • Higher MTA scores are associated with worse cognitive performance.

The impact of job and family demands on partner’s fatigue: A study of Japanese dual-earner parents

PubMed Central

Shimazu, Akihito; Bakker, Arnold B.; Demerouti, Evangelia; Shimada, Kyoko; Kawakami, Norito

2017-01-01

Objectives This study of Japanese dual-earner couples examined the impact of family and job demands on one’s own and one’s partner’s fatigue as well as gender differences in these effects. Methods A total of 2,502 parents (1,251 couples) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. A crossover model was tested using structural equation modeling. Results The results of structural equation modeling analyses showed that both job and family demands independently exacerbated fatigue. There was an indirect effect of job and family demands on partner fatigue through one’s own fatigue only from husbands to wives. An indirect effect of job demands on partner fatigue through partner’s family demands was identified only from wives to husbands. Furthermore, there were gender differences in the crossover of fatigue. Conclusions This study shows that job and family demands influence family circumstances. When considering means to reduce employees’ fatigue, gender differences in the mechanism of fatigue need to be taken into account. PMID:28235008

A Facial Attractiveness Account of Gender Asymmetries in Interracial Marriage

PubMed Central

Lewis, Michael B.

2012-01-01

Background In the US and UK, more Black men are married to White women than vice versa and there are more White men married to Asian women than vice versa. Models of interracial marriage, based on the exchange of racial status for other capital, cannot explain these asymmetries. A new explanation is offered based on the relative perceived facial attractiveness of the different race-by-gender groups. Method and Findings This explanation was tested using a survey of perceived facial attractiveness. This found that Black males are perceived as more attractive than White or East Asian males whereas among females, it is the East Asians that are perceived as most attractive on average. Conclusions Incorporating these attractiveness patterns into the model of marriage decisions produces asymmetries in interracial marriage similar to those in the observed data in terms of direction and relative size. This model does not require differences in status between races nor different strategies based on gender. Predictions are also generated regarding the relative attractiveness of those engaging in interracial marriage. PMID:22347504

A New Piece of the Puzzle: Sexual Orientation, Gender, and Physical Health Status.

PubMed

Gorman, Bridget K; Denney, Justin T; Dowdy, Hilary; Medeiros, Rose Anne

2015-08-01

Although research has long documented the relevance of gender for health, studies that simultaneously incorporate the relevance of disparate sexual orientation groups are sparse. We address these shortcomings by applying an intersectional perspective to evaluate how sexual orientation and gender intersect to pattern self-rated health status among U.S. adults. Our project aggregated probability samples from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) across seven U.S. states between 2005 and 2010, resulting in an analytic sample of 10,128 sexual minority (gay, lesbian, and bisexual) and 405,145 heterosexual adults. Logistic regression models and corresponding predicted probabilities examined how poor self-rated health differed across sexual orientation-by-gender groups, before and after adjustment for established health risk factors. Results reveal distinct patterns among sexual minorities. Initially, bisexual men and women reported the highest--and gay and lesbian adults reported the lowest--rates of poor self-rated health, with heterosexuals in between. Distinct socioeconomic status profiles accounted for large portions of these differences. Furthermore, in baseline and fully adjusted regression models, only among heterosexuals did women report significantly different health from men. Importantly, the findings highlight elevated rates of poor health experienced by bisexual men and women, which are partially attributable to their heightened economic, behavioral, and social disadvantages relative to other groups.

Anger, Smoking Behavior, and the Mediator Effects of Gender: An Investigation of Heavy and Moderate Smokers.

PubMed

Muscatello, Maria Rosaria Anna; Scimeca, Giuseppe; Lorusso, Simona; Battaglia, Fortunato; Pandolfo, Gianluca; Zoccali, Rocco A; Bruno, Antonio

2017-04-16

The existing literature suggests the presence of a possible relationship between high anger levels and smoking behavior; however, there are no available data highlighting possible differences between moderate and heavy smokers and the putative effect of gender on smoking behavior. The aims of the current study were to assess the relationship among anger, depression, and anxiety and smoking patterns taking into account the possible mediator role of gender. 150 smokers and 50 nonsmokers volunteers were recruited from the staff of the University of Messina, Italy. The final sample consisted of 90 smokers, divided in 50 heavy smokers (HS: more than 40 cigarettes per day), 40 moderate smokers (MS: 10-30 cigarettes per day), and 42 nonsmokers (NS). All subjects were assessed by State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2, Self-Rating Depression Scale, and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale. On anger, depression, and anxiety measures the HS group scored higher than MS and NS groups. HS showed higher than expected levels of trait-anger, a greater tendency to control anger reactions and to access to anger-management techniques. A moderate consumption of cigarettes (10-30 cigarettes per day) was not associated with negative emotions, as MS only showed higher than expected levels of state-anger. Cigarettes consumption was related to gender-specific anger features. Conclusions/Importance: Our study highlighted the importance of anger in smoking behavior and its related gender differences. Recognizing the link among anger, gender differences and smoking behavior could improve the knowledge for future-focused interventions on smoking cessation.

Romantic ideals, mate preferences, and anticipation of future difficulties in marital life: a comparative study of young adults in India and America

PubMed Central

Bejanyan, Kathrine; Marshall, Tara C.; Ferenczi, Nelli

2014-01-01

Previous studies have established that Indians tend to be greater in collectivism and gender role traditionalism than Americans. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether these differences explained further cultural differences in romantic beliefs, traditional mate preferences, and anticipation of future difficulties in marital life. Results revealed that Indians reported greater collectivism than Americans and, in turn, held stronger romantic beliefs. Additionally, Indians' greater collectivism and endorsement of more traditional gender roles in part predicted their preferences for a marital partner possessing traditional characteristics, and fully accounted for their heightened concerns about encountering future difficulties in marital life. These results shed light on the processes underlying cultural differences in relationship attitudes and preferences, and point to culture-specific therapies to enhance marital functioning. PMID:25520681

Reallocation of resources between generations and genders in the market and non-market economy. The case of Italy.

PubMed

Zannella, Marina

2015-04-01

In this article the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) method is used to develop a comprehensive account of resource reallocations between population members in Italy, encompassing the age and the gender perspective, the public and the familial institutional sectors as well as the market and non-market dimensions of the economy. The inclusion of the non-market economy, referring to household and care time, allows for an insight into the gender division of labour and the strength of intergenerational obligations in the Italian familistic welfare regime. Results highlight the existence of large flows of resources within the family both between genders and toward young generations, with men and women giving rise to considerable monetary and time transfers, respectively.

Cultural differences in family, marital, and gender-role values among immigrants and majority members in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Arends-Tóth, Judit; van de Vijver, Fons J R

2009-06-01

This study examined the size of differences in self-reported family, marital, and gender-role values in five cultural groups in the Netherlands (6338 Dutch mainstreamers and 422 Turkish, 369 Moroccan, 429 Surinamese, and 394 Antillean first- and second-generation immigrants). It was found that the three value scales were neither completely independent, nor could they be merged into a single value scale. The factor structures of all scales were identical for the five cultural groups, implying that the concepts can be compared. Age, sex, and notably education accounted for a substantial part of the cultural differences in all values. Cultural differences were larger for marital and family values than for gender-role values. Family and marital values yielded the same rank order of mean scores in the five cultural groups: Turks and Moroccans scored the lowest (having the most traditional values), followed by Surinamers, Antilleans, and Dutch mainstreamers. This rank order corresponds with the ethnic hierarchy of cultural groups that is based on the evaluation of ethnic groups by mainstreamers according to their liking of and likeness to ethnic groups. Generational differences were not found for family and gender-role values but first-generation immigrants in all groups had more traditional marital values than had second-generation immigrants. It was concluded that the theoretical framework based on a combination of three Hofstede dimensions (individualism-collectivism, power-distance, and femininity-masculinity), a model of the hierarchy of the ethnic groups in the Dutch society, and acculturation theory provided an adequate way to address family, marital, and gender-role value differences in the five cultural groups.

Getting back the missing men of Aotearoa: declining gender inequality in NZ life expectancy.

PubMed

Sandiford, Peter

2009-12-01

Men's health is of increasing concern to policy makers worldwide. Although women generally live significantly longer than men, the difference in life expectancy in many countries is now narrowing. To document the trend in sex differences in New Zealand (NZ) life expectancy at birth (LEB) over the last decades and to determine disease patterns which account for it. Decomposition of sex differences in LEB by age and cause for the periods 1980-82, 1985-87, 1990-92,1995-97, 2000-02, and 2005-06, using registered deaths and model life tables. Sex differences in LEB increased from 1951 to peak in 1976 before narrowing again. In 2006 they reached almost exactly the level they were at 55 years earlier. Changes in relative mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and to a lesser extent accidents, respiratory disease and other circulatory causes, brought about the recent decline in gender survival disparities. IHD continues to be a significant cause of gender inequality, but cancers have now become a major component of the sex difference in LEB. NZ's experience mirrors closely that of other developed countries in pattern, timingand the age-cause composition of the trend in gender survival disparities. Thus differences in the timing of taking up smoking, found to explain a substantial portion of the trend elsewhere, were probably also important in NZ, but improvements in medical outcomes for smokers also must have played a significant role. Primary care practitioners will continue to reduce gender survival disparities by workingto ensure a high uptake of services such as screening for colorectal cancer, one of many diseases responsible for lower male life expectancy.

An Analysis on the Correlation and Gender Difference between College Students' Internet Addiction and Mobile Phone Addiction in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chiu, Su-Lin

2013-01-01

This study is aimed at constructing a correlative model between Internet addiction and mobile phone addiction; the aim is to analyse the correlation (if any) between the two traits and to discuss the influence confirming that the gender has difference on this fascinating topic; taking gender into account opens a new world of scientific study to us. The study collected 448 college students on an island as study subjects, with 61.2% males and 38.8% females. Moreover, this study issued Mobile Phone Addiction Scale and Internet Addiction Scale to conduct surveys on the participants and adopts the structural equation model (SEM) to process the collected data. According to the study result, (1) mobile phone addiction and Internet addiction are positively related; (2) female college students score higher than male ones in the aspect of mobile addiction. Lastly, this study proposes relevant suggestions to serve as a reference for schools, college students, and future studies based on the study results. PMID:25938115

Happy guys finish last: the impact of emotion expressions on sexual attraction.

PubMed

Tracy, Jessica L; Beall, Alec T

2011-12-01

This research examined the relative sexual attractiveness of individuals showing emotion expressions of happiness, pride, and shame compared with a neutral control. Across two studies using different images and samples ranging broadly in age (total N = 1041), a large gender difference emerged in the sexual attractiveness of happy displays: happiness was the most attractive female emotion expression, and one of the least attractive in males. In contrast, pride showed the reverse pattern; it was the most attractive male expression, and one of the least attractive in women. Shame displays were relatively attractive in both genders, and, among younger adult women viewers, male shame was more attractive than male happiness, and not substantially less than male pride. Effects were largely consistent with evolutionary and socio-cultural-norm accounts. Overall, this research provides the first evidence that distinct emotion expressions have divergent effects on sexual attractiveness, which vary by gender but largely hold across age. (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Parenting clinically anxious versus healthy control children aged 4-12 years.

PubMed

van der Sluis, C M; van Steensel, F J A; Bögels, S M

2015-05-01

This study investigated whether parenting behaviors differed between parents of 68 clinically anxious children and 106 healthy control children aged 4-12 years. The effects of parent gender, child gender and child age on parenting were explored. Mothers and fathers completed a questionnaire to assess parenting behaviors in for children hypothetically anxious situations. Results showed that parents of clinically anxious children reported more anxiety-enhancing parenting (reinforcement of dependency and punishment) as well as more positive parenting (positive reinforcement). For the clinical sample, fathers reported using more modeling/reassurance than mothers, and parents reported using more force with their 4-7-year-olds than with their 8-12-year-olds. No interaction effects were found for child gender with child anxiety status on parenting. Results indicate that for intervention, it is important to measure parenting behaviors, and to take into account father and mother differences and the age of the child. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An Analysis on the Correlation and Gender Difference between College Students' Internet Addiction and Mobile Phone Addiction in Taiwan.

PubMed

Chiu, Shao-I; Hong, Fu-Yuan; Chiu, Su-Lin

2013-01-01

This study is aimed at constructing a correlative model between Internet addiction and mobile phone addiction; the aim is to analyse the correlation (if any) between the two traits and to discuss the influence confirming that the gender has difference on this fascinating topic; taking gender into account opens a new world of scientific study to us. The study collected 448 college students on an island as study subjects, with 61.2% males and 38.8% females. Moreover, this study issued Mobile Phone Addiction Scale and Internet Addiction Scale to conduct surveys on the participants and adopts the structural equation model (SEM) to process the collected data. According to the study result, (1) mobile phone addiction and Internet addiction are positively related; (2) female college students score higher than male ones in the aspect of mobile addiction. Lastly, this study proposes relevant suggestions to serve as a reference for schools, college students, and future studies based on the study results.

A multidimensional approach to explore cross-cultural differences in coping behavior: comparing Druze and Jews in Israel.

PubMed

Israelashvili, Moshe; Taubman-Ben-Ari, Orit; Hochdorf, Zipora

2011-01-01

Assuming that culture is a multidimensional variable, the current study explored the possibility that the interactions between ethnicity and other culture-related variables--rather than ethnicity alone--will better describe differences in coping behavior. In the study, cross-cultural differences among Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze in the use of various ways of coping were examined while also taking into account respondents' gender, age, self-esteem, sense of coherence, national identification, and religiosity. Comparing Israeli Jews and Israeli Druze, results indicate significant differences in levels of religiosity and coherence. Referring to coping behavior, findings show that differences in ways of coping could be attributed mainly to gender differences rather than ethnic differences Thus, at least in the case of comparing Israeli Jews vs. Israeli Druze, religiosity and gender are powerful determinants of coping behavior, while ethnicity has only a limited contribution in explaining variance in a preferred way of coping. It is suggested that ethnicity has a moderating role in shaping coping behavior, as it might influence person's self-perception and level of emotionality, which in turn shape the person's ways of coping. Future explorations among various age and ethnic groups are needed to enable generalization of the current study findings.

Regional and Gender Differences and Trends in the Anesthesiologist Workforce.

PubMed

Baird, Matthew; Daugherty, Lindsay; Kumar, Krishna B; Arifkhanova, Aziza

2015-11-01

Concerns have long existed about potential shortages in the anesthesiologist workforce. In addition, many changes have occurred in the economy, demographics, and the healthcare sector in the last few years, which may impact the workforce. The authors documented workforce trends by region of the United States and gender, trends that may have implications for the supply and demand of anesthesiologists. The authors conducted a national survey of American Society of Anesthesiologists members (accounting for >80% of all practicing anesthesiologists in the United States) in 2007 and repeated it in 2013. The authors used logistic regression analysis and Seemingly Unrelated Regression to test across several indicators under an overarching hypothesis. Anesthesiologists in Western states had markedly different patterns of practice relative to anesthesiologists in other regions in 2007 and 2013, including differences in employer type, the composition of anesthesia teams, and the time spent on monitored anesthesia care. The number and proportion of female anesthesiologists in the workforce increased between 2007 and 2013, and females differed from males in employment arrangements, compensation, and work hours. Regional differences remained stable during this time period although the reasons for these differences are speculative. Similarly, how and whether the gender difference in work hours and shift to younger anesthesiologists during this period will impact workforce needs is uncertain.

Moving beyond sex: Assessing the impact of gender identity on human papillomavirus vaccine recommendations and uptake among a national sample of rural-residing LGBT young adults.

PubMed

Bednarczyk, Robert A; Whitehead, Jennifer L; Stephenson, Rob

2017-06-01

While national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination estimates exist by sex, little is known about HPV vaccination rates by gender identity. We conducted a self-administered, anonymous online cross-sectional survey, with recruitment through Facebook ads, of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals in rural areas of the US. We compared HPV vaccine recommendation and uptake by self-reported sex assigned at birth and current gender identity. Six hundred sixty respondents were age eligible for HPV vaccination: 84% reported gender identity aligned with their sex assigned at birth, while 10% reported gender identity the differed from their sex assigned at birth; an additional 6% reported non-binary gender identity. Only 14% of male sex assigned at birth and 44% of female sex assigned at birth received HPV vaccine, similar to estimates by current gender identity. Transgender respondents' HPV vaccination experience mirrored that of cisgender respondents with regard to sex assigned at birth. Providers may base HPV vaccine recommendations on individuals' sex assigned at birth, which may impact transgender individuals' vaccine coverage. Future HPV vaccine uptake studies should account for gender identity. With sex-specific catch-up HPV vaccination recommendations, the role of gender identity on provider recommendation and reimbursement needs to be addressed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Culture and the social construction of gender: mapping the intersection with mental health.

PubMed

Andermann, Lisa

2010-01-01

The social construction of gender is an important concept for better understanding the determinants of mental health in women and men. Going beyond physical and physiological differences and the traditional biomedical approach, interdisciplinary study of the complex factors related to culture and society, power and politics is necessary to be able to find solutions to situations of disparity in mental health, related to both prevalence of disorders, availability and response to treatment. Gender inequality continues to be a source of suffering for many women around the world, and this can lead to adverse mental health outcomes. This review focuses on developments in the literature on culture, gender and mental health over the past decade, focusing on themes around the social construction of gender, mental health and the media, a look at cultural competence through a gender lens, gender and the body, providing some examples of the intersection between mental health and gender in low-income countries as well as the more developed world, and the impact of migration and resettlement on mental health. At the clinical level, using a bio-psycho-social-spiritual model that can integrate and negotiate between both traditional and biomedical perspectives is necessary, combined with use of a cultural formulation that takes gender identity into account. Research involving both qualitative and quantitative perspectives, and in many cases an ethnographic framework, is essential in tackling these global issues.

Influence of gravidity and foetal gender on the value of screening variables in the first trimester of pregnancy.

PubMed

Illescas, Tamara; Fernández, Cristina; Ortega, Dolores; de la Puente, Miriam; Coronado, Pluvio; Montalvo, Joaquín

2013-03-01

Combined screening for chromosome abnormalities in the first trimester of pregnancy is based on maternal age, nuchal translucency (NT) and biochemical markers (PAPP-A and free β-hCG). We sought to assess the value of the variables used in the combined screening strategy taking into account maternal gravidity and foetal gender. Between July 1999 and December 2009, a total of 21,193 singleton pregnancies were screened for aneuploidy in the first trimester, in the Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid, Spain). In the original database foetal gender data were available in 4370 euploid cases, and there were 2343 women with at least two consecutive pregnancies. We conducted a retrospective assessment of ultrasound and biochemical markers taking into account foetal gender and maternal gravidity, and evaluated the effect on the performance of screening, in terms of detection rates and false positive rates. Information on pregnancy outcome was obtained from the hospital's intranet medical records or by contacting the patient by telephone postpartum. Karyotype was ascertained by amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling, and euploid status was assumed in newborns with normal phenotype. Student's t-tests (paired or unpaired as appropriate) were applied to the data, and the Bland-Altmann method was applied in evaluating individual differences in markers between successive gestations. PAPP-A decreased significantly between the first and the second pregnancy (p<0.01). PAPP-A and free β-hCG values were significantly higher (p=0.04 and p<0.01 respectively) and NT was lower (p=0.02) in pregnancies with a female foetus. Correlations between the biochemical variables in relation to gravidity and foetal gender can introduce a bias in the calculated risk of chromosome abnormalities. Differences in NT measurements with respect to foetal gender do not seem to be of clinical importance. NT is independent of gravidity so routine use of NT compensates for the influence of these maternal-foetal variables on the values of biochemical parameters. Hence, the bias in overall combined screening is small. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life Cycles and Career Development: New Models. ERIC Digest No. 119.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerka, Sandra

Changes in the composition of the work force and changing work values require new life span and career development models that account for individual, gender, and cultural differences in experience. Age/stage models form one school of thought in developmental theory. A major criticism of prevailing theories is that they are based on male…

Predictors of College Student Suicidal Ideation: Gender Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, Hugh; Pena-Shaff, Judith; Quirk, Priscilla

2006-01-01

There is a need to identify students at risk for suicide. Predictors of suicidality were examined separately for men and women in a college health survey of 630 students. Women reported higher levels of suicidal ideation than men in the previous year. Separate regression analyses for men and women accounted for significant amounts of the variance…

From "Pippi Longstocking" to Global Feminist: Incorporating Gender and Feminist Teaching into My Geographical Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Eje

2012-01-01

This is an autobiographical account of my geographical education. As a child I explored places far different from my home in S. Korea through my readings of children's literature--Pippi Longstocking in particular. My school experiences in Seoul did little to educate me geographically. This paper describes significant transformations during my…

Gender- and age-related differences in heart rate dynamics: are women more complex than men?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, S. M.; Goldberger, A. L.; Pincus, S. M.; Mietus, J.; Lipsitz, L. A.

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVES. This study aimed to quantify the complex dynamics of beat-to-beat sinus rhythm heart rate fluctuations and to determine their differences as a function of gender and age. BACKGROUND. Recently, measures of heart rate variability and the nonlinear "complexity" of heart rate dynamics have been used as indicators of cardiovascular health. Because women have lower cardiovascular risk and greater longevity than men, we postulated that there are important gender-related differences in beat-to-beat heart rate dynamics. METHODS. We analyzed heart rate dynamics during 8-min segments of continuous electrocardiographic recording in healthy young (20 to 39 years old), middle-aged (40 to 64 years old) and elderly (65 to 90 years old) men (n = 40) and women (n = 27) while they performed spontaneous and metronomic (15 breaths/min) breathing. Relatively high (0.15 to 0.40 Hz) and low (0.01 to 0.15 Hz) frequency components of heart rate variability were computed using spectral analysis. The overall "complexity" of each heart rate time series was quantified by its approximate entropy, a measure of regularity derived from nonlinear dynamics ("chaos" theory). RESULTS. Mean heart rate did not differ between the age groups or genders. High frequency heart rate power and the high/low frequency power ratio decreased with age in both men and women (p < 0.05). The high/low frequency power ratio during spontaneous and metronomic breathing was greater in women than men (p < 0.05). Heart rate approximate entropy decreased with age and was higher in women than men (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS. High frequency heart rate spectral power (associated with parasympathetic activity) and the overall complexity of heart rate dynamics are higher in women than men. These complementary findings indicate the need to account for gender-as well as age-related differences in heart rate dynamics. Whether these gender differences are related to lower cardiovascular disease risk and greater longevity in women requires further study.

Accounting for body size deviations when reporting bone mineral density variables in children.

PubMed

Webber, C E; Sala, A; Barr, R D

2009-01-01

In a child, bone mineral density (BMD) may differ from an age-expected normal value, not only because of the presence of disease, but also because of deviations of height or weight from population averages. Appropriate adjustment for body size deviations simplifies interpretation of BMD measurements. For children, a bone mineral density (BMD) measurement is normally expressed as a Z score. Interpretation is complicated when weight or height distinctly differ from age-matched children. We develop a procedure to allow for the influence of body size deviations upon measured BMD. We examined the relation between body size deviation and spine, hip and whole body BMD deviation in 179 normal children (91 girls). Expressions were developed that allowed derivation of an expected BMD based on age, gender and body size deviation. The difference between measured and expected BMD was expressed as a HAW score (Height-, Age-, Weight-adjusted score). In a second independent sample of 26 normal children (14 girls), measured spine, total femur and whole body BMD all fell within the same single normal range after accounting for age, gender and body size deviations. When traditional Z scores and HAW scores were compared in 154 children, 17.5% showed differences of more than 1 unit and such differences were associated with height and weight deviations. For almost 1 in 5 children, body size deviations influence BMD to an extent that could alter clinical management.

Suicides in Hong Kong and Australia.

PubMed

Yip, P S

1998-01-01

Although the suicide rate for both Hong Kong and Australia was about 12 per 100,000 in 1994, the age- and gender-specific rates, methods of suicide, and time trends vary greatly for these two places. This paper explores the possible social, economic, and cultural background to explain this discrepancy. We used the official suicide death statistics of Hong Kong and Australia for the period 1984-1994. We calculated age-standardized suicide rates in order to take into account the differences in the age composition between the two countries and years. We employed a log-linear (Poisson) model to detect the age- and gender-specific trends, and to determine whether there were specific age or gender groups whose suicide behavior had changed significantly between 1984 and 1994. Hong Kong experienced a slight increase in suicide rate for both genders in the years 1984-1994, whereas Australia experienced a cubic trend for both genders during the same period and a rise in suicide rate in recent years. The suicide rate in Hong Kong increased with age, with a sharp increase (nearly four times the average) among the group aged 75 or over. A relatively low gender ratio (male:female) was also observed in Hong Kong, whereas in Australia there was not much difference in suicide rates among all age groups, though the suicide rate of the group aged 75 or over was 1.2 times the average. The gender ratio in Australia was higher, and the male suicide rate was four times higher than that of females. The Hong Kong suicide rate in females was twice that of Australia, whereas the Hong Kong male suicide rate was about half that of Australia. Jumping and hanging were the most common methods of suicide in Hong Kong, accounting for more than 80% of all suicide deaths. Poisoning (including gas poisoning) was the most common method used in Australia, with firearms being more common among young males. Australia had a higher years of potential life lost (YPLL) than Hong Kong because of the higher suicide rate among young males (aged 15-24). The high suicide rate among the elderly in Hong Kong raises the possibility that medical and social support to the elderly could be enhanced. The high female suicide rate in Hong Kong could be related to workload, responsibility, and expectations. The high suicide rate in Australia among males aged 15-24 was disturbing. Availability of the suicide methods is certainly one explanation for the difference in suicide methods used in Hong Kong and Australia.

Individual Differences in the Relationship Between Attachment and Nomophobia Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness

PubMed Central

Arpaci, Ibrahim; Özteke Kozan, Hatice İrem; Kesici, Şahin

2017-01-01

Background There is a growing interest in nomophobia, which is defined as the fear of being out of cellular phone contact, or "feelings of discomfort or anxiety experienced by individuals when they are unable to use their mobile phones or utilize the affordances these devices provide”. However, only limited research can be found in terms of its determinants at present. Contemporary literature suggests that the relationships among attachment styles, mindfulness, and nomophobia have not been investigated. Objective This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between attachment and nomophobia. In addition, the study also focuses on gender differences in attachment, mindfulness, and nomophobia. A theory-based structural model was tested to understand the essentials of the associations between the constructs. Methods The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Nomophobia Questionnaire, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale were used to collect data from undergraduate students (N=450; 70.9% women [319/450]; mean age=21.94 years [SD 3.61]). Two measurement models (ie, attachment and mindfulness) and a structural model were specified, estimated, and evaluated. Results The structural equation model shows that the positive direct effects of avoidant (.13, P=.03) and anxious attachment (.48, P<.001) on nomophobia were significant. The negative direct effects of avoidant (−.18, P=.01) and anxious attachment (−.33, P<.001) on mindfulness were also significant. Moreover, mindfulness has a significant negative effect on nomophobia for women only (−.13, P=.03). Finally, the Sobel test showed that the indirect effects of avoidant and anxious attachment on nomophobia via mindfulness were significant (P<.001). The direct and indirect effects of anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and mindfulness altogether accounted for 33% of the total variance in nomophobia. Gender comparison results show that there is a significant difference in attachment based on gender (F2,447=6.97, P=.01, Wilk λ=.97, partial η2=.03). Women (mean 68.46 [SD 16.96]) scored significantly higher than men (mean 63.59 [SD 15.97]) in anxious attachment (F1=7.93, P=.01, partial η2=.02). Gender differences in mindfulness were not significant (F4,448=3.45, P=.69). On the other hand, results do show significant gender differences in nomophobia (F4,445=2.71, P=.03, Wilk λ=.98, partial η2=.02) where women scored significantly higher than men. Conclusions In general, individuals who are emotionally more dependent and crave more closeness and attention in the relationship tend to display higher levels of fear or discomfort when they have no access to their mobile phones. However, gender has a differential impact on the relationship between avoidant attachment and nomophobia. This study establishes the impact of mindfulness on nomophobia for women; therefore, future studies should test the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy approaches and confirm whether they are effective and efficient. On the basis of significant gender difference in nomophobia and attachment, we conclude that gender should be taken into account in mindfulness-based treatments dealing with nomophobia. PMID:29242179

Intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment in China: the moderating role of marital satisfaction and gender.

PubMed

Wang, Meifang; Xing, Xiaopei; Zhao, Jinxia

2014-11-01

The goal of this study was to examine the intergenerational patterns in the transmission of parental corporal punishment in China and the moderating effects of marital satisfaction (of the second generation: G2) and gender (of three generations: G1, G2 and G3) on these patterns. Six hundred thirty-five father-mother dyads with preschool-aged children were recruited to participate in this survey. The results provided evidence of cross-generational continuity in parental corporal punishment in Chinese society and also supported the hypothesis that same-gender continuity in parental corporal punishment is stronger than cross-gender continuity. Moreover, it was found that marital satisfaction moderated the transmission of parental corporal punishment, and there were some interesting gender differences in the moderator effect. Specifically, marital satisfaction buffered the transmission of corporal punishment from grandmothers to mothers of daughters and to fathers of sons but strengthened the transmission from grandfathers to fathers of sons. The findings broaden our understanding of the factors and processes that account for both discontinuity and continuity in parental corporal punishment, particularly within the Chinese cultural context.

Morphosyntactic Processing in Advanced Second Language (L2) Learners: An Event-Related Potential Investigation of the Effects of L1-l2 Similarity and Structural Distance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alemán Bañón, José; Fiorentino, Robert; Gabriele, Alison

2014-01-01

Different theoretical accounts of second language (L2) acquisition differ with respect to whether or not advanced learners are predicted to show native-like processing for features not instantiated in the native language (L1). We examined how native speakers of English, a language with number but not gender agreement, process number and gender…

Young people with features of gender dysphoria: Demographics and associated difficulties.

PubMed

Holt, Vicky; Skagerberg, Elin; Dunsford, Michael

2016-01-01

This article presents the findings from a cross-sectional study on demographic variables and associated difficulties in 218 children and adolescents (Mean age = 14 years, SD = 3.08, range = 5-17 years), with features of gender dysphoria, referred to the Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) in London during a 1-year period (1 January 2012-31 December 2012). Data were extracted from patient files (i.e. referral letters, clinical notes and clinician reports). The most commonly reported associated difficulties were bullying, low mood/depression and self-harming. There was a gender difference on some of the associated difficulties with reports of self-harm being significantly more common in the natal females and autism spectrum conditions being significantly more common in the natal males. The findings also showed that many of the difficulties increased with age. Findings regarding demographic variables, gender dysphoria, sexual orientation and family features are reported, and limitations and implications of the cross-sectional study are discussed. In conclusion, young people with gender dysphoria often present with a wide range of associated difficulties which clinicians need to take into account, and our article highlights the often complex presentations of these young people. © The Author(s) 2014.

Racial disparities in stage-specific colorectal cancer mortality: 1960-2005.

PubMed

Soneji, Samir; Iyer, Shally Shalini; Armstrong, Katrina; Asch, David A

2010-10-01

We examined whether racial disparities in stage-specific colorectal cancer survival changed between 1960 and 2005. We used US Mortality Multiple-Cause-of-Death Data Files and intercensal estimates to calculate standardized mortality rates by gender and race from 1960 to 2005. We used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data to estimate stage-specific colorectal cancer survival. To account for SEER sampling uncertainty, we used a bootstrap resampling procedure and fit a Cox proportional hazards model. Between 1960-2005, patterns of decline in mortality rate as a result of colorectal cancer differed greatly by gender and race: 54% reduction for White women, 14% reduction for Black women, 39% reduction for White men, and 28% increase for Black men. Blacks consistently experienced worse rates of stage-specific survival and life expectancy than did Whites for both genders, across all age groups, and for localized, regional, and distant stages of the disease. The rates of stage-specific colorectal cancer survival differed among Blacks when compared with Whites during the 4-decade study period. Differences in stage-specific life expectancy were the result of differences in access to care or quality of care. More attention should be given to racial disparities in colorectal cancer management.

Inequities in Academic Compensation by Gender: A Follow-up to the National Faculty Survey Cohort Study.

PubMed

Freund, Karen M; Raj, Anita; Kaplan, Samantha E; Terrin, Norma; Breeze, Janis L; Urech, Tracy H; Carr, Phyllis L

2016-08-01

Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated gender differences in salaries within academic medicine. No research has assessed longitudinal compensation patterns. This study sought to assess longitudinal patterns by gender in compensation, and to understand factors associated with these differences in a longitudinal cohort. A 17-year longitudinal follow-up of the National Faculty Survey was conducted with a random sample of faculty from 24 U.S. medical schools. Participants employed full-time at initial and follow-up time periods completed the survey. Annual pretax compensation during academic year 2012-2013 was compared by gender. Covariates assessed included race/ethnicity; years since first academic appointment; retention in academic career; academic rank; departmental affiliation; percent effort distribution across clinical, teaching, administrative, and research duties; marital and parental status; and any leave or part-time status in the years between surveys. In unadjusted analyses, women earned a mean of $20,520 less than men (P = .03); women made 90 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. This difference was reduced to $16,982 (P = .04) after adjusting for covariates. The mean difference of $15,159 was no longer significant (P = .06) when adjusting covariates and for those who had ever taken a leave or worked part-time. The continued gender gap in compensation cannot be accounted for by metrics used to calculate salary. Institutional actions to address these disparities include both initial appointment and annual salary equity reviews, training of senior faculty and administrators to understand implicit bias, and training of women faculty in negotiating skills.

Inequities in Academic Compensation by Gender: A Follow-Up to the National Faculty Survey Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Freund, Karen M.; Raj, Anita; Kaplan, Samantha E.; Terrin, Norma; Breeze, Janis L.; Urech, Tracy H.; Carr, Phyllis L.

2016-01-01

Purpose Cross-sectional studies have demonstrated gender differences in salaries within academic medicine. No research has assessed longitudinal compensation patterns. This study sought to assess longitudinal patterns by gender in compensation, and to understand factors associated with these differences in a longitudinal cohort. Method A 17-year longitudinal follow-up of the National Faculty Survey was conducted with a random sample of faculty from 24 U.S. medical schools. Participants employed full-time at initial and follow-up time periods completed the survey. Annual pre-tax compensation during academic year 2012–13 was compared by gender. Covariates assessed included race/ethnicity; years since first academic appointment; retention in academic career; academic rank; departmental affiliation; percent effort distribution across clinical, teaching, administrative, and research duties; marital and parental status; and any leave or part-time status in the years between surveys. Results In unadjusted analyses, women earned a mean of $20,520 less than men (P = .03); women made 90 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts. This difference was reduced to $16,982 (P = .04) after adjusting for covariates. The mean difference of $15,159 was no longer significant (P = .06) when adjusting covariates and for those who had ever taken a leave or worked part-time. Conclusions The continued gender gap in compensation cannot be accounted for by metrics used to calculate salary. Institutional actions to address these disparities include both initial appointment and annual salary equity reviews, training of senior faculty and administrators to understand implicit bias, and training of women faculty in negotiating skills. PMID:27276007

Effects of age, gender and educational background on strength of motivation for medical school.

PubMed

Kusurkar, Rashmi; Kruitwagen, Cas; ten Cate, Olle; Croiset, Gerda

2010-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of selection, educational background, age and gender on strength of motivation to attend and pursue medical school. Graduate entry (GE) medical students (having Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences or related field) and Non-Graduate Entry (NGE) medical students (having only completed high school), were asked to fill out the Strength of Motivation for Medical School (SMMS) questionnaire at the start of medical school. The questionnaire measures the willingness of the medical students to pursue medical education even in the face of difficulty and sacrifice. GE students (59.64 ± 7.30) had higher strength of motivation as compared to NGE students (55.26 ± 8.33), so did females (57.05 ± 8.28) as compared to males (54.30 ± 8.08). 7.9% of the variance in the SMMS scores could be explained with the help of a linear regression model with age, gender and educational background/selection as predictor variables. Age was the single largest predictor. Maturity, taking developmental differences between sexes into account, was used as a predictor to correct for differences in the maturation of males and females. Still, the gender differences prevailed, though they were reduced. Pre-entrance educational background and selection also predicted the strength of motivation, but the effect of the two was confounded. Strength of motivation appears to be a dynamic entity, changing primarily with age and maturity and to a small extent with gender and experience.

What accounts for men's hostile attitudes toward women? The influence of hegemonic male role norms and masculine gender role stress.

PubMed

Gallagher, Kathryn E; Parrott, Dominic J

2011-05-01

This study examined masculine gender role stress (MGRS) as a mediator of the relation between adherence to dimensions of a hegemonic masculinity and hostility toward women (HTW). Among a sample of 338 heterosexual men, results indicated that MGRS mediated the relation between adherence to the status and antifemininity norms, but not the toughness norm, and HTW. Adherence to the toughness norm maintained a positive association with HTW. These findings suggest that men's HTW develops via multiple pathways that are associated with different norms of hegemonic masculinity. Implications for the prediction of men's aggression against women are discussed.

WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR MEN'S HOSTILE ATTITUDES TOWARD WOMEN?: THE INFLUENCE OF HEGEMONIC MALE ROLE NORMS AND MASCULINE GENDER ROLE STRESS

PubMed Central

Gallagher, Kathryn E.; Parrott, Dominic J.

2011-01-01

This study examined masculine gender role stress (MGRS) as a mediator of the relation between adherence to dimensions of a hegemonic masculinity and hostility toward women (HTW). Among a sample of 338 heterosexual men, results indicated that MGRS mediated the relation between adherence to the status and antifemininity norms, but not the toughness norm, and HTW. Adherence to the toughness norm maintained a positive association with HTW. These findings suggest that men's HTW develops via multiple pathways that are associated with different norms of hegemonic masculinity. Implications for the prediction of men's aggression against women are discussed. PMID:21531691

[The influence of perceived discrimination on health in migrants].

PubMed

Igel, Ulrike; Brähler, Elmar; Grande, Gesine

2010-05-01

The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of racial discrimination on subjective health in migrants. The sample included 1.844 migrants from the SOEP. Discrimination was assessed by two items. Socioeconomic status, country of origin, and health behavior were included in multivariate regression models to control for effects on health. Differential models with regard to gender and origin were analysed. Migrants who experienced discrimination report a worse health status. Discrimination determines mental and physical health of migrants. There are differences in models due to gender and origin. In addition to socioeconomic factors experienced discrimination should be taken into account as a psycho-social stressor of migrants.

Disordered eating and body image in Chinese and Caucasian students in the United States.

PubMed

Baillie, Lauren E; Copeland, Amy L

2013-08-01

This study evaluated the roles of exposure to Western culture and language choice and gender differences in disordered eating symptoms in Chinese and Caucasian students. 796 Caucasian and 194 Chinese students completed measures of eating disorder symptoms, body image, and body esteem. Participants chose their survey language (English or Chinese). Caucasian women had higher levels of body dissatisfaction than Chinese women. Women of both ethnicities reported more disordered eating symptoms and body dissatisfaction than men; these differences were smaller for the Chinese group. Differences emerged on certain dimensions of body esteem between Chinese women who responded in Chinese and those who responded in English. There were few differences between ethnicities, suggesting that mechanisms other than Western culture play a role. Cultural variables may account for the degree of intra-ethnic gender differences. Individuals who complete studies in their native language may differ from their English-responding counterparts in areas of body esteem. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The voiced pronunciation of initial phonemes predicts the gender of names.

PubMed

Slepian, Michael L; Galinsky, Adam D

2016-04-01

Although it is known that certain names gain popularity within a culture because of historical events, it is unknown how names become associated with different social categories in the first place. We propose that vocal cord vibration during the pronunciation of an initial phoneme plays a critical role in explaining which names are assigned to males versus females. This produces a voiced gendered name effect, whereby voiced phonemes (vibration of the vocal cords) are more associated with male names, and unvoiced phonemes (no vibration of the vocal cords) are more associated with female names. Eleven studies test this association between voiced names and gender (a) using 270 million names (more than 80,000 unique names) given to children over 75 years, (b) names across 2 cultures (the U.S. and India), and (c) hundreds of novel names. The voiced gendered name effect was mediated through how hard or soft names sounded, and moderated by gender stereotype endorsement. Although extensive work has demonstrated morphological and physical cues to gender (e.g., facial, bodily, vocal), this work provides a systematic account of name-based cues to gender. Overall, the current research extends work on sound symbolism to names; the way in which a name sounds can be symbolically related to stereotypes associated with its social category. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Social inequality and age-specific gender differences in overweight and perception of overweight among Swedish children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

van Vliet, J S; Gustafsson, P A; Duchen, K; Nelson, N

2015-07-09

Overweight among children and adolescents related to social inequality, as well as age and gender differences, may contribute to poor self-image, thereby raising important public health concerns. This study explores social inequality in relation to overweight and perception of overweight among 263 boys and girls, age 7 to 17, in Växjö, Sweden. Data were obtained through a questionnaire and from physical measurements of height, weight and waist circumference [WC]. To assess social, age and gender differences in relation to overweight, the independent sample t- and chi-square tests were used, while logistic regression modeling was used to study determinants for perception of overweight. Social inequality and gender differences as they relate to high ISO-BMI [Body Mass Index for children] and WC were associated with low maternal socioeconomic status [SES] among boys < 13 years [mean age = 10.4; n = 65] and with low paternal education level among boys ≥ 13 years [mean age = 15.0; n = 39] [p < 0.05]. One suggested explanation for this finding is maternal impact on boys during childhood and the influence of the father as a role model for adolescent boys. The only association found among girls was between high ISO-BMI in girls ≥ 13 years [mean age = 15.0; n = 74] and low paternal occupational status. Concerning perception of overweight, age and gender differences were found, but social inequality was not the case. Among boys and girls < 13 years, perception of overweight increased only when overweight was actually present according to BMI or WC [p < 0.01]. Girls ≥ 13 years [mean age = 15.0] were more likely to unrealistically perceive themselves as overweight or "too fat," despite factual measurements to the contrary, than boys [p < 0.05] and girls < 13 years [mean age = 10.4; n = 83] [p < 0.001]. The association between social inequality and overweight in adolescence in this study is age- and gender-specific. Gender differences, especially in perception of overweight, tend to increase with age, indicating that adolescence is a crucial period. When planning interventions to prevent overweight and obesity among children and adolescents, parental SES as well as age and gender-specific differences in social norms and perception of body weight status should be taken into account.

[Gender differences in suicidal behavior].

PubMed

Vörös, Viktor; Osváth, Péter; Fekete, Sándor

2004-06-01

Gender-specific differences in suicidal behaviour have been analysed in a number of recent studies. According to these, several socioeconomic, demographic, psychiatric, familial, help-seeking differences can be identified in protective and risk factors between males and females. Gender is one of the most replicated predictors for suicide. In the framework of the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour, more than fifty thousand suicide attempts have been registered so far. Until now data on more than 1200 monitored suicidal events have been collected in Pecs centre. In most countries male suicid rates are higher. In contrast to suicides, rates of suicide attempts are usually higher in females. Concerning the differences in methods, it is a recognised fact that males use violent methods of both suicide and attempted suicide more often than females. The summarised clinical impression suggests that compliance of male patients is poorer than that of females. According to our data, a typical male attempter is characterised as follows: unemployed, never married, lives alone. He tends to use violent methods; if he takes drugs, it is mostly meprobamate or carbamazepine. A lot of male attempters have alcohol problems or dependence. As for the females, we found high odds ratios in the following cases: divorced or widowed, economically inactive, depressive state in the anamnesis. Female attempters are mainly repeaters using the method of self-poisoning, mostly with benzodiazepines. As suicide is a multicausal phenomenon, its therapy and prevention should also be complex and gender differences should be taken into account in building up our helping strategies.

Food and life, pleasure and worry, among American college students: gender differences and regional similarities.

PubMed

Rozin, Paul; Bauer, Rebecca; Catanese, Dana

2003-07-01

Questionnaires on food attitudes and behavior were completed by 2,200 American undergraduates from 6 regionally dispersed college campuses. Results indicate that a substantial minority of women and a much smaller minority of men have major concerns about eating and food with respect to both weight and health. Overall, 14% of women reported being embarrassed to buy a chocolate bar in the store. A 6-factor structure emerged: weight concern, diet and health orientation, beliefs about the diet-health link, food negativity/importance of food as a source of pleasure in life, eating disordered behaviors, and natural/vegetarian food preferences. There were surprisingly few regional differences, virtually none if race and social class were taken into account. Gender was the strongest predictor of responses.

Do girls really experience more anxiety in mathematics?

PubMed

Goetz, Thomas; Bieg, Madeleine; Lüdtke, Oliver; Pekrun, Reinhard; Hall, Nathan C

2013-10-01

Two studies were conducted to examine gender differences in trait (habitual) versus state (momentary) mathematics anxiety in a sample of students (Study 1: N = 584; Study 2: N = 111). For trait math anxiety, the findings of both studies replicated previous research showing that female students report higher levels of anxiety than do male students. However, no gender differences were observed for state anxiety, as assessed using experience-sampling methods while students took a math test (Study 1) and attended math classes (Study 2). The discrepant findings for trait versus state math anxiety were partly accounted for by students' beliefs about their competence in mathematics, with female students reporting lower perceived competence than male students despite having the same average grades in math. Implications for educational practices and the assessment of anxiety are discussed.

Gender-related differences in circadian rhythm of rat plasma acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase: effects of sex hormone withdrawal.

PubMed

Alves-Amaral, Gracielle; Pires-Oliveira, Marcelo; Andrade-Lopes, Ana Luiza; Chiavegatti, Tiago; Godinho, Rosely Oliveira

2010-06-07

The role of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the termination of the cholinergic response through acetylcholine (ACh) hydrolysis and the involvement of plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE), mainly of hepatic origin, in the metabolism of xenobiotics with ester bonds is well known. Besides, BuChE has a crucial role in ACh hydrolysis, especially when selective anticholinesterases inhibit AChE. Herein, we analyzed the gender-related differences and the circadian changes of rat plasma cholinesterases. Plasma and liver cholinesterase activities were evaluated in control or 2-30-day castrated adult male and female rats. Plasma and liver AChE activities did not differ between genders and were not influenced by sex hormone deprivation. BuChE plasma activity was 7 times greater in female, reflecting gender differences in liver enzyme expression. Castration increased liver and plasma BuChE activity in male, while reduced it in female, abolishing gender differences in enzyme activity. Interestingly, female AChE and BuChE plasma activities varied throughout the day, reaching values 27% and 42% lower, respectively, between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. when compared to the morning peaks at 8 a.m. Castration attenuated daily female BuChE oscillation. On the other hand, male plasma enzymes remained constant throughout the day. In summary, our results show that liver and plasma BuChE, but not AChE, expression is influenced by sex hormones, leading to high levels of blood BuChE in females. The fluctuation of female plasma BuChE during the day should be taken into account to adjust the bioavailability and the therapeutic effects of cholinesterase inhibitors used in cholinergic-based conditions such Alzheimer's disease. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Receipt of National Institutes of Health R01 Grants Among Junior Faculty at an Academic Medical Center: The Role of Connectivity, Rank, and Research Productivity.

PubMed

Warner, Erica T; Carapinha, René; Weber, Griffin M; Hill, Emorcia V; Reede, Joan Y

2017-10-01

To determine whether there were gender differences in likelihood of receiving a first National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 award among 5445 instructors and assistant professors at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Data on R01 award principal investigators were obtained from NIH ExPORTER and linked with faculty data. Using Cox proportional hazard regression, we examined the association of gender with receipt of first R01 award between 2008 and 2015 accounting for demographics, research productivity metrics, and professional characteristics. Compared to males, females had fewer publications, lower h-index, smaller coauthor networks and were less likely to be assistant professors (p < 0.0001). Four hundred and thirteen of 5445 faculty (7.6%) received their first R01 award during the study period. There was no gender difference in receipt of R01 awards in age-adjusted (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.70-1.08) or multivariable-adjusted models (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.86-1.34). Compared to white males, there was a nonsignificant 10%, 18%, and 30% lower rate of R01 receipt among white, Asian or Pacific Islander, and underrepresented minority females, respectively. These differences were eliminated in the multivariable-adjusted model. Network reach, age, HMS start year, h-index, academic rank, previous K award, terminal degree, and HMS training were all significant predictors of receiving an R01 award. A relatively small proportion of HMS junior faculty obtained their first NIH R01 award during the study period. There was no significant gender difference in likelihood of award. However, we are unable to distinguish faculty that never applied from those who applied and were not successful.

Gender-Differentiated Parenting Revisited: Meta-Analysis Reveals Very Few Differences in Parental Control of Boys and Girls.

PubMed

Endendijk, Joyce J; Groeneveld, Marleen G; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; Mesman, Judi

2016-01-01

Although various theories describe mechanisms leading to differential parenting of boys and girls, there is no consensus about the extent to which parents do treat their sons and daughters differently. The last meta-analyses on the subject were conducted more than fifteen years ago, and changes in gender-specific child rearing in the past decade are quite plausible. In the current set of meta-analyses, based on 126 observational studies (15,034 families), we examined mothers' and fathers' differential use of autonomy-supportive and controlling strategies with boys and girls, and the role of moderators related to the decade in which the study was conducted, the observational context, and sample characteristics. Databases of Web of Science, ERIC, PsychInfo, Online Contents, Picarta, and Proquest were searched for studies examining differences in observed parental control of boys and girls between the ages of 0 and 18 years. Few differences were found in parents' use of control with boys and girls. Parents were slightly more controlling with boys than with girls, but the effect size was negligible (d = 0.08). The effect was larger, but still small, in normative groups and in samples with younger children. No overall effect for gender-differentiated autonomy-supportive strategies was found (d = 0.03). A significant effect of time emerged: studies published in the 1970s and 1980s reported more autonomy-supportive strategies with boys than toward girls, but from 1990 onwards parents showed somewhat more autonomy-supportive strategies with girls than toward boys. Taking into account parents' gender stereotypes might uncover subgroups of families where gender-differentiated control is salient, but based on our systematic review of the currently available large data base we conclude that in general the differences between parenting of boys versus girls are minimal.

Age, education, and the gender gap in the sense of control.

PubMed

Slagsvold, Britt; Sørensen, Annemette

2008-01-01

High sense of control is related to benefits in many aspects of life, and education is known to be strongly related to sense of control. In this article we explore why women tend to feel a lower sense of control than men, and why the sense of control tends to be lower among the elderly than among younger people. In particular we explore the role played by education in explaining age- and gender differences in sense of control. The analysis is based on data from the first wave of the Norwegian NorLAG study, with a representative sample of adults aged 40-79 in 30 municipalities. We find that education accounts for some of the age and gender differences in sense of control, but the mediating effects of education are rather modest. We find an increasing gender gap in sense of control with age, and this increasing gap is completely explained by differences in education. Gender differences in sense of control is explained completely by four factors, which are related to resources and power; physical health, education, living with a partner, and leadership experience. Age differences in sense of control are only partially explained. Education, physical health and employment status cuts the age effect on sense of control to half. The effect of education on sense of control is partly mediated through what we suggest are tangible benefits of education, namely health, employment, and leadership experience. Education also influences individuals through socialization mechanisms. We view agentive orientation as a psychological benefit of education, and measure this characteristic with Bem's (1981) sex-role scale on masculinity. Agentive orientation completely explains the remaining effect of education on sense of control.

The erasure of gender in academic surgery: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Webster, Fiona; Rice, Kathleen; Christian, Jennifer; Seemann, Natashia; Baxter, Nancy; Moulton, Carol-Anne; Cil, Tulin

2016-10-01

The number of women in surgery has steadily increased, yet their numbers in academic surgery positions and in high-ranking leadership roles remain low. To create strategies to address and improve this problem, it is essential to examine how gender plays into the advancement of a woman's career in academic surgery. Focus group (1) and one-on-one qualitative interviews (8) were conducted with women academic surgeons from various subspecialties in a large university setting. Interviews examined women surgeons' accounts of their experiences as women in surgery. Audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim and coded thematically. NVivo10 software was used for cross-referencing of data and categorization of data into themes. Focus group data suggested that gender discrimination was pervasive in academic surgery. However, in interviews, most interviewees strongly disavowed the possibility that their gender had any bearing on their professional lives. These surgeons attempted to distance themselves from the possibility of discrimination by suggesting that differences in men and women surgeons' experiences are due to personality issues and personal choices. However, their narratives highlighted deep contradiction; they both affirmed and denied the relevance of gender for their experience as surgeons. As overt acts of discrimination become less acceptable in society, it does not necessarily disappear but rather manifests itself in covert forms. By disavowing and distancing themselves from discrimination, these women exposed the degree to which these issues continue to be pervasive in surgery. Women surgeons' ability to both identify and resist discrimination was hobbled by narratives of individualism, gender equality, and normative ideas of gender difference. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Gender parity and drug use: are girls catching up with boys?

PubMed

Malbergier, André; Cardoso, Luciana Roberta Donola; Amaral, Ricardo Abrantes do; Santos, Verena Castellani Vitor

2012-03-01

To evaluate the association between gender and use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs in adolescents aged 10 to 18 years in the municipalities of Jacareí and Diadema, São Paulo, Brazil. A total of 971 adolescents completed the Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI). In our sample, 55% of adolescents were male, 33.8% reported having made use in the previous month of alcohol, 13.5% of cigarettes, and 6.4% of illicit drugs. There was no significant difference between genders in the use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs in any of the analysis (p > 0.05). The use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs was associated with the city, age, educational level, school failure, and relationship with parents (p < 0.05). Substance abuse among adolescents in our sample seems to follow the recent global trend towards the equalization of drug use between genders. This result should be taken into account by public health professionals in developing policies for this problem.

Understanding the MBA Gender Gap: Women Respond to Gender Norms by Reducing Public Assertiveness but Not Private Effort.

PubMed

Wallen, Aaron S; Morris, Michael W; Devine, Beth A; Lu, Jackson G

2017-08-01

Women's underperformance in MBA programs has been the subject of recent debate and policy interventions, despite a lack of rigorous evidence documenting when and why it occurs. The current studies document a performance gap, specifying its contours and contributing factors. Two behaviors by female students that may factor into the gap are public conformity and private internalization. We predicted that women conform to the norm associating maleness with technical prowess by minimizing their public assertiveness in class discussions and meetings, but that they do not internalize the norm by reducing private effort. Data from multiple cohorts of a top-ranked MBA program reveal female underperformance occurred in technical subjects (e.g., accounting), but not social subjects (e.g., marketing). As predicted, the gender effect ran not through private effort but through public assertiveness, even controlling for gender differences in interests and aptitudes. These findings support some current policy interventions while casting doubt on others.

The effects of religion, superstition, and perceived gender inequality on the degree of suicide intent: a study of serious attempters in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Jie; Xu, Huilan

2007-01-01

Previous studies have tried to account for the uniqueness of gender ratios in Chinese suicide through physiological and psychological differences between men and women, and the means employed in the fatal act. From the point of view of the socio-psychological traits, this study examines the effects of religion (religiosity), superstition, and perceived gender inequality among Chinese women on the degree of their suicide intent. A four-page structured interviews were performed to the consecutively sampled serious attempters of suicide hospitalized to emergency rooms immediately after the suicidal act in Dalian areas, China. Both univariate analyses and the multiple regression model have found that the higher the degree the religiosity and superstition on metempsychosis, the stronger the suicide intent Chinese women had. The perceived gender inequality is positively correlated with suicide intent, and it is especially true for Chinese women. The socio-psychological traits and traditional culture values and norms have important impacts on suicide patterns in Chinese societies.

THE EFFECTS OF RELIGION, SUPERSTITION, AND PERCEIVED GENDER INEQUALITY ON THE DEGREE OF SUICIDE INTENT: A STUDY OF SERIOUS ATTEMPTERS IN CHINA

PubMed Central

ZHANG, JIE; XU, HUILAN

2011-01-01

Previous studies have tried to account for the uniqueness of gender ratios in Chinese suicide through physiological and psychological differences between men and women, and the means employed in the fatal act. From the point of view of the socio-psychological traits, this study examines the effects of religion (religiosity), superstition, and perceived gender inequality among Chinese women on the degree of their suicide intent. A four-page structured interviews were performed to the consecutively sampled serious attempters of suicide hospitalized to emergency rooms immediately after the suicidal act in Dalian areas, China. Both univariate analyses and the multiple regression model have found that the higher the degree the religiosity and superstition on metempsychosis, the stronger the suicide intent Chinese women had. The perceived gender inequality is positively correlated with suicide intent, and it is especially true for Chinese women. The socio-psychological traits and traditional culture values and norms have important impacts on suicide patterns in Chinese societies. PMID:18214067

[Gender and cardiovascular diseases : Why we need gender medicine].

PubMed

Regitz-Zagrosek, V

2017-04-01

Gender medicine is concerned with the question of why diseases are expressed differently in the genders. It takes differences between men and women into account, which are often neglected by traditional medicine. Sex differences can also be found in cardiovascular diseases; therefore, risk factors for cardiovascular diseases have a different significance depending on the sex. Diabetic diseases tend to promote the occurrence of coronary heart disease (CHD) more strongly in women than in men. Myocardial infarctions affect women 10 years later than men and young women are often treated too late, possibly because myocardial infarction is consider to be a "male disease". The number of cases of coronary syndrome is significantly increasing, particularly in young women. Some of the diseases which predominantly occur in women are takotsubo cardiomyopathy, microcirculation disorders and spontaneous coronary artery dissection. Pharmacological treatment of CHD is principally the same in men and women but attention must be paid to differences in the pharmacokinetics of important drugs. Coronary dilatation has comparable effects in both men and women but more complications occur in women. Cardiac failure with impaired left ventricular systolic function affects more men than women in the Western world but the opposite is true for cardiac failure with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Hypertrophic and dilatative cardiomyopathies are more frequent in men. Many of the drugs used to treat cardiac failure have different actions in men and women. Too little attention is paid to the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in women when testing active agents; however, awareness of the differences that need to be considered is growing.

Reallocation of resources between generations and genders in the market and non-market economy. The case of Italy

PubMed Central

Zannella, Marina

2015-01-01

In this article the National Transfer Accounts (NTA) method is used to develop a comprehensive account of resource reallocations between population members in Italy, encompassing the age and the gender perspective, the public and the familial institutional sectors as well as the market and non-market dimensions of the economy. The inclusion of the non-market economy, referring to household and care time, allows for an insight into the gender division of labour and the strength of intergenerational obligations in the Italian familistic welfare regime. Results highlight the existence of large flows of resources within the family both between genders and toward young generations, with men and women giving rise to considerable monetary and time transfers, respectively. PMID:26110106

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Alcohol-related Problems: Differences by Gender and Level of Heavy Drinking

PubMed Central

Witbrodt, Jane; Mulia, Nina; Zemore, Sarah E.; Kerr, William C.

2014-01-01

Objective While prior studies have reported racial/ethnic disparities in alcohol-related problems at a given level of heavy drinking, particularly lower levels, it is unclear whether these occur in both genders and are an artifact of racial/ethnic differences in drink alcohol content. Such information is important to understanding disparities and developing specific, targeted interventions. This study addresses these questions and examines disparities in specific types of alcohol problems across racial-gender groups. Method Using 2005 and 2010 National Alcohol Survey data (N=7,249 current drinkers), gender-stratified regression analyses were conducted to assess black-white and Hispanic-white disparities in alcohol dependence and negative drinking consequences at equivalent levels of heavy drinking. Heavy drinking was measured using a gender-specific, composite drinking-patterns variable derived through factor analysis. Analyses were replicated using adjusted-alcohol consumption variables that account for group differences in drink alcohol content based on race/ethnicity, gender, age and alcoholic beverage. Results Compared to white men, black and Hispanic men had higher rates of injuries/accidents/health and social consequences, and marginally greater work/legal consequences (p< .10). Hispanic women had marginally higher rates of social consequences. In main effects models controlling for demographics, light drinking and heavy drinking, only black women and men had greater odds of alcohol-related problems relative to whites. Interaction models indicated that compared to whites, black women had greater odds of dependence at all levels of heavy drinking, while both black and Hispanic men had elevated risk of alcohol problems only at lower levels of heavy drinking. Drink alcohol content adjustments did not significantly alter findings for either gender. Conclusions This study highlights the gender-specific nature of racial/ethnic disparities. Interventions focused on reducing heavy drinking might not address disparities in alcohol-related problems that exist at low levels of heavy drinking. Future research should consider the potential role of environmental and genetic factors in these disparities. PMID:24730475

Health and well-being in old age: the pertinence of a gender mainstreaming approach in research.

PubMed

Perrig-Chiello, Pasqualina; Hutchison, Sara

2010-01-01

The demographic and societal changes of the past decades, such as longevity and improvements in public health, have created new and often very distinct realities for men and women. However, these diversities have only marginally and fragmentally been the topic of research endeavours. There is a growing awareness of the societal phenomenon 'feminization of old age', yet the topic and its psychosocial and health-related consequences have not attracted the scientific interest they deserve. Due to scientific neglects and limitations, state of the art research in the field of gender, health and ageing is still sketchy and often contradictory. In the present article, the complex pattern of roles and values that define what is thought of as 'masculine' and 'feminine' and its significant impact on health-related lifestyles will be examined. Based on current research, we try to give answers to questions such as: 'Do older women really have more physical and mental health problems than older men, or are these findings influenced by a gender bias, due to a different awareness and understanding of health and illness?' It will be shown that it is impossible to find satisfactory answers to such questions without considering the cultural and social contexts of the individuals studied. The inclusion of gender as a social reality in the broadest sense is therefore an absolute prerequisite for gaining valid information. Gender has played only a marginal role in the hitherto existing geriatric and gerontological research and practice. Therefore, a gender-fair approach in research and practice is indicated, i.e. an approach that takes into account differences and commonalities of women and men and considers their differing circumstances and specific problems (gender mainstream). Gender mainstreaming entails on the one hand horizontal justice (denoting equal treatment and benefits for equal needs of men and women) and on the other hand vertical justice (indicating differential treatment and benefits for differential needs of the 2 sexes). 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The role of adolescent behaviors in the female-male disparity in obesity incidence in US black and white young adults.

PubMed

Robinson, Whitney R; Stevens, June; Kaufman, Jay S; Gordon-Larsen, Penny

2010-07-01

In the United States, black women are at much greater risk for obesity than black men. We explored whether adolescent behaviors (family dinners, hours of television, playing sports with mother, playing sports with father, bouts of physical activity) were associated with gender disparity in 6-year obesity incidence in young adulthood. We used data from the nationally representative National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine adolescent behaviors in nonimmigrant black (n = 1,503) and white (n = 4,452) youths in 1994-95 (aged 11-19 years) and 1995-96 (aged 12-20). We assessed gender disparity in obesity incidence (female incidence minus male incidence) during young adulthood (2001-02; aged 18-26). Standardized gender disparities were calculated using race- and gender-stratified, covariate-adjusted logistic regression models in which males and females were set to the same distributions of adolescent behaviors. In adolescence, black females reported less leisure-time physical activity and lower likelihood of playing sports with either parent compared with black males. Setting adolescent behaviors equal for black males and females did not reduce the estimated gender disparity in obesity incidence (nonstandardized: 9.8 percentage points (95% confidence interval (CI): 4.5, 15.1); fully standardized: 10.2 percentage points (5.2, 15.2)). There was little gender disparity in whites before or after adjustments. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine to what extent behavioral differences during adolescence might account for gender disparity in obesity incidence in black young adults. Male-female differences in these adolescent behaviors did not appear to underlie the gender gap in young adult obesity.

The role of adolescent behaviors in the female-male disparity in obesity incidence in U.S. Black and White young adults

PubMed Central

Robinson, Whitney R.; Stevens, June; Kaufman, Jay S.; Gordon-Larsen, Penny

2009-01-01

In the United States, Black women are at much greater risk for obesity than Black men. We explored whether adolescent behaviors (family dinners, hours of television, playing sports with mother, playing sports with father, bouts of physical activity) were associated with gender disparity in six-year obesity incidence in young adulthood. We used data from the nationally representative National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health to examine adolescent behaviors in non-immigrant Black (n=1503) and White (n=4452) youths in 1994–95 (aged 11–19 years) and 1995–96 (aged 12–20). We assessed gender disparity in obesity incidence (female incidence minus male incidence) during young adulthood (2001–02; aged 18–26). Standardized gender disparities were calculated using race- and gender-stratified, covariate-adjusted logistic regression models in which males and females were set to the same distributions of adolescent behaviors. In adolescence, Black females reported less leisure-time physical activity and lower likelihood of playing sports with either parent than Black males. Setting adolescent behaviors equal for Black males and females did not reduce the estimated gender disparity in obesity incidence (non-standardized: 9.8 percentage points [95% CI: 4.5, 15.1]; fully-standardized: 10.2 percentage points [5.2, 15.2]). There was little gender disparity in Whites before or after adjustments. To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine to what extent behavioral differences during adolescence might account for gender disparity in obesity incidence in Black young adults. Male-female differences in these adolescent behaviors did not appear to underlie the gender gap in young adult obesity. PMID:19875993

Orthopaedic injury analysis in the 2010 Yushu, China earthquake.

PubMed

Li, Ting; Jiang, Xieyuan; Chen, Hui; Yang, Zheng; Wang, Xiaobo; Wang, Manyi

2012-06-01

By analysing the injuries of the orthopaedic wounded during the 2010 Yushu earthquake, we aim to provide useful medical information for the rational application and allocation of medical resources and better implementation of medical relief in earthquake-stricken areas. Five hundred and eighty-two orthopaedic patients injured during the earthquake. The clinical data, injury conditions and epidemiological features (including age composition, gender ratio, distribution of injury, etc.) were collected and analysed. Altogether 582 orthopaedic patients were analysed. The average age for all patients was 38.8±13.08 years (0-86 years). Adults accounted for 81.62%. There was no gender difference. The most common injuries included limb fractures, pelvic/acetabular fractures and spinal fractures. Fractures accompany with nerve injury were relatively low, only 17 patients account for 2.92%. Fractures complicated by crush syndrome were even lower, only 7 patients account for 1.20%. The patients who experienced fractures in the Yushu earthquake were mostly adults. This was correlated with population composition in Yushu area. This time all the orthopaedic injuries were relative mild with less complication as nerve injury or crush syndrome mainly because of the characteristics of the house structure in Yushu area. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Access to Gender-Sensitive Higher Education in Eastern and Central Europe: Reflections on the CEPES Project "Good Practice in Promoting Gender Equality in Higher Education"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grunberg, Laura

2005-01-01

Summarizing the incomplete results of the United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) program "Good Practice in Promoting Gender Equality in Higher Education," the author asks that any assessment of the progress made in the area of gender-sensitive education take regional specificities into account. The regional…

Gender Differences in Academic Rank of Radiologists in U.S. Medical Schools.

PubMed

Kapoor, Neena; Blumenthal, Daniel M; Smith, Stacy E; Ip, Ivan K; Khorasani, Ramin

2017-04-01

Purpose To determine whether there were gender differences in full professorship after accounting for factors known to influence academic advancement. Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval was obtained for this HIPAA-compliant study, with waiver of informed consent. In this cross-sectional study, the authors used a comprehensive 2014 physician database (5089 academic radiologists, inclusive of all U.S. academic radiologists in 2014; 11.3% of all U.S. radiologists) containing information on physician age, years since residency, National Institutes of Health funding, scientific publications (first or last author and total), clinical trial investigation, and clinical volume measured according to 2013 Medicare reimbursement. Primary outcome of gender differences in full professorship was estimated by using a multilevel logistic regression model adjusting for these factors. Results Among 5089 academic radiologists, 3638 (71.5%) were men. The average age for male and female radiologists was 52 and 49 years, respectively. Overall, 239 women (16.5%) and 948 (26.1%) men were full professors (P < .001). Women had fewer total and first or last author publications than men (total, 12.2 vs 17.6; first or last, 6.8 vs 10.7; P < .001 for both comparisons). Women were less likely than men to have National Institutes of Health funding (2.0% vs 3.6%; P = .004) and generated less annual Medicare revenue ($63 346 vs $75 854; P = .001). After multivariate adjustment, rates of full professorship among female and male radiologists were not significantly different (absolute adjusted difference for female vs male radiologists, -1.5%; 95% confidence interval: -3.8%, 0.9%). Conclusion Among radiologists with U.S. medical school faculty appointments in 2014, men and women were similarly likely to be full professor after several factors known to influence promotion were taken into account. However, unadjusted differences in promotion and research productivity were present, which suggests that female radiologists may lack equal research opportunities. © RSNA, 2016.

Gender Differences in and the Relationships Between Social Anxiety and Problematic Internet Use: Canonical Analysis

PubMed Central

Özteke Kozan, Hatice İrem; Kesici, Şahin

2018-01-01

Background The cognitive-behavioral model of problematic Internet use (PIU) proposes that psychological well-being is associated with specific thoughts and behaviors on the Internet. Hence, there is growing concern that PIU is associated with psychological impairments. Objective Given the proposal of gender schema theory and social role theory, men and women are predisposed to experience social anxiety and engage in Internet use differently. Thus, an investigation of gender differences in these areas is warranted. According to the cognitive-behavioral model of PIU, social anxiety is associated with specific cognitions and behaviors on the Internet. Thus, an investigation of the association between social anxiety and PIU is essential. In addition, research that takes into account the multidimensional nature of social anxiety and PIU is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to explore multivariate gender differences in and the relationships between social anxiety and PIU. Methods Participants included 505 college students, of whom 241 (47.7%) were women and 264 (52.3%) were men. Participants’ ages ranged from 18 to 22 years, with a mean age of 20.34 (SD=1.16). The Social Anxiety Scale and Problematic Internet Use Scale were used in data collection. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and canonical correlation analysis were used. Results Mean differences between men and women were not statistically significant in social anxiety (λ=.02, F3,501=2.47, P=.06). In all three PIU dimensions, men scored higher than women, and MANOVA shows that multivariate difference was statistically significant (λ=.94, F3,501=10.69, P<.001). Of the canonical correlation functions computed for men, only the first was significant (Rc=.43, λ=.78, χ29=64.7, P<.001) and accounted for 19% of the overlapping variance. Similarly, only the first canonical function was significant for women (Rc=.36, λ=.87, χ29=33.9, P<.001), which accounted for 13% of the overlapping variance. Conclusions On the basis of the findings, we conclude that enhanced educational opportunities for women and their increasing role in the society have led women to become more active and thus closed the gap in social anxiety levels between men and women. We found that men showed more difficulties than women in terms of running away from personal problems (ie, social benefit), used the Internet more excessively, and experienced more interpersonal problems with significant others due to Internet use. We conclude that men are under a greater risk of social impairments due to PIU. Our overall conclusion is that there is a substantial amount of association between social anxiety and PIU and the association is stronger for men than it is for women. We advise that future research continue to investigate PIU and social anxiety as multidimensional constructs. PMID:29367182

The John Insall Award: Both morphotype and gender influence the shape of the knee in patients undergoing TKA.

PubMed

Bellemans, Johan; Carpentier, Karel; Vandenneucker, Hilde; Vanlauwe, Johan; Victor, Jan

2010-01-01

There is an ongoing debate whether gender differences in the dimensions of the knee should influence the design of TKA components. We hypothesized that not only gender but also the patient's morphotype determined the shape of the distal femur and proximal tibia and that this factor should be taken into account when designing gender-specific TKA implants. We reviewed all 1000 European white patients undergoing TKA between April 2003 and June 2007 and stratified each into one of three groups based on their anatomic constitution: endomorph, ectomorph, or mesomorph. Of the 250 smallest knees, 98% were female, whereas 81% of the 250 largest knees were male. In the group with intermediate-sized knees, female knees were narrower than male knees. Patients with smaller knees (predominantly female) demonstrated large variability between narrow and wide mediolateral dimensions irrespective of gender. The same was true for larger knees (predominantly male). This variability within gender could partially be explained by morphotypic variation. Patients with short and wide morphotype (endomorph) had, irrespective of gender, wider knees, whereas patients with long and narrow morphotype (ectomorph) had narrower knees. The shape of the knee is therefore not only dependent on gender, but also on the morphotype of the patient. Level I, diagnostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

How Does a Group of Iranian Youth Conceptualize Their Risky Sexual Experiences?

PubMed Central

Noroozi, Mahnaz; Merghati Khoei, Effat-al-Sadat; Taleghani, Fariba; Tavakoli, Mahgol; Gholami, Ali

2015-01-01

Background: There are restrictions as well as lawful and religious prohibition for sexual relationships in Iranian society. Objectives: This study explores the varied experiential reality of Iranian youth and their risky sexual experiences. Patients and Methods: Data collection is based on semi-structured interviews with 30 single young men and women. Observation of interactions of youth in different settings has been another source of information. Interviews were microscopically content analyzed. Results: The accounts of risky sexual experiences included gendered behavioral, cultural, and cognitive factors. In the re-contextualizing process, these accounts were categorized by two main themes: “gendered sexual script” and “cultural scenarios of interpersonal interactions”. The notion of “male power” was evident in the responses provided by the participants. Women seldom asked for condom use due to limited knowledge about STIs-HIV/AIDS and unpleasant experiences with condoms. Men had limited knowledge about various sexual modes of HIV and STIs transmission and did not use condoms consistently because they had not seen themselves at risk of STIs or HIV as well as their belief about the decrease of sexual pleasure. Conclusions: Rising youth awareness, creating a positive attitude, and appropriate knowledge about safe sex practices are seminal. It is also vital to ensure access to gender specific sexual and reproductive health services for youths, empower women, and strengthen their sexual assertiveness as well as the elimination of all forms of gender-based inequalities. PMID:25838931

Gender differences in asymmetrical limb support patterns between subjects with and without recurrent low back pain.

PubMed

Sung, Paul S; Zipple, J Tim; Danial, Pamela

2017-04-01

New insight regarding limb-dominance effects on temporal-spatial gait parameters is needed to further investigate subjects with recurrent low back pain (LBP). Although an asymmetrical gait pattern was found to reflect natural functional differences, there is a lack of information regarding gender differences on dominant limb support patterns in subjects with LBP. The purpose of this study was to investigate temporal-spatial gait parameters based on limb dominance and gender between subjects with and without LBP. One hundred and ten right limb dominant older adults (51 subjects with LBP and 59 control subjects) participated in the study. A three-dimensional motion capture system was utilized to measure temporal-spatial gait parameters, including initial double, single, and terminal double limb support times and walking speed. The gender differences between subjects with and without LBP were analyzed based on dominance for those parameters. Overall, limb dominance demonstrated significant differences on single and terminal double limb support times as well as walking speed. Limb dominance also demonstrated interactions on group x gender for single limb support time and walking speed. The male subjects with LBP demonstrated significantly increased single limb support times on the non-dominant limb. The significant gender and group interactions based on limb dominance account for a possible pain avoidance, asymmetrical limb support pattern. The causal pathway in dominance dependency gait by unweighted ambulation might be considered as an intervention for correcting these gait deviations in subjects with LBP. The specific modification recovery profiles of the subjects with LBP could shed light on variability of current LBP experiences of the subjects and reasons for gait deviations. Clinicians need to consider the mechanism of dominant limb dependency, which requires postural control strategies in male subjects with recurrent LBP. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Laughter: gender differences].

PubMed

Mora-Ripoll, R; Ubal-López, R

2011-01-01

Laughter is associated to many physiological and psychological benefits. Although women laugh more than men do, the daily frequency of laughter does not seem to differ. Laughter in all its forms and manifestations is an indicator of family vitality and healthy couples. Laughter is very attractive at the interpersonal level, especially for women. Men use humor much more and laughter when it comes to discussing sensitive health issues. In women, laughter would be more associated with greater social support in relationships and as a tool to cope with stress. Inviting laughter in the doctor's office may be very useful when directing certain messages on therapeutic management. Taking into account possible gender differences in the use of humor and laughter may help to improve the relationship with the patient and optimize the clinical application of laughter in health care and education setting. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in the relationship of weight-based stigmatisation with motivation to exercise and physical activity in overweight individuals

PubMed Central

Sattler, Krystal M; Deane, Frank P; Tapsell, Linda; Kelly, Peter J

2018-01-01

Weight stigma is related to lower levels of motivation to exercise in overweight and obesity. This study explored the nature of the relationship between stigma, motivation to exercise and physical activity while accounting for gender differences. Participants were 439 adults with overweight and obesity (mean body mass index = 32.18 kg/m2, standard deviation = 4.09 kg/m2). Females reported significantly more frequent stigma experiences than males. Mediation models found a conditional direct effect of weight stigma for males, with higher frequency of stigma experiences related to higher levels of walking and vigorous physical activity. A conditional indirect effect was found for females for walking, moderate and vigorous levels of physical activity, with higher weight stigma related to lower autonomous motivation, and lower levels of physical activity. Findings suggest that males and females are affected differently by weight-stigma experiences. PMID:29552349

Becoming Ryan: Lines of Flight from Majoritarian Understandings of Masculinity through a High School Reading and Mentoring Program. A Story of Possibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Mandy; Rowan, Leonie; Walker, Rachel

2014-01-01

Within literature relating to the broad field of boys' education attention is regularly drawn to the significant difference between essentialist and anti-essentialist accounts of "the boy problem" and the limitations of gender-based educational reforms which rely upon deterministic notions of what boys are "really" like and, by…

The Emotions in Teaching and Learning Nature Sciences and Physics/Chemistry in Pre-Service Primary Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brigido, Maria; Bermejo, M. Luisa; Conde, M. Carmen; Mellado, Vicente

2010-01-01

A study was made of different emotions that prospective primary school teachers report with respect to science subjects, when they were pupils, and during their practice teaching, taking into account the variables gender and the specialty they studied in the secondary education. The study consisted of a questionnaire completed by 63 primary…

A critical review on physical factors and functional characteristics that may explain a sex/gender difference in work-related neck/shoulder disorders.

PubMed

Côté, Julie N

2012-01-01

The objective of this paper is to critically review recent literature on physical and functional sex/gender (s/g) differences, with focus on physical determinants associated with neck/shoulder musculoskeletal injuries. It is well known that there are s/g differences in anthropometrical and functional body characteristics (e.g. size and strength). However, s/g differences may be wrongly attributed if data analysis does not include appropriate corrections (e.g. by strength for endurance). Recent literature on motor control shows that there may indeed be s/g differences in muscle coordination and movement strategies during upper limb tasks that are not currently explained by methodological inadequacies. Moreover, recent studies have shown differences between men and women in sensory hypersensitivity characteristics associated with neck/shoulder injuries. Taken together, the literature points to the importance of accounting for possible s/g differences at all levels of the biopsychosocial system in order to better understand sex- and gender-specific issues relevant to workplace health. This article critically reviews recent literature and a conceptual model highlighting s/g differences in physical and functional characteristics related to neck/shoulder musculoskeletal disorders (NSMSD). Findings have implications on understanding how personal factors may affect NSMSD risk. With better understanding, practitioners can make more appropriate decisions to prevent work-related NSMSD.

[Gender issues in the epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases].

PubMed

Härtel, Ursula

2007-06-01

In the last decade our knowledge about sex differences in the epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases has substantially increased. However; most information relates to coronary heart disease, and relatively little information is available on other forms of heart disease or cerebrovascular diseases. In the present paper, first, the age-adjusted mortality and morbidity rates of men and women across different European countries will be described as well as differences in case-fatality after myocardial infarction. Second, gender differences regarding the impact of traditional and novel risk factors on the development of coronary heart disease will be addressed, together with recent evidence from cardiac rehabilitation research. In general, we can say that significant sex differences exist at each stage of coronary heart disease, which need to be taken into account in primary prevention, acute therapy, and long-term rehabilitation. Further research is required on other forms of cardiovascular diseases, which are more prevalent among women than among men, especially in higher age groups.

'Rules' for boys, 'guidelines' for girls: Gender differences in symptom reporting during childhood and adolescence.

PubMed

Maclean, Alice; Sweeting, Helen; Hunt, Kate

2010-02-01

The emergence of higher reported morbidity in females compared with males is a feature of adolescent health in a large proportion of the world's industrialised countries. In this paper, qualitative data from twenty-five single-sex focus groups (90 participants in total) conducted with 10-, 13-, and 15-year olds in two Scottish schools is used to explore whether symptom reporting is influenced by perceived societal gender- and age-related expectations and the social context of symptom experiences. The degree to which these factors can help explain quantitative evidence of increases in gender differences in symptom reporting during adolescence is also examined. Accounts suggested gender-related expectations act as strict 'rules' for boys and less prohibitive 'guidelines' for girls. An unexpected finding was the extent of similarity between these 'rules' and 'guidelines'. Both boys and girls presented themselves as pressured to react to symptoms in stoic, controlled and independent ways, particularly when in the company of their peers, and both perceived that boys and girls could incur negative consequences if seen to have physical (e.g. stomach ache) or, especially, psychological symptoms (e.g. feeling like crying). These qualitative findings do not suggest that girls are simply more willing than boys to report their symptoms as they get older, which is one potential explanation for the quantitative evidence of increasing gender differences in symptom reporting in adolescence. Rather, the findings suggest a need to highlight both the potentially damaging effects of gender stereotypes which make boys reluctant to seek help for physical and, particularly, psychological symptoms, and the misconception that girls are not similarly reluctant to report illness. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mood, Meth, Condom Use, and Gender: Latent Growth Curve Modeling Results from a Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Pitpitan, Eileen V; Semple, Shirley J; Zians, Jim; Strathdee, Steffanie A; Patterson, Thomas L

2018-05-12

Methamphetamine use poses increased risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. There is robust evidence that methamphetamine use increases sexual risk behavior, like condomless sex, primarily among men who have sex with men but also among heterosexual women and men. Gender differences have been found among women and men who use meth, and there is a high degree of interconnectedness between meth use, depression, and condomless sex. The aims of the current study are to evaluate the efficacy of a theory-based, tri-focal intervention designed to reduce depression, meth use, and condomless sex among women and men, and to examine gender as a moderator of efficacy. A total of 432 HIV-negative women and men who use meth participated in a two-arm randomized controlled trial and completed baseline and follow-up assessments at 4, 8, and 12 months. We used latent growth curve modeling techniques to analyze the data. Results showed that while all participants exhibited reductions in depression, meth use, and condomless sex, the intervention and comparison groups did not differ in changes over time. However, we did find a significant gender moderation effect, such that among men, those in the intervention arm reported greater reductions in meth use relative to those in the comparison group; reduced meth use was associated with reduced condomless sex, but not depression. In contrast, women in the intervention condition did not differ from women in the comparison condition in changes in any of the three outcome variables. Interventions targeting heterosexual women and men who use meth must be gender-specific, and take into account the unique vulnerabilities and experiences of women, including the perceived positive aspects of using meth, gendered power dynamics, higher depression, and violence.

Gender influence on fatigability of back muscles during intermittent isometric contractions: a study of neuromuscular activation patterns.

PubMed

Larivière, Christian; Gravel, Denis; Gagnon, Denis; Gardiner, Phillip; Bertrand Arsenault, A; Gaudreault, Nathaly

2006-11-01

Gender difference in the fatigability of muscles can be attributed to muscle mass (or strength) and associated level of vascular occlusion, substrate utilization, muscle composition, and neuromuscular activation patterns. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of neuromuscular activation patterns to explain gender differences in back muscle fatigability during intermittent isometric tasks. Sixteen males and 15 females performed maximal voluntary contractions (Strength) and a fatigue test to exhaustion (fatigue criterion=time to exhaustion), while standing in a static dynamometer measuring L5/S1 extension moment. The fatigue test consisted of repetitions of an 8-s cycle (1.5 s ramp to reach 40% of maximal voluntary contraction +5s plateau at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction +1.5s rest). Surface electromyography signals were collected bilaterally from 4 back muscles (multifidus at the L5 level, iliocostalis lumborum at L3, and longissimus at L1 and T10). Males were stronger (P<0.05) than females (316, SD 82>196, SD 25 Nm) but showed significantly shorter time-to-exhaustion values (7.1, SD 5.2<13.0, SD 6.1 min.), the latter result being corroborated by electromyographic indices of fatigue. However, the gender effect on time to exhaustion disappeared when accounting for Strength, thus supporting the muscle mass hypothesis. Among the various electromyographic indices computed to assess neuromuscular activation patterns, the amount of alternating activity between homolateral and between contralateral muscles showed a gender effect (females>males). These results support the muscle mass hypothesis as well as the neuromuscular activation hypothesis to explain gender differences in back muscle fatigability.

Derivation of gender and age-specific reference intervals from fully normal Japanese individuals and the implications for health screening.

PubMed

Yamakado, Minoru; Ichihara, Kiyoshi; Matsumoto, Yoshiyuki; Ishikawa, Yoshiki; Kato, Kiminori; Komatsubara, Yusuke; Takaya, Norihide; Tomita, Shohken; Kawano, Reo; Takada, Keisuke; Watanabe, Kiyoaki

2015-07-20

With nationwide standardization of laboratory tests among institutions for health screening in Japan, common reference intervals (RIs) were derived from records of 1,500,000 health check attendees. Targets were 20 basic laboratory tests including body mass index (BMI) and systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP, DBP). Individuals fulfilling the following strict criteria were chosen: SBP<130, DBP<85mmHg, BMI<25kg/m(2), non-smoking, ethanol consumption<20g/day and under no mediation with no remarkable current/past illnesses. The latent abnormal values exclusion (LAVE) method was applied to ensure fully normal results. RIs were derived by parametric method using modified Box-Cox power transformation. Among all attendees, 23% fulfilled the criteria. Application of the LAVE method further reduced the dataset by 40%-50%. Age-related charts of test results differed greatly between genders in almost all tests. Comparison of derived RIs with clinical decision limits (CDLs) revealed that the upper limits of RIs differed from CDLs according to gender and age. Implementation of gender and age-specific RIs derived from individuals with fully normal health attributes will (1) enable appropriate interpretation of test results in health screening and (2) promote judicious application of CDLs for therapeutic intervention, taking into account gender, age and other health attributes. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Issues of Power, Masculinity, and Gender Justice: Sally's Story of Teaching Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keddie, Amanda

2007-01-01

Despite calls for a more nuanced approach to issues of gender and equity that recognizes how broader relations of gender and power continue to produce injustices for many females, essentialized accounts expressing concern about boys' poor educational performance remain the most common refrain in dominant equity discourses across Western contexts.…

Disability and self-rated health among older women and men in rural Guatemala: The role of obesity and chronic conditions

PubMed Central

Hoddinott, John; Stein, Aryeh D.

2013-01-01

Unprecedented population aging in poorer settings is coinciding with the rapid spread of obesity and other chronic conditions. These conditions predict disability and poor self-rated health and often are more prevalent in women than men. Thus, gender gaps in obesity and other chronic conditions may account for older women's greater disability and worse self-rated health in poor, rural populations, where aging, obesity, and chronic conditions are rapidly emerging. In a survey of 604 adults 50 years and older in rural Guatemala, we assessed whether gender gaps in obesity and other chronic conditions accounted for gender gaps in disability and self-rated health. Obesity strongly predicted gross-mobility (GM) disability, and the number of chronic conditions strongly predicted all outcomes, especially in women. Controlling for gender gaps in body mass index (BMI) and especially the number of chronic conditions eliminated gender gaps in GM disability, and controlling for gender gaps in the number of chronic conditions eliminated gender gaps in self-rated health. We recommend conducting longitudinal cohort studies to explore interventions that may mitigate adult obesity and chronic conditions among poor, rural older adults. Such interventions also may reduce gender gaps in later-life disability and self-rated health. PMID:20813446

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Readiness: Ethno-linguistic and gender differences in high-school course selection patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamuti-Trache, Maria; Sweet, Robert

2014-03-01

The study examines science-related course choices of high-school students in the culturally diverse schools of the province of British Columbia, Canada. The analysis employs K-12 provincial data and includes over 44,000 students born in 1990 who graduated from high school by 2009. The research sample reflects the presence of about 27% of students for whom English is not a first language. We construct an empirical model that examines ethno-linguistic and gender differences in Grade 12 course choices while accounting for personal and situational differences among students. The study employs a course selection typology that emphasizes readiness for science, technology, engineering and math fields of study. Findings indicate that math- and science-related course selection patterns are strongly associated with ethnicity, qualified not only by gender and prior math and science achievement but also by the individual's grade level at entry to the system and enrollment in English as a Second Language program. Students who are more likely to engage in math and science courses belong to Asian ethno-linguistic groups and entered the provincial school system during the senior high-school years. We suggest that ethnic diversity and broader academic exposure may play a crucial role in changing the gender composition of science classrooms, university fields of study and science-related occupations.

Gender differences in responses towards anti-smoking messages and policy implementation among future doctors in Malaysia.

PubMed

Yasin, Siti Munira; Ismail, Nurhuda; Noor, Norizal Mohd; Mohd Azman, Mohd Shafiq; Taib, Hanisah; Jusop, Junainah Mat; Salaudin, Nur Atirah

2013-01-01

Medical students' views may provide some direction for future policy considerations. The aim of this study was to assess gender differences in future doctors' receptiveness to currently implemented anti-smoking messages and the effectiveness of those messages. We administered a questionnaire to all students at a medical university in Malaysia, asking how frequently they noted anti- smoking policies, anti-smoking campaigns, and anti-smoking messages in schools. In addition, the questionnaire investigated most effective methods to convey these messages. A total of 522 (59.7%) students responded. Students were least likely to approve of total bans on cigarettes and increasing the price of cigarettes, and most likely to approve of bans on use of cigarettes in public places and sales to individuals less than 16 years old. Approval of total bans on cigarettes was more common in female students than in males OR=0.39 (95%CI: 0.18- 0.86). Furthermore, compared to the female students, the male students thought that printed media; OR=2.32 (95%CI: 1.31-4.10), radio; OR=1.93 (95%CI: 1.15-3.22) and the internet; OR=1.96 (95%CI: 1.15-3.33) were very effective at delivering anti-smoking messages. Gender differences existed in the future doctors' perception of the effectiveness of anti-smoking initiatives. Taking this gender difference into account may increase the receipt of anti-smoking messages in adolescents.

Gender differences in the anatomy of the distal femur.

PubMed

Gillespie, R J; Levine, A; Fitzgerald, S J; Kolaczko, J; DeMaio, M; Marcus, R E; Cooperman, D R

2011-03-01

Recently, gender-specific designs of total knee replacement have been developed to accommodate anatomical differences between males and females. We examined a group of male and female distal femora matched for age and height, to determine if there was a difference in the aspect ratio (mediolateral distance versus anteroposterior distance) and the height of the anterior flange between the genders. The Hamann-Todd Collection provided 1207 skeletally mature cadaver femora. The femoral length, the anteroposterior height, height of the lateral and medial flanges and the mediolateral width were measured in all the specimens. The mechanical axis of the femur, the cut articular width and the aspect ratio were assessed. Statistical analysis of the effect of gender upon the aspect ratio and the lateral and medial flanges was undertaken, controlling for age, height and race. The mean aspect ratio of male femora was 1.21 (SD 0.07) and of female femora it was 1.16 (SD 0.06) (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between male and female specimens in the mean size of the lateral flange (6.57 mm (SD 2.57) and 7.02 mm (SD 2.36), respectively; p = 0.099) or of the medial flange (3.03 mm (SD 2.47) and 3.56 mm (SD 2.32), respectively; p = 0.67). Future work in the design of knee prostheses should take into account the overall variability of the anatomy of the distal femur.

Bidirectional associations between alcohol use and sexual risk-taking behavior from adolescence into young adulthood.

PubMed

O'Hara, Ross E; Cooper, M Lynne

2015-05-01

Overwhelming evidence indicates that sexual risk-taking behavior and alcohol use are linked, but the nature, strength, and timing of these relations may differ between gender and racial subgroups. These issues were addressed by examining the course and interrelations of both behaviors from adolescence into young adulthood, as well as how these patterns differed between both men and women and between Blacks and Whites. Data came from a representative, community-based sample of 1867 urban participants surveyed up to 5 times over a 15-year period. Although both prospective and trajectory analyses showed that adolescent involvement in one behavior predicted later involvement in the other, most patterns were moderated by gender, race, or both. In general, positive, bidirectional associations were discovered among men and Whites. Among women, adolescent sexual risk-taking behavior positively predicted later drinking, but not vice versa. For Blacks, adolescent alcohol use was inconsistently related to later sexual risk-taking behavior, and adolescent sexual risk-taking negatively predicted later alcohol use. Results suggest that associations between sexual risk-taking behavior and alcohol use are more complex than previously thought and that an adequate understanding of these links must account for both gender and racial differences.

Bidirectional Associations Between Alcohol Use and Sexual Risk-taking Behavior from Adolescence into Young Adulthood

PubMed Central

O’Hara, Ross E.; Cooper, M. Lynne

2015-01-01

Overwhelming evidence indicates that sexual risk-taking behavior and alcohol use are linked, but the nature, strength, and timing of these relations may differ between gender and racial subgroups. These issues were addressed by examining the course and interrelations of both behaviors from adolescence into young adulthood, as well as how these patterns differed between both men and women and between Blacks and Whites. Data came from a representative, community-based sample of 1867 urban participants surveyed up to 5 times over a 15-year period. Although both prospective and trajectory analyses showed that adolescent involvement in one behavior predicted later involvement in the other, most patterns were moderated by gender, race, or both. In general, positive, bidirectional associations were discovered among men and Whites. Among women, adolescent sexual risk-taking behavior positively predicted later drinking, but not vice versa. For Blacks, adolescent alcohol use was inconsistently related to later sexual risk-taking behavior, and adolescent sexual risk-taking negatively predicted later alcohol use. Results suggest that associations between sexual risk-taking behavior and alcohol use are more complex than previously thought and that an adequate understanding of these links must account for both gender and racial differences. PMID:25808720

Gender differences in posttraumatic stress symptoms and social support in a sample of HIV-positive individuals.

PubMed

Rzeszutek, Marcin; Oniszczenko, Włodzimierz; Firląg-Burkacka, Ewa

2017-08-01

The aim of the authors of the present study was to investigate gender differences in the levels of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and social support in a Polish sample of HIV+ men (n = 613) and women (n = 230). This was an anonymous cross-sectional study, and participation was voluntary. The research questionnaires were distributed in paper form among patients of Warsaw's Hospital for Infectious Diseases from January to October 2015. The level of PTSS was assessed using the PTSD Factorial Version Inventory. Social support was assessed using the Berlin Social Support Scales. HIV+ women scored higher on all PTSS dimensions compared to HIV+ men. HIV+ women were characterized by a higher need for support and more support actually received compared to HIV+ men. We observed a positive association between HIV infection duration and AIDS phase and the global trauma score only among HIV+ men. The moderation analysis also revealed a positive relationship between actual received support and the global trauma score among HIV+ women only. Increased clinician awareness is needed about the role of PTSS and social support among people living with HIV, especially taking gender differences into account.

Gender and racial differences in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

PubMed

Pan, Jen-Jung; Fallon, Michael B

2014-05-27

Due to the worldwide epidemic of obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common cause of elevated liver enzymes. NAFLD represents a spectrum of liver injury ranging from simple steatosis to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) which may progress to advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis. Individuals with NAFLD, especially those with metabolic syndrome, have higher overall mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and liver-related mortality compared with the general population. According to the population-based studies, NAFLD and NASH are more prevalent in males and in Hispanics. Both the gender and racial ethnic differences in NAFLD and NASH are likely attributed to interaction between environmental, behavioral, and genetic factors. Using genome-wide association studies, several genetic variants have been identified to be associated with NAFLD/NASH. However, these variants account for only a small amount of variation in hepatic steatosis among ethnic groups and may serve as modifiers of the natural history of NAFLD. Alternatively, these variants may not be the causative variants but simply markers representing a larger body of genetic variations. In this article, we provide a concise review of the gender and racial differences in the prevalence of NAFLD and NASH in adults. We also discuss the possible mechanisms for these disparities.

Farm injury hospitalisations in New South Wales (2010 to 2014).

PubMed

Lower, Tony; Mitchell, Rebecca J

2017-08-01

To examine gender differences in the characteristics, treatment costs and health outcomes of farm injuries resulting in hospitalisation of New South Wales (NSW) residents. A population-based study of individuals injured on a farm and admitted to hospital using linked hospital admission and mortality records from 1 January 2010 to 30 June 2014 in NSW. Health outcomes, including injury severity, hospital length of stay (LOS), 28-day readmission and 30-day mortality were examined by gender. A total of 6,270 hospitalisations were identified, with males having a higher proportion of work-related injuries and injuries involving motorbikes compared to females. Females had a higher proportion of equestrian-related injuries. There were no differences in injury severity, with around 20% serious injuries, in mean LOS or 28-day hospital re-admission. Treatment costs totalled $42.7 million, with males accounting for just under 80% of the total. There are some gender differences in the characteristics of farm injury-related hospitalisations. Farm injury imposes modest, but nonetheless relatively considerable, financial costs on hospital services in NSW. Implications for public health: Continued efforts to ameliorate these injuries in a farm environment, which are mainly preventable, will have personal and societal benefits. © 2017 The Authors.

Gender Differences in Capitate Kinematics are Eliminated After Accounting for Variation in Carpal Size

PubMed Central

Rainbow, Michael J.; Moore, Douglas C.; Wolfe, Scott W.

2012-01-01

Previous studies have found gender differences in carpal kinematics, and there are discrepancies in the literature on the location of the flexion/extension and radio-ulnar deviation rotation axes of the wrist. It has been postulated that these differences are due to carpal bone size differences rather than gender and that they may be resolved by normalizing the kinematics by carpal size. The purpose of this study was to determine if differences in radio-capitate kinematics are a function of size or gender. We also sought to determine if a best-fit pivot point (PvP) describes the radio-capitate joint as a ball-and-socket articulation. By using an in vivo markerless bone registration technique applied to computed tomography scans of 26 male and 28 female wrists, we applied scaling derived from capitate length to radio-capitate kinematics, characterized by a best-fit PvP. We determined if radio-capitate kinematics behave as a ball-and-socket articulation by examining the error in the best-fit PvP. Scaling PvP location completely removed gender differences (P = 0.3). This verifies that differences in radio-capitate kinematics are due to size and not gender. The radio-capitate joint did not behave as a perfect ball and socket because helical axes representing anatomical motions such as flexion-extension, radio-ulnar deviation, dart throwers, and antidart throwers, were located at distances up to 4.5 mm from the PvP. Although the best-fit PvP did not yield a single center of rotation, it was still consistently found within the proximal pole of the capitate, and rms errors of the best-fit PvP calculation were on the order of 2 mm. Therefore, the ball-and-socket model of the wrist joint center using the best-fit PvP is appropriate when considering gross motion of the hand with respect to the forearm such as in optical motion capture models. However, the ball-and-socket model of the wrist is an insufficient description of the complex motion of the capitate with respect to the radius. These findings may aid in the design of wrist external fixation and orthotics. PMID:18601445

Children, health and gender: recognition in nursing research?

PubMed

Taylor, Julie; Green, Lorraine

2008-12-01

This paper examines the hitherto mostly unrecognised relationship between gender, health and children; its significance for nursing practice and how it has been considered in nursing research. Holistic nursing practice with children requires adequate assessment and consideration of all potential influences on children's lives. Socioeconomic disparities have received widespread attention and gender inequalities in adult health have been studied in some depth. The links between gender, health and children, however, have received little consideration. The paper first considers this context in depth; it then applies the context to research in practice. Systematic review. A systematic literature search was undertaken on four mainstream nursing research journals over 38 months up to February 2007. A total of 567 articles met the key word searches. Duplicates, opinion pieces and articles not focusing on children were removed. The remaining 23 nursing studies relevant to child health were examined for their gender sensitivity. Full consideration of gender issues was found largely to be absent in nursing research on children. Eight studies gave specific consideration to gender relevance, where boys and girls may have responded differently to care. Only six studies specifically addressed gender sensitivity. Allowing children a voice, however, was a strength in these studies, with 18 reflecting children's views directly. Major gaps still exist in research and theorisation relating to children, health and gender. These need to be acknowledged and investigated, particularly in relation to how they might impact on nursing care. Nursing practice and research needs to account for all potential health issues, of which gender may often be important.

Countries with women inequalities have higher stroke mortality.

PubMed

Kim, Young Dae; Jung, Yo Han; Caso, Valeria; Bushnell, Cheryl D; Saposnik, Gustavo

2017-10-01

Background Stroke outcomes can differ by women's legal or socioeconomic status. Aim We investigated whether differences in women's rights or gender inequalities were associated with stroke mortality at the country-level. Methods We used age-standardized stroke mortality data from 2008 obtained from the World Health Organization. We compared female-to-male stroke mortality ratio and stroke mortality rates in women and men between countries according to 50 indices of women's rights from Women, Business and the Law 2016 and Gender Inequality Index from the Human Development Report by the United Nations Development Programme. We also compared stroke mortality rate and income at the country-level. Results In our study, 176 countries with data available on stroke mortality rate in 2008 and indices of women's rights were included. There were 46 (26.1%) countries where stroke mortality in women was higher than stroke mortality in men. Among them, 29 (63%) countries were located in Sub-Saharan African region. After adjusting by country income level, higher female-to-male stroke mortality ratio was associated with 14 indices of women's rights, including differences in getting a job or opening a bank account, existence of domestic violence legislation, and inequalities in ownership right to property. Moreover, there was a higher female-to-male stroke mortality ratio among countries with higher Gender Inequality Index (r = 0.397, p < 0.001). Gender Inequality Index was more likely to be associated with stroke mortality rate in women than that in men (p < 0.001). Conclusions Our study suggested that the gender inequality status is associated with women's stroke outcomes.

Effects of age, gender and educational background on strength of motivation for medical school

PubMed Central

Kruitwagen, Cas; ten Cate, Olle; Croiset, Gerda

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of selection, educational background, age and gender on strength of motivation to attend and pursue medical school. Graduate entry (GE) medical students (having Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related field) and Non-Graduate Entry (NGE) medical students (having only completed high school), were asked to fill out the Strength of Motivation for Medical School (SMMS) questionnaire at the start of medical school. The questionnaire measures the willingness of the medical students to pursue medical education even in the face of difficulty and sacrifice. GE students (59.64 ± 7.30) had higher strength of motivation as compared to NGE students (55.26 ± 8.33), so did females (57.05 ± 8.28) as compared to males (54.30 ± 8.08). 7.9% of the variance in the SMMS scores could be explained with the help of a linear regression model with age, gender and educational background/selection as predictor variables. Age was the single largest predictor. Maturity, taking developmental differences between sexes into account, was used as a predictor to correct for differences in the maturation of males and females. Still, the gender differences prevailed, though they were reduced. Pre-entrance educational background and selection also predicted the strength of motivation, but the effect of the two was confounded. Strength of motivation appears to be a dynamic entity, changing primarily with age and maturity and to a small extent with gender and experience. PMID:19774476

Emotions under discussion: gender, status and communication in online collaboration.

PubMed

Iosub, Daniela; Laniado, David; Castillo, Carlos; Fuster Morell, Mayo; Kaltenbrunner, Andreas

2014-01-01

Despite the undisputed role of emotions in teamwork, not much is known about the make-up of emotions in online collaboration. Publicly available repositories of collaboration data, such as Wikipedia editor discussions, now enable the large-scale study of affect and dialogue in peer production. We investigate the established Wikipedia community and focus on how emotion and dialogue differ depending on the status, gender, and the communication network of the [Formula: see text] editors who have written at least 100 comments on the English Wikipedia's article talk pages. Emotions are quantified using a word-based approach comparing the results of two predefined lexicon-based methods: LIWC and SentiStrength. We find that administrators maintain a rather neutral, impersonal tone, while regular editors are more emotional and relationship-oriented, that is, they use language to form and maintain connections to other editors. A persistent gender difference is that female contributors communicate in a manner that promotes social affiliation and emotional connection more than male editors, irrespective of their status in the community. Female regular editors are the most relationship-oriented, whereas male administrators are the least relationship-focused. Finally, emotional and linguistic homophily is prevalent: editors tend to interact with other editors having similar emotional styles (e.g., editors expressing more anger connect more with one another). Emotional expression and linguistic style in online collaboration differ substantially depending on the contributors' gender and status, and on the communication network. This should be taken into account when analyzing collaborative success, and may prove insightful to communities facing gender gap and stagnation in contributor acquisition and participation levels.

Predictors of physical performance and functional ability in people 50+ with and without fibromyalgia.

PubMed

Jones, C Jessie; Rutledge, Dana N; Aquino, Jordan

2010-07-01

The purposes of this study were to determine whether people with and without fibromyalgia (FM) age 50 yr and above showed differences in physical performance and perceived functional ability and to determine whether age, gender, depression, and physical activity level altered the impact of FM status on these factors. Dependent variables included perceived function and 6 performance measures (multidimensional balance, aerobic endurance, overall functional mobility, lower body strength, and gait velocity-normal or fast). Independent (predictor) variables were FM status, age, gender, depression, and physical activity level. Results indicated significant differences between adults with and without FM on all physical-performance measures and perceived function. Linear-regression models showed that the contribution of significant predictors was in expected directions. All regression models were significant, accounting for 16-65% of variance in the dependent variables.

The gender composition of the medical profession in Mexico: implications for employment patterns and physician labor supply.

PubMed

Knaul, F; Frenk, J; Aguilar, A M

2000-01-01

The gender composition of the medical profession is changing rapidly in many parts of the world, including Mexico. We analyze cross-sectional and longitudinal data on sex differences in physician employment from household employment surveys. The results suggest that Mexico is a particularly interesting example of the feminization of physician employment. Female enrollment in medical school increased from 11% in 1970 to about 50% in 1998. The increased participation of women in medicine seems to be accompanied by differences in employment patterns that could generate significant reductions in the total supply of physician hours of service. Women physicians are unemployed at a much higher rate than men and hence account for half of underused physician human capital. The results suggest that improved educational opportunities do not translate automatically into equal employment opportunities.

Gender differences in the relationship between shiftwork and work injury: examining the influence of dependent children.

PubMed

Smith, Peter M; Ibrahim-Dost, Jihan; Keegel, Tessa; MacFarlane, Ewan

2013-08-01

To examine the relationship between shiftwork and work injury among men and women, taking into account the presence of dependent children. An analysis of respondents to the 2009-2010 Multipurpose Household Survey (n = 6927 women and 7340 men). Logistic regression models examined the work injury risk, adjusting for various covariates. The risk of work injury associated with shiftwork was higher for women than for men. Nevertheless, gender differences were present only among respondents with dependent children. Shiftworking women with children also had a greater risk of work injury than shiftworking women without children. This previously noted elevated risk of injury associated with shiftwork among women compared with that in men may be a product of increased household responsibilities or other factors particular to female shiftworkers with dependent children.

Longitudinal pathways between mental health difficulties and academic performance during middle childhood and early adolescence.

PubMed

Deighton, Jessica; Humphrey, Neil; Belsky, Jay; Boehnke, Jan; Vostanis, Panos; Patalay, Praveetha

2018-03-01

There is a growing appreciation that child functioning in different domains, levels, or systems are interrelated over time. Here, we investigate links between internalizing symptoms, externalizing problems, and academic attainment during middle childhood and early adolescence, drawing on two large data sets (child: mean age 8.7 at enrolment, n = 5,878; adolescent: mean age 11.7, n = 6,388). Using a 2-year cross-lag design, we test three hypotheses - adjustment erosion, academic incompetence, and shared risk - while also examining the moderating influence of gender. Multilevel structural equation models provided consistent evidence of the deleterious effect of externalizing problems on later academic achievement in both cohorts, supporting the adjustment-erosion hypothesis. Evidence supporting the academic-incompetence hypothesis was restricted to the middle childhood cohort, revealing links between early academic failure and later internalizing symptoms. In both cohorts, inclusion of shared-risk variables improved model fit and rendered some previously established cross-lag pathways non-significant. Implications of these findings are discussed, and study strengths and limitations noted. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Longitudinal research and in particular developmental cascades literature make the case for weaker associations between internalizing symptoms and academic performance than between externalizing problems and academic performance. Findings vary in terms of the magnitude and inferred direction of effects. Inconsistencies may be explained by different age ranges, prevalence of small-to-modest sample sizes, and large time lags between measurement points. Gender differences remain underexamined. What does this study add? The present study used cross-lagged models to examine longitudinal associations in age groups (middle child and adolescence) in a large-scale British sample. The large sample size not only allows for improvements on previous measurement models (e.g., allowing the analysis to account for nesting, and estimation of latent variables) but also allows for examination of gender differences. The findings clarify the role of shared-risk factors in accounting for associations between internalizing, externalizing, and academic performance, by demonstrating that shared-risk factors do not fully account for relationships between internalizing, externalizing, and academic achievement. Specifically, some pathways between mental health and academic attainment consistently remain, even after shared-risk variables have been accounted for. Findings also present consistent support for the potential impact of behavioural problems on children's academic attainment. The negative relationship between low academic attainment and subsequent internalizing symptoms for younger children is also noteworthy. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Individual Differences in the Relationship Between Attachment and Nomophobia Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness.

PubMed

Arpaci, Ibrahim; Baloğlu, Mustafa; Özteke Kozan, Hatice İrem; Kesici, Şahin

2017-12-14

There is a growing interest in nomophobia, which is defined as the fear of being out of cellular phone contact, or "feelings of discomfort or anxiety experienced by individuals when they are unable to use their mobile phones or utilize the affordances these devices provide". However, only limited research can be found in terms of its determinants at present. Contemporary literature suggests that the relationships among attachment styles, mindfulness, and nomophobia have not been investigated. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between attachment and nomophobia. In addition, the study also focuses on gender differences in attachment, mindfulness, and nomophobia. A theory-based structural model was tested to understand the essentials of the associations between the constructs. The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Nomophobia Questionnaire, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale were used to collect data from undergraduate students (N=450; 70.9% women [319/450]; mean age=21.94 years [SD 3.61]). Two measurement models (ie, attachment and mindfulness) and a structural model were specified, estimated, and evaluated. The structural equation model shows that the positive direct effects of avoidant (.13, P=.03) and anxious attachment (.48, P<.001) on nomophobia were significant. The negative direct effects of avoidant (-.18, P=.01) and anxious attachment (-.33, P<.001) on mindfulness were also significant. Moreover, mindfulness has a significant negative effect on nomophobia for women only (-.13, P=.03). Finally, the Sobel test showed that the indirect effects of avoidant and anxious attachment on nomophobia via mindfulness were significant (P<.001). The direct and indirect effects of anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and mindfulness altogether accounted for 33% of the total variance in nomophobia. Gender comparison results show that there is a significant difference in attachment based on gender (F 2,447 =6.97, P=.01, Wilk λ=.97, partial η 2 =.03). Women (mean 68.46 [SD 16.96]) scored significantly higher than men (mean 63.59 [SD 15.97]) in anxious attachment (F 1 =7.93, P=.01, partial η 2 =.02). Gender differences in mindfulness were not significant (F 4,448 =3.45, P=.69). On the other hand, results do show significant gender differences in nomophobia (F 4,445 =2.71, P=.03, Wilk λ=.98, partial η 2 =.02) where women scored significantly higher than men. In general, individuals who are emotionally more dependent and crave more closeness and attention in the relationship tend to display higher levels of fear or discomfort when they have no access to their mobile phones. However, gender has a differential impact on the relationship between avoidant attachment and nomophobia. This study establishes the impact of mindfulness on nomophobia for women; therefore, future studies should test the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy approaches and confirm whether they are effective and efficient. On the basis of significant gender difference in nomophobia and attachment, we conclude that gender should be taken into account in mindfulness-based treatments dealing with nomophobia. ©Ibrahim Arpaci, Mustafa Baloğlu, Hatice İrem Özteke Kozan, Şahin Kesici. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 14.12.2017.

Sharing the trousers: gender roles and relationships in an HIV-prevention trial in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Montgomery, Elizabeth T; Chidanyika, Agnes; Chipato, Tsungai; van der Straten, Ariane

2012-01-01

Male and female gender roles and inequalities are important in contributing to the disproportionate burden of HIV experienced by women in sub-Saharan Africa. Within the context of an HIV prevention trial, we aimed to describe and understand male partner influence on women's use of HIV-prevention methods. Our presumption was not that regressive gender norms prevailed - rather, that a wide range of gendered attitudes and dynamics would be expressed among couples. Data from 16 focus groups with Zimbabwean female trial participants and their male partners and 4 in-depth couples interviews were collected, and form the basis of the analysis. Findings offer descriptions of how couples have adapted techniques for negotiating modern household economies and sexual decision-making in a manner that both preserves traditional gender roles, while accommodating women's entrance into new domains such as the workforce or an HIV-prevention trial. Women's agency to introduce novel female-initiated-method use into her intimate relationships is described. Men and women's accounts of method introduction and use suggest different perceptions about the locus of sexual decision making. The study provides unique insight into a gendered context that is dynamic yet sensitive to change, which in turn can provide useful information to more appropriately guide HIV-prevention activities in this setting.

Ecstasy Use among U.S. Adolescents from 1999 to 2008

PubMed Central

Wu, Ping; Liu, Xinhua; Pham, Trang Hoang; Jin, Jue; Fan, Bin; Jin, Zhezhen

2010-01-01

Aims To investigate trends in rates of ecstasy use among US adolescents from 1999 to 2008, and to examine the associations between the major sociodemographic factors, especially gender, and ecstasy use, during this period. Methods The adolescent subsamples (ages 12–17) from the 1999–2008 NHSDA/NSDUH surveys were used for the current study. Data from adolescents’ self–reports on use of ecstasy and of other drugs, as well as sociodemographic characteristics, were used in the analyses. Results There was an increasing trend in adolescent ecstasy use from 1999 to 2002, which was followed by a decreasing trend from 2002 to 2005, and a slight rise from 2005 to 2008. In contrast to some other drugs, ecstasy was more likely to be used by girls than by boys. This gender difference persisted over the 10-year period and could not be explained by other demographic factors. Conclusion Given the known health consequences of ecstasy use, especially for females, the observed gender difference in adolescent ecstasy use should be taken into account by drug prevention and intervention programs. PMID:20570447

The relation between the bifactor model of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory and conduct problems in adolescence: Variations across gender, ethnic background, and age.

PubMed

Zwaanswijk, Wendy; Veen, Violaine C; van Geel, Mitch; Andershed, Henrik; Vedder, Paul

2017-08-01

The current study examines how the bifactor model of the Youth Psychopathic Traits Inventory (YPI) is related to conduct problems in a sample of Dutch adolescents (N = 2,874; 43% female). It addresses to what extent the YPI dimensions explain variance over and above a General Psychopathy factor (i.e., one factor related to all items) and how the general factor and dimensional factors are related to conduct problems. Group differences in these relations for gender, ethnic background, and age were examined. Results showed that the general factor is most important, but dimensions explain variance over and above the general factor. The general factor, and Affective and Lifestyle dimensions, of the YPI were positively related to conduct problems, whereas the Interpersonal dimension was not, after taking the general factor into account. However, across gender, ethnic background, and age, different dimensions were related to conduct problems over and above the general factor. This suggests that all 3 dimensions should be assessed when examining the psychopathy construct. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender Opportunities in Psychosocial Oncology.

PubMed

Loscalzo, Matthew; Clark, Karen

2018-01-01

So much has happened since the original publication of this chapter. In some ways, the progress made in appreciating the full spectrum of sexual and gender expression has been uneven and in some nations, there has been serious regression and resulting repression. But overall, especially in the industrialized countries, there is much greater awareness of sex and gender and its importance in health and well being. In this updated chapter, we put sex and gender into a historical context that is relevant to psycho-oncology and that openly accepts that society overall, is highly conflicted when it comes to how women and men get the best out of each other, never mind how to best integrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities. With the advent of more tailored treatments and strategic medicine, sex becomes much more important as a variable and this has led to greater scientific requirements to create protocols that integrate sex into all aspects of health from prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and death. But we still have a very far way to go. There is a serious dearth of data on sex and gender in science overall and in cancer medicine specifically. Avoidance of discussions of sex and gender in medicine reflects the larger lingering societal discomfort with any discussion that links potential sex and gender differences with superiority. The data shows that there is more intrasexual than intersexual variation in men and women. When speaking about sex and gender the literature reflects that, on average, there are many differences, and although they are small, that when taken together, the impact may be quite robust. Sex and gender differences are relevant to how individuals, couples, and families experience and cope with serious illness; however these important and obvious variables are seldom taken into account when counseling seriously ill patients and their families. Cancer is a complex disease that brings into sharp relief the potential alignments and misalignments in the sexes. In this chapter we have attempted to communicate the imperative for and importance of understanding people under stress within the context of sex and gender. Gender-specific medicine is a very young movement for scientific study but one that has great potential to maximize adaptation and mutual respect at a time when men and women are redefining themselves and adapting to new social realities and challenges.

Gender differences in giving blood: a review of the literature

PubMed Central

Bani, Marco; Giussani, Barbara

2010-01-01

Background An overview of European blood donors shows that the distribution of men and women donors is similar in many countries, with Italy being an exception in that women account for only 30% of donors. Gender medicine is a key issue in this context, even though gender studies are very limited in the transfusion field, whether considered broadly or with specific regards to the selection, management and retention of donors. It, therefore, seemed important to compare the presence of women among blood donors in different European countries and examine the roles that gender is reported to play in the donation of blood in order to identify possible implications for communication with and management of the donor. Methods To determine the proportion of women among donors in European countries, data were collected from annual reports or documents available on the websites of national associations; furthermore, all papers related to giving blood published in the five main journals in the sector (Transfusion, Vox Sanguinis, Transfusion and Apheresis Science, Transfusion Medicine, Blood Transfusion) were considered; about 80 publications were selected and the gender variable was examined. Results The published studies showed that gender plays key roles in the motivation to give blood (women being more altruistic, men being more individualistic) and in adverse reactions, which was a particularly critical problem leading to fewer women become regular donors. A few aspects specific to the management of donors in Italy also emerged. Discussion Gender seems to play an important role in the aspects studied and does, therefore, merit further consideration in relation to strategies to recruit donors and the management of critical events during donation. PMID:20967170

"Can You Write a Memo on Why We Have to Do Gender, Please?" An Experiential Account of Teaching Gender Geography in the Netherlands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Hoven, Bettina

2009-01-01

This article discusses attempts to revive gender in the context of the geography curriculum at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The reluctance of Dutch geography/-ers to embrace gender geography is related to the way in which the discipline has been understood and practised in the past and by whom as well as to the neglect of gender…

Biological Sex, Adherence to Traditional Gender Roles, and Attitudes toward Persons with Mental Illness: An Exploratory Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinkelman, Lisa; Granello, Darcy Haag

2003-01-01

Undergraduate students responded to the Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill (CAMI) questionnaire and the Hypergender Ideology Scale, which measures the degree to which they adhered to traditional gender roles. It was determined that strict gender-role adherence, rather than biological sex accounted for the variance in CAMI scores.…

Feminist Attitudes and Support for Gender Equality: Opinion Change in Women and Men, 1974-1998

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bolzendahl, Catherine I.; Myers, Daniel J.

2004-01-01

This article examines attitudes related to feminism and gender equality by evaluating the trends in, and determinants of, women and men's attitudes from 1974 to 1998. Past accounts suggest two clusters of explanations based on interests and exposure. Using these, we examine opinions on abortion, sexual behavior, public sphere gender roles, and…

Rural Teachers' Views: What Are Gender-Based Challenges Facing Free Primary Education in Lesotho?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morojele, Pholoho

2013-01-01

This paper gives prominence to rural teachers' accounts of gender-based challenges facing Free Primary Education in Lesotho. It draws on feminist interpretations of social constructionism to discuss factors within the Basotho communities that affect gender equality in the schools. The inductive analysis offered makes use of the data generated from…

Gender and Racial Gaps in Earnings among Recent College Graduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Liang

2008-01-01

Using a nationally representative sample of baccalaureate graduates from 1993 (B&B 93/97/03), I explore factors that contribute to the gender and racial gap in earnings among recent college graduate. Results indicate that college major remains the most significant factor in accounting for the gender gap in pay. Female graduates are still left…

Gender differences in attitudes toward nuclear power: a multivariate explanation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baxter, R.K.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in attitudes toward nuclear power and to discover what factors account for these differences. The marginality explanation for these differences suggest that women have less-favorable attitudes toward nuclear power because they are less concerned about energy supplies and economic growth and are less convinced of the benefits of nuclear power for society than are men. The irrationality explanation holds that women are less favorable toward nuclear power because they are less knowledgeable about this technology than are men. The lay-rationality explanation argues that people form attitudes toward nuclear power whichmore » are consistent with their relevant beliefs, attitudes and values; thus, this explanation suggests that women's unfavorable attitudes toward nuclear power stem from greater concern about environmental protection, exposing society to risk, and lower faith in science and technology. Data for this study were collected via a mail questionnaire administered to a state wide sample of Washington residents (n= 696).« less

Racism at the intersections: Gender and socioeconomic differences in the experience of racism among African Americans.

PubMed

Kwate, Naa Oyo A; Goodman, Melody S

2015-09-01

Several studies investigating the health effects of racism have reported gender and socioeconomic differences in exposures to racism, with women typically reporting lower frequencies, and individuals with greater resources reporting higher frequencies. This study used diverse measures of socioeconomic position and multiple measures and methods to assess experienced racism. Socioeconomic position included education and financial and employment status. Quantitative racism measures assessed individual experiences with day-to-day and with major lifetime incidents and perceptions of the extent to which African Americans as a group experience racism. A brief qualitative question asked respondents to describe a racist incident that stood out in recent memory. Participants comprised a probability sample of N = 144 African American adults aged 19 to 87 residing in New York City. Results suggested that women reported fewer lifetime incidents but did not differ from men on everyday racism. These differences appear to be partly because of scale content. Socioeconomic position as measured by years of education was positively associated with reported racism in the total sample but differently patterned across gender; subjective social status showed a negative association. Qualitative responses describing memorable incidents fell into 5 key categories: resources/opportunity structures, criminal profiling, racial aggression/assault, interpersonal incivilities, and stereotyping. In these narratives, men were more likely to offer accounts involving criminal profiling, and women encountered incivilities more often. The findings highlight the need for closer attention to the intersection of gender and socioeconomic factors in investigations of the health effects of racism. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Tissue dielectric constant (TDC) as an index of localized arm skin water: differences between measuring probes and genders.

PubMed

Mayrovitz, H N; Weingrad, D N; Brlit, F; Lopez, L B; Desfor, R

2015-03-01

An easily measured, non-invasive, quantitative estimate of local skin tissue water is useful to assess local lymphedema and its change. One method uses skin tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values that at 300 MHz TDC depend on free and bound water within the measurement volume. In practice such measurements have been done with a research-type multi-probe, but recently a hand-held compact-probe has become available that may be more clinically convenient. Because most available published data is based on multiprobe measurements it is important to characterize possible differences between devices that unless known might lead to ambiguous quantitative comparisons between TDC values. Thus, our purpose was to evaluate potential differences in measured TDC values between multi-probe and compact-probe devices with respect to probe effective sampling depth, anatomical site, and gender and also to compare compact-probe TDC values measured on women with and without breast cancer (BC). TDC was measured bilaterally on forearms and biceps of 32 male and 32 female volunteers and on 12 female patients awaiting surgery for breast cancer. Results show that 1) TDC values at 2.5 mm depth were significantly less than at 1.5 mm; 2) Female TDC values were significantly less than male values; 3) TDC values were not different between females with and without BC; and 4) dominant/non-dominant arm TDC ratios were not significantly different for any probe among genders or arm anatomical site. These findings indicate that probe type differences in absolute TDC values are present and should be taken into account when TDC values are compared. However, comparisons based on inter-arm TDC ratios are not statistically different among probes with respect to gender or anatomical location.

Cultural background shapes spatial reference frame proclivity

PubMed Central

Goeke, Caspar; Kornpetpanee, Suchada; Köster, Moritz; Fernández-Revelles, Andrés B.; Gramann, Klaus; König, Peter

2015-01-01

Spatial navigation is an essential human skill that is influenced by several factors. The present study investigates how gender, age, and cultural background account for differences in reference frame proclivity and performance in a virtual navigation task. Using an online navigation study, we recorded reaction times, error rates (confusion of turning axis), and reference frame proclivity (egocentric vs. allocentric reference frame) of 1823 participants. Reaction times significantly varied with gender and age, but were only marginally influenced by the cultural background of participants. Error rates were in line with these results and exhibited a significant influence of gender and culture, but not age. Participants’ cultural background significantly influenced reference frame selection; the majority of North-Americans preferred an allocentric strategy, while Latin-Americans preferred an egocentric navigation strategy. European and Asian groups were in between these two extremes. Neither the factor of age nor the factor of gender had a direct impact on participants’ navigation strategies. The strong effects of cultural background on navigation strategies without the influence of gender or age underlines the importance of socialized spatial cognitive processes and argues for socio-economic analysis in studies investigating human navigation. PMID:26073656

Foetal Gender and Obstetric Outcome

PubMed Central

Schildberger, B.; Leitner, H.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Data on specific characteristics based on the gender of the unborn baby and their significance for obstetrics are limited. The aim of this study is to analyse selected parameters of obstetric relevance in the phases pregnancy, birth and postpartum period in dependence on the gender of the foetus. Materials and Methods: The selected study method comprised a retrospective data acquisition and evaluation from the Austrian birth register of the Department of Clinical Epidemiology of Tyrolean State Hospitals. For the analysis all inpatient singleton deliveries in Austria during the period from 2008 to 2013 were taken into account (live and stillbirths n = 444 685). The gender of the baby was correlated with previously defined, obstetrically relevant parameters. Results: In proportions, significantly more premature births and sub partu medical interventions (vaginal and abdominal surgical deliveries. episiotomies) were observed for male foetuses (p < 0.001). The neonatal outcome (5-min Apgar score, umbilical pH value less than 7.1, transfer to a neonatal special unit) is significantly poorer for boys (p < 0.001). Discussion: In view of the vulnerability of male foetuses and infants, further research is needed in order to be able to react appropriately to the differing gender-specific requirements in obstetrics. PMID:27065487

[Men's health report - Conclusion and challenges for sex- and gender-sensitive health reporting].

PubMed

Starker, Anne; Rommel, Alexander; Saß, Anke-Christine

2016-08-01

In December 2014, the Federal Health Reporting published the first official report on men's health in Germany. The report covers a wide range of topics, from diseases and causes of death to health-related behaviors and male-specific prevention. Special chapters put the focus on the impact that working life and certain living arrangements may have on health. Based on preliminary methodological work on gender-sensitive health reporting, a step-wise approach was pursued. In addition to mere comparisons between men and women, differences within men were taken into account with respect to certain stressors, risks and resources. Moreover, guided by theory, findings were interpreted and discussed in the context of changing political and societal conditions. In the present article, the project team takes a critical look at its work: What steps towards sex- and gender-sensitive health reporting could be taken? And to what extent does the current approach leave room for improvement? In contributing to a better description of the health of men and women, gender-sensitive health reporting may provide a sound empirical basis for the implementation of gender-appropriate health care.

The Quest for Item Types Based on Information Processing: An Analysis of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices, with a Consideration of Gender Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vigneau, Francois; Bors, Douglas A.

2008-01-01

Various taxonomies of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM) items have been proposed in the literature to account for performance on the test. In the present article, three such taxonomies based on information processing, namely Carpenter, Just and Shell's [Carpenter, P.A., Just, M.A., & Shell, P., (1990). What one intelligence test…

An Examination of Student- and Across-Level Mediation Mechanisms Accounting for Gender Differences in Reading Performance: A Multilevel Analysis of Reading Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mak, Soi-kei; Cheung, Kwok-cheung; Soh, Kaycheng; Sit, Pou-seong; Ieong, Man-kai

2017-01-01

Enjoyment of reading, diversity of reading and metacognitive awareness of reading strategies are cognitive and affective variables pertaining to three facets of reading engagement for students to read happily, widely and skilfully. These have been found to be related to effectiveness in reading instruction. They together form a focus for this…

Accounting for British Muslim's Educational Attainment: Gender Differences and the Impact of Expectations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khattab, Nabil; Modood, Tariq

2018-01-01

This study compares the educational attainment of Muslim and Christian White-British boys and girls at the following junctions: Key Stage 2, Key Stage 3, GCSE, getting into universities and achieving a place at a Russell Group university. The study utilises the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England waves 1-6 with linked data from the…

Gender differences in discharge dispositions of emergency department visits involving drug misuse and abuse-2004-2011.

PubMed

Manuel, Jennifer I; Lee, Jane

2017-05-30

Drug use-related visits to the emergency department (ED) can undermine discharge planning and lead to recurrent use of acute services. Yet, little is known about where patients go post discharge. We explored trends in discharge dispositions of drug-involved ED visits, with a focus on gender differences. We extracted data from the 2004-2011 Drug Abuse Warning Network, a national probability sample of drug-related visits to hospital EDs in the U.S. We computed weighted multinomial logistic regression models to estimate discharge dispositions over time and to examine associations between gender and the relative risk of discharge dispositions, controlling for patient characteristics. The final pooled sample included approximately 1.2 million ED visits between 2004 and 2011. Men accounted for more than half (57.6%) of all ED visits involving drug misuse and abuse. Compared with women, men had a greater relative risk of being released to the police/jail, being referred to outpatient detox or other treatment, and leaving against medical advice than being discharged home. The relative risk of being referred to outpatient detox/drug treatment than discharged home increased over time for men versus women. Greater understanding of gender-based factors involved in substance-related ED visits and treatment needs may inform discharge planning and preventive interventions.

Are girls really becoming more delinquent? Testing the gender convergence hypothesis by race and ethnicity, 1976–2005

PubMed Central

Goodkind, Sara; Wallace, John M.; Shook, Jeffrey J.; Bachman, Jerald; O’Malley, Patrick

2009-01-01

Historically, girls have been less delinquent than boys. However, increased justice system involvement among girls and current portrayals of girls in the popular media and press suggest that girls’ delinquency, particularly their violence and drug use, is becoming more similar to that of boys. Are girls really becoming more delinquent? To date, this question remains unresolved. Girls’ increased system involvement might reflect actual changes in their behavior or changes in justice system policies and practices. Given that girls of color are overrepresented in the justice system, efforts to rigorously examine the gender convergence hypothesis must consider the role of race/ethnicity in girls’ delinquency. This study uses self-report data from a large, nationally representative sample of youth to investigate the extent to which the magnitude of gender differences in violence and substance use varies across racial/ethnic groups and explore whether these differences have decreased over time. We find little support for the gender convergence hypothesis, because, with a few exceptions, the data do not show increases in girls’ violence or drug use. Furthermore, even when girls’ violent behavior or drug use has increased, the magnitude of the increase is not substantial enough to account for the dramatic increases in girls’ arrests for violence and drug abuse violations. PMID:20161168

Can negative life events and coping style help explain socioeconomic differences in perceived stress among adolescents? A cross-sectional study based on the West Jutland cohort study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Previous research suggests that perceived stress in adolescence is socially patterned, but that this relationship may depend on the measure of socioeconomic status (SES) used. This study examines if social gradients in perceived stress, negative life events, and coping exist amongst Danish adolescents, and, if life events and coping strategies can partly account for an association between SES and perceived stress. These relationships are studied separately for two different measures of SES. Methods Questionnaire data were collected from 3054 14–15 year old youths (83% response rate) during baseline measurement in the West Jutland birth cohort study. Parents were identified via the Central Office of Civil Registration in which the respondents are linked to their parents or guardians via their CPR-number, a personal identification number given to everyone in Denmark. The study employs data from two independent sources, adolescent self-report data (stress, life events and coping) and national registers (parental educational level, household income and confounder variables). Ordinary Least Squares regression estimated the effects of parental SES, negative life events and coping on perceived stress. Analyses were stratified by gender. Results Girls reported more perceived stress than boys. SES accounted for a small but significant amount of the variance in perceived stress. Lower parental education and lower household income were associated with higher stress levels irrespective of gender, but the social gradient was strongest amongst girls when parents’ education was used to measure SES, and strongest for boys when income was used. Life events and coping were also found to be associated with SES and both mediated part of the SES-perceived stress relationship. In general, the social gradient in perceived stress was accounted for by the study variables to a higher degree among girls than among boys. Conclusions Lower parental education and household income are associated with higher levels of perceived stress amongst Danish adolescents. Furthermore, both life events and coping appear to mediate this relation. Gender differences in the ways SES and stress are related may exist. PMID:23724872

Gender differences in emotion perception and self-reported emotional intelligence: A test of the emotion sensitivity hypothesis

PubMed Central

Kret, Mariska E.; Broekens, Joost

2018-01-01

Previous meta-analyses and reviews on gender differences in emotion recognition have shown a small to moderate female advantage. However, inconsistent evidence from recent studies has raised questions regarding the implications of different methodologies, stimuli, and samples. In the present research based on a community sample of more than 5000 participants, we tested the emotional sensitivity hypothesis, stating that women are more sensitive to perceive subtle, i.e. low intense or ambiguous, emotion cues. In addition, we included a self-report emotional intelligence test in order to examine any discrepancy between self-perceptions and actual performance for both men and women. We used a wide range of stimuli and models, displaying six different emotions at two different intensity levels. In order to better tap sensitivity for subtle emotion cues, we did not use a forced choice format, but rather intensity measures of different emotions. We found no support for the emotional sensitivity account, as both genders rated the target emotions as similarly intense at both levels of stimulus intensity. Men, however, more strongly perceived non-target emotions to be present than women. In addition, we also found that the lower scores of men in self-reported EI was not related to their actual perception of target emotions, but it was to the perception of non-target emotions. PMID:29370198

Gender differences in emotion perception and self-reported emotional intelligence: A test of the emotion sensitivity hypothesis.

PubMed

Fischer, Agneta H; Kret, Mariska E; Broekens, Joost

2018-01-01

Previous meta-analyses and reviews on gender differences in emotion recognition have shown a small to moderate female advantage. However, inconsistent evidence from recent studies has raised questions regarding the implications of different methodologies, stimuli, and samples. In the present research based on a community sample of more than 5000 participants, we tested the emotional sensitivity hypothesis, stating that women are more sensitive to perceive subtle, i.e. low intense or ambiguous, emotion cues. In addition, we included a self-report emotional intelligence test in order to examine any discrepancy between self-perceptions and actual performance for both men and women. We used a wide range of stimuli and models, displaying six different emotions at two different intensity levels. In order to better tap sensitivity for subtle emotion cues, we did not use a forced choice format, but rather intensity measures of different emotions. We found no support for the emotional sensitivity account, as both genders rated the target emotions as similarly intense at both levels of stimulus intensity. Men, however, more strongly perceived non-target emotions to be present than women. In addition, we also found that the lower scores of men in self-reported EI was not related to their actual perception of target emotions, but it was to the perception of non-target emotions.

Women who abuse prescription opioids: findings from the Addiction Severity Index-Multimedia Version Connect prescription opioid database.

PubMed

Green, Traci C; Grimes Serrano, Jill M; Licari, Andrea; Budman, Simon H; Butler, Stephen F

2009-07-01

Evidence suggests gender differences in abuse of prescription opioids. This study aimed to describe characteristics of women who abuse prescription opioids in a treatment-seeking sample and to contrast gender differences among prescription opioid abusers. Data collected November 2005 to April 2008 derived from the Addiction Severity Index Multimedia Version Connect (ASI-MV Connect) database. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression examined correlates of prescription opioid abuse stratified by gender. 29,906 assessments from 220 treatment centers were included, of which 12.8% (N=3821) reported past month prescription opioid abuse. Women were more likely than men to report use of any prescription opioid (29.8% females vs. 21.1% males, p<0.001) and abuse of any prescription opioid (15.4% females vs. 11.1% males, p<0.001) in the past month. Route of administration and source of prescription opioids displayed gender-specific tendencies. Women-specific correlates of recent prescription opioid abuse were problem drinking, age <54, inhalant use, residence outside of West US Census region, and history of drug overdose. Men-specific correlates were age <34, currently living with their children, residence in the South and Midwest, hallucinogen use, and recent depression. Women prescription opioid abusers were less likely to report a pain problem although they were more likely to report medical problems than women who abused other drugs. Gender-specific factors should be taken into account in efforts to screen and identify those at highest risk of prescription opioid abuse. Prevention and intervention efforts with a gender-specific approach are warranted.

Clinicopathological analysis of salivary gland tumors over a 15-year period.

PubMed

Vasconcelos, Artur Cunha; Nör, Felipe; Meurer, Luise; Salvadori, Gabriela; Souza, Lélia Batista de; Vargas, Pablo Agustin; Martins, Manoela Domingues

2016-01-01

Salivary gland tumors (SGT) are rare neoplasms that generate interest due to their histopathological diversity and clinical behavior. The aims of the present study were to investigate clinicopathological aspects of SGTs diagnosed at a tertiary health center and compare the findings with epidemiological data from different geographic locations. Cases of tumor in the head and neck region at a single health center in the period between 1995 and 2010 were reviewed. Patient gender, age and ethnic group as well as anatomic location, histological type and clinical behavior of the tumor were recorded. Availability of complete information about these aspects was considered the inclusion criteria. Descriptive statistical analysis of the data was performed using the frequencies of categorical variables. Among the 2168 cases of tumors in the head and neck region, 243 (11.20%) cases were diagnosed in the salivary glands, 109 of which met the inclusion criteria: 85 (78%) benign tumors and 24 (22%) malignant tumors. Mean patient age was 46.47 years. The female gender accounted for 56 cases (51.4%) and the male gender accounted for 53 (48.3%). The major salivary glands were affected more (75.2%) than the minor glands. The most frequent benign and malignant SGTs were pleomorphic adenoma (81.2%) and adenoid cystic carcinoma (58.3%), respectively. In conclusion, pleomorphic adenoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma are the most frequent benign and malignant lesions, respectively. Comparing the present data with previous studies on SGTs, one may infer that some demographic characteristics and the predominance of malignant tumors vary in different geographic regions.

Clinical implications of contemporary gender theory.

PubMed

Kulish, Nancy

2010-04-01

The current intellectual scene in psychoanalysis is marked by vigorous theoretical controversies about gender. The ideas being debated have important implications for clinical work, which have not been thoroughly explicated or integrated into common practice. These implications include the following: gender can accrue idiosyncratic meanings; gender identity is considered fluid and rigidity of gender identity deemed problematic; gender-related conflicts are typically described as divergent; analysis of superego conflicts related to gender becomes particularly important; and, finally, gender-related biases are seen as inevitable and must be taken into account in the clinical situation. A detailed clinical example illustrates the application of these ideas. While the more dramatic cases related to gender have been more frequent subjects of study, conflicts about gender are everyday occurrences for our patients and deserve further attention.

Gender differences in sickness absence--the contribution of occupation and workplace.

PubMed

Laaksonen, Mikko; Mastekaasa, Arne; Martikainen, Pekka; Rahkonen, Ossi; Piha, Kustaa; Lahelma, Eero

2010-09-01

The aim of this study was to examine whether differences in male and female occupations and workplaces explain gender differences in self-certified (1-3 days) and medically confirmed sickness absence episodes of various lengths (> or = 4 days, >2 weeks, >60 days). Analyses in the main ICD-10 diagnostic groups were conducted for absence episodes of >2 weeks. Furthermore, we examined whether the contribution of occupation is related to different distributions of female and male jobs across the social class hierarchy. All municipal employees of the City of Helsinki at the beginning of 2004 (N=36 395) were followed-up until the end of 2007. Conditional fixed-effects Poisson regression was used to control for differences between occupations and workplaces. Controlling for occupation accounted for half of the female excess in self-certified and medically confirmed episodes lasting >60 days. In the intermediate categories, this explained about one third of the female excess. The effect of workplace was similar but weaker. Occupational and workplace differences explained the female excess in sickness absence due to mental and behavioral disorders, musculoskeletal diseases, and respiratory diseases. The effect of occupation was clearly stronger than that of social class in self-certified absence episodes, whereas in medically confirmed sickness absence episodes gender differences were to a large extent related to social class differences between occupations. Differences between occupations held by women and men explain a substantial part of the female excess in sickness absence. Mental and behavioral disorders and musculoskeletal diseases substantially contribute to this explanation.

Gender, academic achievement, and ownership of ATM as predictors of accounting students’ financial literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susanti; Hardini, H. T.

2018-01-01

This study examined the relationships between GPA, gender, and ownership of ATM on accounting students’ financial literacy (n = 184). Financial literacy was assessed using a paper-and-pencil objective (multiple choice) test measuring general knowledge of finance, income, money management savings, loans, and investment. Gender and GPA data were obtained from the university records. Regression analysis found that GPA and ownership of ATM were associated with financial literacy, but gender was not. Female students with an ownership of ATM and those with a high GPA were found to be superior to males. The implication of this research is that students are expected to increase their GPA and utilize financial facilities in the form of ownership ATM and other financial instruments so as to increase financial literacy. In addition, the need for financial literacy training from related parties to improve financial literacy for students who have low financial literacy.

Cancer's Margins: Trans* and Gender Nonconforming People's Access to Knowledge, Experiences of Cancer Health, and Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Bryson, Mary K.

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose: Research in Canada and the United States indicates that minority gender and sexuality status are consistently associated with health disparities and poor health outcomes, including cancer health. This article investigates experiences of cancer health and care, and access to knowledge for trans* and gender nonconforming people diagnosed with and treated for breast and/or gynecologic cancer. Our study contributes new understandings about gender minority populations that will advance knowledge concerning the provision of culturally appropriate care. This is the first study we are aware of that focuses on trans* and gender nonconforming peoples' experiences of cancer care and treatment, support networks, and access to and mobilization of knowledge. Methods: This article analyzes trans* and gender nonconforming patient interviews from the Cancer's Margins project (www.lgbtcancer.ca): Canada's first nationally-funded project that investigates the complex intersections of sexual and/or gender marginality, cancer knowledge, treatment experiences, and modes of the organization of support networks. Results: Our analysis documents how different bodies of knowledge relative to cancer treatment and gendered embodiment are understood, accessed, and mobilized by trans* and gender nonconforming patients. Findings reported here suggest that one's knowledge of a felt sense of gender is closely interwoven with knowledge concerning cancer treatment practices; a dynamic which organizes knowledge mobilities in cancer treatment. Conclusions: The findings support the assertion that cisgender models concerning changes to the body that occur as a result of biomedical treatment for breast and/or gynecologic cancer are wholly inadequate in order to account for trans* and gender nonconforming peoples' experiences of cancer treatments, and access to and mobilization of related knowledge. PMID:26789402

Gender research in the National Institute on Drug Abuse National Treatment Clinical Trials Network: a summary of findings.

PubMed

Greenfield, Shelly F; Rosa, Carmen; Putnins, Susan I; Green, Carla A; Brooks, Audrey J; Calsyn, Donald A; Cohen, Lisa R; Erickson, Sarah; Gordon, Susan M; Haynes, Louise; Killeen, Therese; Miele, Gloria; Tross, Susan; Winhusen, Theresa

2011-09-01

The National Institute of Drug Abuse's National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) was established to foster translation of research into practice in substance abuse treatment settings. The CTN provides a unique opportunity to examine in multi-site, translational clinical trials, the outcomes of treatment interventions targeting vulnerable subgroups of women; the comparative effectiveness of gender-specific protocols to reduce risk behaviors; and gender differences in clinical outcomes. To review gender-related findings from published CTN clinical trials and related studies from January 2000 to March 2010. CTN studies were selected for review if they focused on treatment outcomes or services for special populations of women with substance use disorders (SUDs) including those with trauma histories, pregnancy, co-occurring eating and other psychiatric disorders, and HIV risk behaviors; or implemented gender-specific protocols. The CTN has randomized 11,500 participants (41% women) across 200 clinics in 24 randomized controlled trials in community settings, of which 4 have been gender-specific. This article summarizes gender-related findings from CTN clinical trials and related studies, focusing on trauma histories, pregnancy, co-occurring eating and other psychiatric disorders, and HIV risk behaviors. These published studies have expanded the evidence base regarding interventions for vulnerable groups of women with SUDs as well as gender-specific interventions to reduce HIV risk behaviors in substance-using men and women. The results also underscore the complexity of accounting for gender in the design of clinical trials and analysis of results. To fully understand the relevance of gender-specific moderators and mediators of outcome, it is essential that future translational studies adopt more sophisticated approaches to understanding and measuring gender-relevant factors and plan sample sizes that are adequate to support more nuanced analytic methods.

Retrieval and Encoding Interference: Cross-Linguistic Evidence from Anaphor Processing

PubMed Central

Laurinavichyute, Anna; Jäger, Lena A.; Akinina, Yulia; Roß, Jennifer; Dragoy, Olga

2017-01-01

The main goal of this paper was to disentangle encoding and retrieval interference effects in anaphor processing and thus to evaluate the hypothesis predicting that structurally inaccessible nouns (distractors) are not considered to be potential anaphor antecedents during language processing (Nicol and Swinney, 1989). Three self-paced reading experiments were conducted: one in German, comparing gender-unmarked reflexives and gender-marked pronouns, and two in Russian, comparing gender-marked and -unmarked reflexives. In the German experiment, no interference effects were found. In the first experiment in Russian, an unexpected reading times pattern emerged: in the condition where the distractor matched the gender of the reflexive's antecedent, reading of the gender-unmarked, but not the gender-marked reflexives was slowed down. The same reading times pattern was replicated in a second experiment in Russian where the order of the reflexive and the main verb was inverted. We conclude that the results of the two experiments in Russian are inconsistent with the retrieval interference account, but can be explained by encoding interference and additional semantic processing efforts associated with the processing of gender-marked reflexives. In sum, we found no evidence that would allow us to reject the syntax as an early filer account (Nicol and Swinney, 1989). PMID:28649216

Study of the HFE gene common polymorphisms in French patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Praline, Julien; Blasco, Hélène; Vourc'h, Patrick; Rat, Valérian; Gendrot, Chantal; Camu, William; Andres, Christian R

2012-06-15

Our objective was to investigate whether the C282Y (p.Cys 282 Tyr) and H63D (p. His 63 Asp) HFE polymorphisms were associated with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (SALS) in the French population. We searched for a relation of HFE polymorphisms with the clinical characteristics of the disease. The HFE polymorphisms were studied in 824 patients with SALS and 583 controls. We compared the frequency of the polymorphisms between SALS and controls groups by univariate and multivariate statistics, taking into account gender, site, age-at-onset and survival. We did not observe significant difference in the frequency of H63D polymorphism between SALS and control group. We observed a significant difference for C282Y between patients and controls with a low frequency of the Y allele in patients (3.2%) compared to our control group (5.9%). Disease duration, distribution of gender, site-of-onset, age-at-onset did not differ between groups taking into account genotypes of each polymorphism. Our results in this large cohort of ALS patients indicate that H63D polymorphism is not associated with SALS in the French population. This conclusion does not exclude a weak effect of the HFE gene polymorphisms in certain ALS populations, or an effect of other rare HFE gene variants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

'They think it's all up to the girls': gender, risk and responsibility for contraception.

PubMed

Brown, Sally

2015-01-01

Much research suggests that attitudes towards responsibility for use of contraception amongst young people are strongly gendered. However, decision making, if 'decisions' happen at all, is bound up with notions of hegemonic masculine and feminine roles as well as factors concerning relationship status. Data from two earlier qualitative studies were re-analysed with an emphasis on findings related to gender and responsibility for use of contraception. The first study investigated unintended conceptions amongst 16-20-year-old women. Interviews focused on knowledge and views about contraception, sex education and sexual health services. The second study involved focus groups with two groups of 14-18-year-old men to explore their views on sex education, sexual health and contraception. Almost all the young women said that young men viewed contraception as 'not their job'. In contrast, the young men thought that responsibility should be shared. The key issue, however, related to relationship status, with decision-making being shared in long-term relationships. There are some gender differences in accounting for decisions about use of contraception, however the key issue revolves around relationship status.

Examining Medical Student Specialty Choice Through a Gender Lens: An Orientational Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Smith, Victoria; Bethune, Cheri; Hurley, Katrina F

2018-01-01

Phenomenon: A growing number of women are entering the medical workforce, yet their distribution across medical specialties remains nonuniform. We sought to describe how culture, bias, and socialization shape gendered thinking regarding specialty choice at a Canadian undergraduate medical institution. We analyzed transcripts from the Career Choices Project: 16 semistructured focus group discussions with 70 students graduating from Memorial University of Newfoundland in 2003, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The questions and prompts were designed to explore factors influencing specialty choice and did not specifically probe gender-based experiences. Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and deidentified before analysis. Analysis was inductive and guided by principles of orientational qualitative inquiry using a gender-specific lens. The pursuits of personal and professional goals, as well as contextual factors, were the major themes that influenced decision-making for women and men. Composition of these major themes varied between genders. Influence of a partner, consideration of familial commitments (both present and future), feeling a sense of connectedness with the field in question, and social accountability were described by women as important. Both genders hoped to pursue careers that would afford "flexibility" in order to balance work with their personal lives, though the construct of work-life balance differed between genders. Women did not explicitly identify gender bias or sexism as influencing factors, but their narratives suggest that these elements were at play. Insights: Our findings suggest that unlike men, women's decision-making is informed by tension between personal and professional goals, likely related to the context of gendered personal and societal expectations.

The Pedagogy of (In)Visibility: Two Accounts of Teaching about Sex, Gender, and Sexuality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Andrea; Lucal, Betsy

2009-01-01

As teachers who use both our theoretical (academic) and practical (empirical) knowledge to entice our students to peer outside of the seemingly clear-cut boxes of the two-and-only-two dichotomies of sex, gender, and sexuality, we attempt to problematize not only sexuality categories but also gender categories (specifically, the category "woman").…

"She's Not Good with Crying": The Effect of Gender Expectations on Graduate Students' Assessments of Their Principal Investigators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirshfield, Laura E.

2014-01-01

This paper explores how gender influences the way that faculty members are held accountable to gendered societal expectations related to scientists, faculty members, and leaders. In particular, women faculty members in the sciences, particularly those who lead large research groups, may be at a triple disadvantage: they must act in ways that…

The gender gap in risk factor control: Effects of age and education on the control of cardiovascular risk factors in male and female coronary patients. The EUROASPIRE IV study by the European Society of Cardiology.

PubMed

De Smedt, Delphine; De Bacquer, Dirk; De Sutter, Johan; Dallongeville, Jean; Gevaert, Sofie; De Backer, Guy; Bruthans, Jan; Kotseva, Kornelia; Reiner, Željko; Tokgözoğlu, Lale; Clays, Els

2016-04-15

The aim of this study was to investigate gender related differences in the management and risk factor control of patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), taking into account their age and educational level. Analyses are based on the EUROASPIRE IV (EUROpean Action on Secondary and Primary Prevention through Intervention to Reduce Events) survey. Males and females between 18 and 80years of age, hospitalized for a first or recurrent coronary event were included in the study. Data were available for 7998 patients of which 75.6% were males. Overall, females had a worse risk factor profile compared to males and were more likely to have 3 or more risk factors (29.5% vs. 34.9%; p<0.001) across all age groups. A significant gender by education interaction (p<0.05) and gender by age interaction effect (p<0.05) was found. Furthermore, males were more likely to have a LDL-cholesterol on target (OR=1.50[1.28-1.76]), a HbA1c on target (OR=1.33[1.07-1.64]), to be non-obese (OR=1.45[1.30-1.62]) and perform adequate physical activity (OR=1.71[1.46-2.00]). In contrast males were less likely to be non-smokers (OR=0.71[0.60-0.83]). Furthermore, males were less likely to have made a dietary change (OR=0.78[0.64-0.95]) or a smoking cessation attempt (OR=0.70[0.50-0.96]) and more likely to have received smoking cessation advice if they were smokers (OR=1.52[1.10-2.09]). Whereas gender differences in CHD treatment are limited, substantial differences were found regarding target achievement. The largest gender difference was seen in less educated and elderly patients. The gender gap declined with decreasing age and higher education. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Research of the distribution of tourists’ attributes based on internet data: A case study of Kunming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Bingyang; Yang, Kun; Wang, Jiasheng

2017-09-01

With the development of the era of big data, the ever-growing user trajectory provides the basis for studying multi-scale tourist activity law. This paper selected 17 famous tourist attractions in Kunming. Sina Microblog, Ctrip Travel, Lvmama Travel Network and other platforms were used to extract 139727 records between Oct. 2015 and Sep. 2016. The methods of data mining and clustering analysis were used to explore the activity characteristics of tourists with different attributes in scenic spot and the activity differences of different age tourists in different scenic spots affected by season, not only considered gender, geographical, check-in time and other factors, but also the introduced age attributes. At the same time, the scenic area is divided into “Adolescent active pattern”, “Young and middle-aged women active pattern”, “Middle-aged and old men active pattern” and “General active pattern” according to different tourists’ activities law of different gender and age in spatial perspective. Research shows that female tourists are mainly distributed in the Green Lake Park, Nanping Street, Dounan Flower Market and other attractions, elderly male tourists are mainly distributed in Expo Park, Jindian area. Foreign tourists accounted for 86.32% of the total tourists, reflecting the rapid development of tourism in Kunming. The spatial distribution of tourist attractions has an impact on the distribution of tourists’ attributes. The number of tourists of Shilin, Jiuxiang, Guandu Ancient Town are accounted for 36.38% of the total tourists, which shows that the spatial distribution of tourist attributes is consistent with the development of key tourist areas in Kunming.

Long-term trajectories of lower extremity function in older adults: estimating gender differences while accounting for potential mortality bias.

PubMed

Botoseneanu, Anda; Allore, Heather G; Gahbauer, Evelyne A; Gill, Thomas M

2013-07-01

Gender-specific trajectories of lower extremity function (LEF) and the potential for bias in LEF estimation due to differences in survival have been understudied. We evaluated longitudinal data from 690 initially nondisabled adults age 70 or older from the Precipitating Events Project. LEF was assessed every 18 months for 12 years using a modified Short Physical Performance Battery (mSPPB). Hierarchical linear models with adjustments for length-of-survival estimated the intraindividual trajectory of LEF and differences in trajectory intercept and slope between men and women. LEF declined following a nonlinear trajectory. In the full sample, and among participants with high (mSPPB 10-12) and intermediate (mSPPB 7-9) baseline LEF, the rate-of-decline in mSPPB was slower in women than in men, with no gender differences in baseline mSPPB scores. Among participants with low baseline LEF (mSPPB ≤6), men had a higher starting mSPPB score, whereas women experienced a deceleration in the rate-of-decline over time. In all groups, participants who survived longer had higher starting mSPPB scores and slower rates-of-decline compared with those who died sooner. Over the course of 12 years, older women preserve LEF better than men. Nonadjustment for differences in survival results in overestimating the level and underestimating the rate-of-decline in LEF over time.

Gender Wage Gap Accounting: The Role of Selection Bias.

PubMed

Bar, Michael; Kim, Seik; Leukhina, Oksana

2015-10-01

Mulligan and Rubinstein (2008) (MR) argued that changing selection of working females on unobservable characteristics, from negative in the 1970s to positive in the 1990s, accounted for nearly the entire closing of the gender wage gap. We argue that their female wage equation estimates are inconsistent. Correcting this error substantially weakens the role of the rising selection bias (39 % versus 78 %) and strengthens the contribution of declining discrimination (42 % versus 7 %). Our findings resonate better with related literature. We also explain why our finding of positive selection in the 1970s provides additional support for MR's main hypothesis that an exogenous rise in the market value of unobservable characteristics contributed to the closing of the gender gap.

Gender Differences in and the Relationships Between Social Anxiety and Problematic Internet Use: Canonical Analysis.

PubMed

Baloğlu, Mustafa; Özteke Kozan, Hatice İrem; Kesici, Şahin

2018-01-24

The cognitive-behavioral model of problematic Internet use (PIU) proposes that psychological well-being is associated with specific thoughts and behaviors on the Internet. Hence, there is growing concern that PIU is associated with psychological impairments. Given the proposal of gender schema theory and social role theory, men and women are predisposed to experience social anxiety and engage in Internet use differently. Thus, an investigation of gender differences in these areas is warranted. According to the cognitive-behavioral model of PIU, social anxiety is associated with specific cognitions and behaviors on the Internet. Thus, an investigation of the association between social anxiety and PIU is essential. In addition, research that takes into account the multidimensional nature of social anxiety and PIU is lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to explore multivariate gender differences in and the relationships between social anxiety and PIU. Participants included 505 college students, of whom 241 (47.7%) were women and 264 (52.3%) were men. Participants' ages ranged from 18 to 22 years, with a mean age of 20.34 (SD=1.16). The Social Anxiety Scale and Problematic Internet Use Scale were used in data collection. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and canonical correlation analysis were used. Mean differences between men and women were not statistically significant in social anxiety (λ=.02, F3,501=2.47, P=.06). In all three PIU dimensions, men scored higher than women, and MANOVA shows that multivariate difference was statistically significant (λ=.94, F3,501=10.69, P<.001). Of the canonical correlation functions computed for men, only the first was significant (Rc=.43, λ=.78, χ29=64.7, P<.001) and accounted for 19% of the overlapping variance. Similarly, only the first canonical function was significant for women (Rc=.36, λ=.87, χ29=33.9, P<.001), which accounted for 13% of the overlapping variance. On the basis of the findings, we conclude that enhanced educational opportunities for women and their increasing role in the society have led women to become more active and thus closed the gap in social anxiety levels between men and women. We found that men showed more difficulties than women in terms of running away from personal problems (ie, social benefit), used the Internet more excessively, and experienced more interpersonal problems with significant others due to Internet use. We conclude that men are under a greater risk of social impairments due to PIU. Our overall conclusion is that there is a substantial amount of association between social anxiety and PIU and the association is stronger for men than it is for women. We advise that future research continue to investigate PIU and social anxiety as multidimensional constructs. ©Mustafa Baloğlu, Hatice İrem Özteke Kozan, Şahin Kesici. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 24.01.2018.

Ethnic variations in dementia: the contributions of cardiovascular, psychosocial and neuropsychological factors.

PubMed

Ng, Tze Pin; Leong, Terence; Chiam, Peak Chiang; Kua, Ee-Heok

2010-01-01

Ethnic variations in dementia rate have been reported worldwide. Understanding these differences is vital for aetiological research, clinical care and health service planning. While age and gender have been consistently implicated, the reasons behind interethnic variation remain unclear. We used data from the Singapore National Mental Health Survey (Elderly) in 2003, a cross-sectional population-based study to investigate the extent to which differences in cardiovascular risk factors, psychosocial factors and cognitive functional status contributed to ethnic differences in dementia prevalence among Chinese, Malays and Indians. Ethnic differences in dementia prevalence (4.2% in Chinese, 9.4% in Malays and 8.8% in Indians) were not explained by differences in gender, age and education (Malays vs. Chinese: adjusted OR = 3.11; Indians vs. Chinese: OR = 4.30). Differences in cardiovascular factors, depression or leisure time activities contributed modestly to the differences, but the OR remained significantly elevated. Differences in Mini-Mental State Examination scores contributed the most to explaining the ethnic differences (Malays vs. Chinese: adjusted OR = 0.73; Indians vs. Chinese: OR = 1.18). Cognitive functional reserve accounted for much of the ethnic differences in dementia prevalence and its assessment has implications for the detection and treatment of dementia in multiethnic populations.

Cholesterol and Triglycerides in Antipsychotic-Naive Patients with Nonaffective Psychosis

PubMed Central

Kirkpatrick, Brian; Garcia-Rizo, Clemente; Tang, Kun; Fernandez-Egea, Emilio; Bernardo, Miguel

2010-01-01

Patients with psychosis have an increased prevalence of hyperlipidemia. We compared fasting concentrations of lipids in newly diagnosed, antipsychotic-naïve patients with nonaffective psychosis (N-87) and control subjects (N=92). After accounting for gender, age, smoking, socioeconomic status, and body mass index, there was no significant difference between the two groups in total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, low-density lipoproteins, or triglycerides. PMID:20576293

Bidirectional Associations between Peer Victimization and Functions of Aggression in Middle Childhood: Further Evaluation across Informants and Academic Years.

PubMed

Cooley, John L; Fite, Paula J; Pederson, Casey A

2018-01-01

The current 3-wave study examined bidirectional associations between peer victimization and functions of aggression across informants over a 1-year period in middle childhood, with attention to potential gender differences. Participants included 198 children (51% girls) in the third and fourth grades and their homeroom teachers. Peer victimization was assessed using both child- and teacher-reports, and teachers provided ratings of reactive and proactive aggression. Cross-classified multilevel cross-lagged models indicated that child-reports, but not teacher-reports, of peer victimization predicted higher levels of reactive aggression within and across academic years. Further, reactive aggression predicted subsequent increases in child- and teacher-reports of peer victimization across each wave of data. Several gender differences, particularly in the crossed paths between proactive aggression and peer victimization, also emerged. Whereas peer victimization was found to partially account for the stability of reactive aggression over time, reactive aggression did not account for the stability of peer victimization. Taken together with previous research, the current findings suggest that child-reports of peer victimization may help identify youth who are risk for exhibiting increased reactive aggression over time. Further, they highlight the need to target reactively aggressive behavior for the prevention of peer victimization in middle childhood.

Gender differences in mental health literacy among Chinese-speaking Australians in Melbourne, Australia.

PubMed

Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Lam, Angus Yuk Kit; Poon, Ada; Chow, Amy Yin Man

2012-03-01

This study attempted to understand gender differences in knowledge of mental illness, preference for professional help, and medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background. This study adopted a cluster convenience sampling method in which subjects were taken from the four major areas in cosmopolitan Melbourne where most Chinese people are living. A total of 200 Chinese-speaking Australians participated in the study. They were presented with two vignettes describing an individual with acute depression or acute schizophrenia and then questions were asked to assess their understanding of the conditions, preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods. More female than male respondents could correctly identify the conditions in the two vignettes. Female participants also perceived medications to be relatively more harmful than their male counterparts. In contrast, there were significantly more males than females who adhered to traditional views on the causation of mental illness; had significantly higher percentages of endorsement of 'deal with it alone'; believed 'traditional Chinese medical doctor' and 'Chinese herbal medicines' to be helpful to the person in the schizophrenia vignette; and significantly endorsed 'psychiatric ward', 'electro-convulsive treatment', 'changing fungshui' and 'traditional Chinese worship' to be helpful for the persons in both vignettes. A combination of factors, which included age, duration of migration and traditional Chinese cultural values, were put forward to explain the above differences. Campaigns to improve the mental health literacy of Chinese-speaking Australians must take into account the gender differences between male and female Chinese-speaking Australians so that culturally relevant and gender-specific education programmes can be developed.

Decomposing Gender Disparity in Total Physical Activity among Iranian Adults.

PubMed

Rahimi, Ebrahim; Hashemi-Nazari, Seyed Saeed; Etemad, Koorosh; Soori, Hamid

2017-01-01

While gender differences in physical activity (PA) have been reported, their origin is not well understood. The present study aimed to identify factors contributing to this disparity. This was a population-based cross-sectional study based on the 2011 surveillance of risk factors of non-communicable diseases that was conducted among Iranian adults. Multi-staged sampling was performed to obtain the required study sample. The primary outcome was gender differences in the prevalence of sufficient physical activity (SPA). Total physical activity (TPA) was calculated as metabolic equivalents (MET) per minute during a typical week, as recommended by the World Health Organization. On this basis, achieving 600 MET-min/wk or more was defined as SPA. The nonlinear Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique was used to explain the disparity. The predicted gap was 19.50%. About one-third of the gap was due to differences in the level of observable covariates. Among them, work status contributed the most (29.61%). A substantial portion of the gap remained unexplained by such differences, of which about 40.41% was related to unobservable variables. The differential effects of standard of living, ethnicity, and smoking status made the largest contribution, accounting for 37.36, 35.47, and 28.50%, respectively. Interventions to reduce the gender gap in PA should focus on increasing TPA among housewives and women with chronic diseases, as well as those with a higher standard of living. In addition, it is essential to explore the impact of ethnicity and smoking status on women's TPA in order to promote health.

On the role of autophagy in human diseases: a gender perspective

PubMed Central

Lista, Pasquale; Straface, Elisabetta; Brunelleschi, Sandra; Franconi, Flavia; Malorni, Walter

2011-01-01

Abstract Cytopathological features of cells from males and females, i.e. XX and XY isolated cells, have been demonstrated to represent a key variable in the mechanism underlying gender disparity in human diseases. Major insights came from the studies of gender differences in cell fate, e.g. in apoptotic susceptibility. We report here some novel insights recently emerged from literature that are referred as to a cytoprotection mechanism by which cells recycle cytoplasm and dispose of excess or defective organelles, i.e. autophagy. Autophagy and related genes have first been identified in yeast. Orthologue genes have subsequently been found in other organisms, including human beings. This stimulated the research in the field and, thanks to the use of molecular genetics and cell biology in different model systems, autophagy gained the attention of several research groups operating to analyse the pathogenetic mechanisms of human diseases. It remains unclear, however, whether autophagy can exert a protective effect or instead contribute to the pathogenesis of important human diseases. On the basis of the growing importance of sex/gender as key determinant of human pathology and of the known differences between males and females in the onset, progression, drug susceptibility and outcome of a plethora of diseases, the idea that autophagy could represent key and critical factor should be taken into account. In the review, we summarize our current knowledge about the role of autophagy in some paradigmatic human diseases (cancer, neurodegenerative, autoimmune, cardiovascular) and the role of ‘cell sex’ differences in this context. PMID:21362130

Decomposing Gender Disparity in Total Physical Activity among Iranian Adults

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES While gender differences in physical activity (PA) have been reported, their origin is not well understood. The present study aimed to identify factors contributing to this disparity. METHODS This was a population-based cross-sectional study based on the 2011 surveillance of risk factors of non-communicable diseases that was conducted among Iranian adults. Multi-staged sampling was performed to obtain the required study sample. The primary outcome was gender differences in the prevalence of sufficient physical activity (SPA). Total physical activity (TPA) was calculated as metabolic equivalents (MET) per minute during a typical week, as recommended by the World Health Organization. On this basis, achieving 600 MET-min/wk or more was defined as SPA. The nonlinear Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition technique was used to explain the disparity. RESULTS The predicted gap was 19.50%. About one-third of the gap was due to differences in the level of observable covariates. Among them, work status contributed the most (29.61%). A substantial portion of the gap remained unexplained by such differences, of which about 40.41% was related to unobservable variables. The differential effects of standard of living, ethnicity, and smoking status made the largest contribution, accounting for 37.36, 35.47, and 28.50%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Interventions to reduce the gender gap in PA should focus on increasing TPA among housewives and women with chronic diseases, as well as those with a higher standard of living. In addition, it is essential to explore the impact of ethnicity and smoking status on women’s TPA in order to promote health. PMID:29056032

Sedentary behaviour and health at work: an investigation of industrial sector, job role, gender and geographical differences.

PubMed

Kazi, Aadil; Haslam, Cheryl; Duncan, Myanna; Clemes, Stacy; Twumasi, Ricardo

2018-06-21

This article presents baseline data from 1120 employees across 10 worksites enrolled in a workplace physical activity intervention. The study provides new data on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health and highlights gender, geographical, job type and industrial sector differences. Sitting at work accounted for more than 60% of participants' total daily sitting time on work days. Weekly and monthly hours worked, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were significantly higher for workers in the private sector compared to the public sector. Employees in sales and customer services had significantly higher BMI scores and significantly lower scores for workability index (WAI), job satisfaction, organisational commitment and job motivation, compared to other groups. This study provides further evidence that work is a major contributor to sedentary behaviour and supports the pressing need for interventions particularly targeting private sector industries and sales and customer service sectors.

The relationship between types of childhood victimisation and young adulthood criminality.

PubMed

Howell, Kathryn H; Cater, Åsa K; Miller-Graff, Laura E; Schwartz, Laura E; Graham-Bermann, Sandra A

2017-10-01

Previous research suggests that some types of childhood abuse and neglect are related to an increased likelihood of perpetrating criminal behaviour in adulthood. Little research, however, has examined associations between multiple different types of childhood victimisation and adult criminal behaviour. We sought to examine the contribution of multiple and diverse childhood victimisations on adult criminal behaviour. Our central hypothesis was that, after controlling for gender, substance use and psychopathy, each type of childhood victimisation - specifically experience of property offences, physical violence, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, neglect and witnessed violence - would be positively and independently related to criminal behaviour in young adults. We examined data from a large, nationally representative sample of 2244 young Swedish adults who reported at least one form of victimisation, using hierarchical regression analysis to also account for gender, substance use and psychopathy. Experiences of physical assaults, neglect and witnessing violence as a child were significantly associated with adult criminal behaviour, but not experiences of property, verbal or sexual victimizations. Our findings help to identify those forms of harm to children that are most likely to be associated with later criminality. Even after accounting for gender, substance misuse and psychopathology, childhood experience of violence - directly or as a witness - carries risk for adulthood criminal behaviour, so such children need targeted support and treatment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.