Gender Differences in Attitudes toward Mathematics between Low-Achieving and High-Achieving Fifth Grade Elementary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rathbone, A. Sue

Possible gender differences in attitudes toward mathematics were studied between low-achieving and high-achieving fifth-grade students in selected elementary schools within a large, metropolitan area. The attitudes of pre-adolescent children at an intermediate grade level were assessed to determine the effects of rapidly emerging gender-related…

Gender Differences in Achievement in a Large, Nationally Representative Sample of Children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scheiber, Caroline; Reynolds, Matthew R.; Hajovsky, Daniel B.; Kaufman, Alan S.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate developmental gender differences in academic achievement areas, with the primary focus on writing, using the child and adolescent portion (ages 6-21 years) of the "Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-Second Edition, Brief Form," norming sample (N = 1,574). Path analytic models with gender,…

Gender Differences of Brain Glucose Metabolic Networks Revealed by FDG-PET: Evidence from a Large Cohort of 400 Young Adults

PubMed Central

Li, Kai; Zhu, Hong; Qi, Rongfeng; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming

2013-01-01

Background Gender differences of the human brain are an important issue in neuroscience research. In recent years, an increasing amount of evidence has been gathered from noninvasive neuroimaging studies supporting a sexual dimorphism of the human brain. However, there is a lack of imaging studies on gender differences of brain metabolic networks based on a large population sample. Materials and Methods FDG PET data of 400 right-handed, healthy subjects, including 200 females (age: 25∼45 years, mean age±SD: 40.9±3.9 years) and 200 age-matched males were obtained and analyzed in the present study. We first investigated the regional differences of brain glucose metabolism between genders using a voxel-based two-sample t-test analysis. Subsequently, we investigated the gender differences of the metabolic networks. Sixteen metabolic covariance networks using seed-based correlation were analyzed. Seven regions showing significant regional metabolic differences between genders, and nine regions conventionally used in the resting-state network studies were selected as regions-of-interest. Permutation tests were used for comparing within- and between-network connectivity between genders. Results Compared with the males, females showed higher metabolism in the posterior part and lower metabolism in the anterior part of the brain. Moreover, there were widely distributed patterns of the metabolic networks in the human brain. In addition, significant gender differences within and between brain glucose metabolic networks were revealed in the present study. Conclusion This study provides solid data that reveal gender differences in regional brain glucose metabolism and brain glucose metabolic networks. These observations might contribute to the better understanding of the gender differences in human brain functions, and suggest that gender should be included as a covariate when designing experiments and explaining results of brain glucose metabolic networks in the control and experimental individuals or patients. PMID:24358312

Gender differences of brain glucose metabolic networks revealed by FDG-PET: evidence from a large cohort of 400 young adults.

PubMed

Hu, Yuxiao; Xu, Qiang; Li, Kai; Zhu, Hong; Qi, Rongfeng; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming

2013-01-01

Gender differences of the human brain are an important issue in neuroscience research. In recent years, an increasing amount of evidence has been gathered from noninvasive neuroimaging studies supporting a sexual dimorphism of the human brain. However, there is a lack of imaging studies on gender differences of brain metabolic networks based on a large population sample. FDG PET data of 400 right-handed, healthy subjects, including 200 females (age: 25:45 years, mean age ± SD: 40.9 ± 3.9 years) and 200 age-matched males were obtained and analyzed in the present study. We first investigated the regional differences of brain glucose metabolism between genders using a voxel-based two-sample t-test analysis. Subsequently, we investigated the gender differences of the metabolic networks. Sixteen metabolic covariance networks using seed-based correlation were analyzed. Seven regions showing significant regional metabolic differences between genders, and nine regions conventionally used in the resting-state network studies were selected as regions-of-interest. Permutation tests were used for comparing within- and between-network connectivity between genders. Compared with the males, females showed higher metabolism in the posterior part and lower metabolism in the anterior part of the brain. Moreover, there were widely distributed patterns of the metabolic networks in the human brain. In addition, significant gender differences within and between brain glucose metabolic networks were revealed in the present study. This study provides solid data that reveal gender differences in regional brain glucose metabolism and brain glucose metabolic networks. These observations might contribute to the better understanding of the gender differences in human brain functions, and suggest that gender should be included as a covariate when designing experiments and explaining results of brain glucose metabolic networks in the control and experimental individuals or patients.

Can Test Construction Account for Varying Gender Differences in International Reading Achievement Tests of Children, Adolescents and Young Adults?--A Study Based on Nordic Results in PIRLS, PISA and PIAAC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solheim, Oddny Judith; Lundetrae, Kjersti

2018-01-01

Gender differences in reading seem to increase throughout schooling and then decrease or even disappear with age, but the reasons for this are unclear. In this study, we explore whether differences in the way "reading literacy" is operationalised can add to our understanding of varying gender differences in international large-scale…

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.

Does Group Size Matter for Behavior in Online Trust Dilemmas?

PubMed

Artinger, Sabrina; Vulkan, Nir

2016-01-01

How does group size influence behavior in online trust dilemmas? We investigate cooperation in groups of 4 to 100 players. While overall levels of cooperation are stable across group sizes, we find significant gender differences: women increase cooperation with group size and cooperate significantly more than men in large groups. These results are robust when controlling for risk aversion, age, and other individual differences. They highlight the importance of studying behavior and gender differences in large groups.

Predictors and Outcomes of Job Search Behavior: The Moderating Effects of Gender and Family Situation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Hooft, Edwin A. J.; Born, Marise Ph.; Taris, Toon W.; van der Flier, Henk

2005-01-01

This study explored differences in the antecedents and consequences of job search behavior depending on gender and family situation in a large, nationwide sample of the Dutch population. Using Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior (TPB), we found no gender differences in the antecedents of job seeking. However, family situation did affect the…

Pursuing Higher Education: Are There Gender Differences in the Factors That Influence Individuals To Pursue Higher Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Sandra McMeans

This study investigated whether gender differences exist in the factors thought to influence a person's desire to pursue higher education. A 152-item multiple choice questionnaire, completed by 346 students enrolled at a large university during 1998, was the source of the data. The independent variable was gender; dependent variables were…

Performance on large-scale science tests: Item attributes that may impact achievement scores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, Janet Victoria

Significant differences in achievement among ethnic groups persist on the eighth-grade science Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The WASL measures academic performance in science using both scenario and stand-alone question types. Previous research suggests that presenting target items connected to an authentic context, like scenario question types, can increase science achievement scores especially in underrepresented groups and thus help to close the achievement gap. The purpose of this study was to identify significant differences in performance between gender and ethnic subgroups by question type on the 2005 eighth-grade science WASL. MANOVA and ANOVA were used to examine relationships between gender and ethnic subgroups as independent variables with achievement scores on scenario and stand-alone question types as dependent variables. MANOVA revealed no significant effects for gender, suggesting that the 2005 eighth-grade science WASL was gender neutral. However, there were significant effects for ethnicity. ANOVA revealed significant effects for ethnicity and ethnicity by gender interaction in both question types. Effect sizes were negligible for the ethnicity by gender interaction. Large effect sizes between ethnicities on scenario question types became moderate to small effect sizes on stand-alone question types. This indicates the score advantage the higher performing subgroups had over the lower performing subgroups was not as large on stand-alone question types compared to scenario question types. A further comparison examined performance on multiple-choice items only within both question types. Similar achievement patterns between ethnicities emerged; however, achievement patterns between genders changed in boys' favor. Scenario question types appeared to register differences between ethnic groups to a greater degree than stand-alone question types. These differences may be attributable to individual differences in cognition, characteristics of test items themselves and/or opportunities to learn. Suggestions for future research are made.

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.

Gender Effects in Assessment of Economic Knowledge and Understanding: Differences among Undergraduate Business and Economics Students in Germany, Japan, and the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brückner, Sebastian; Förster, Manuel; Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, Olga; Happ, Roland; Walstad, William B.; Yamaoka, Michio; Asano, Tadayoshi

2015-01-01

Gender effects in large-scale assessments have become an increasingly important research area within and across countries. Yet few studies have linked differences in assessment results of male and female students in higher education to construct-relevant features of the target construct. This paper examines gender effects on students' economic…

Gender Differences in Student Performance in Large Lecture Classrooms Using Personal Response Systems ("Clickers") with Narrative Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Hosun; Lundeberg, Mary; Wolter, Bjorn; delMas, Robert; Herreid, Clyde F.

2012-01-01

This study investigated gender differences in science learning between two pedagogical approaches: traditional lecture and narrative case studies using personal response systems ("clickers"). Thirteen instructors of introductory biology classes at 12 different institutions across the USA and Canada used two types of pedagogy (Clicker…

The effects of gender on the retrieval of episodic and semantic components of autobiographical memory.

PubMed

Fuentes, Amanda; Desrocher, Mary

2013-01-01

Despite consistent evidence that women exhibit greater episodic memory specificity than men, little attention has been paid to gender differences in the production of episodic details during autobiographical recall under conditions of high and low retrieval support. Similarly the role of gender on the production of semantic details used to support autobiographical memory recollections of specific events has been largely unexplored. In the present study an undergraduate sample of 50 men and 50 women were assessed using the Autobiographical Interview (Levine, Svoboda, Hay, Winocur, & Moscovitch, 2002). Women recalled more episodic information compared to men in the high retrieval support condition, whereas no gender differences were found in the low retrieval support condition. In addition, women produced more repetitions compared to men in the high retrieval support condition. No gender differences were found in the production of semantic details. These results are interpreted in terms of gender differences in encoding and reminiscence practices. This research adds to the literature on gender differences in memory recall and suggests that gender is an important variable in explaining individual differences in AM recall.

Sexual Orientation and Childhood Gender Nonconformity: Evidence from Home Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rieger, Gerulf; Linsenmeier, Joan A. W.; Gygax, Lorenz; Bailey, J. Michael

2008-01-01

Homosexual adults tend to be more gender nonconforming than heterosexual adults in some of their behaviors, feelings, and interests. Retrospective studies have also shown large differences in childhood gender nonconformity, but these studies have been criticized for possible memory biases. The authors studied an indicator of childhood gender…

Frequency of employer changes and their financial return: gender differences amongst German university graduates.

PubMed

Wieschke, Johannes

2018-01-01

Gender differences in the frequency of employer changes and their financial return were examined in a sample of Bavarian university graduates. The search and matching theories were used to develop hypotheses which were then tested against each other. The results show that in the first few years after graduation women change employer more frequently than men. In large part this can be explained by gender differences in labor market structures, in particular the fact that a woman's first job is less likely to be in a large company, in an executive position or on a permanent contract and women tend to be less satisfied with their first job. After controlling for variance in these factors the coefficient changes sign, indicating that under similar circumstances men change employer more often. Furthermore, both men and women benefit financially from changing employer. The absolute return is higher for men, but as men tend to have a higher starting salary there is no gender difference in the relative return and hence no effect on the gender gap. The results are also discussed in the light of the specifics of the structure of the German labor market.

Women are Warmer but No Less Assertive than Men: Gender and Language on Facebook.

PubMed

Park, Gregory; Yaden, David Bryce; Schwartz, H Andrew; Kern, Margaret L; Eichstaedt, Johannes C; Kosinski, Michael; Stillwell, David; Ungar, Lyle H; Seligman, Martin E P

2016-01-01

Using a large social media dataset and open-vocabulary methods from computational linguistics, we explored differences in language use across gender, affiliation, and assertiveness. In Study 1, we analyzed topics (groups of semantically similar words) across 10 million messages from over 52,000 Facebook users. Most language differed little across gender. However, topics most associated with self-identified female participants included friends, family, and social life, whereas topics most associated with self-identified male participants included swearing, anger, discussion of objects instead of people, and the use of argumentative language. In Study 2, we plotted male- and female-linked language topics along two interpersonal dimensions prevalent in gender research: affiliation and assertiveness. In a sample of over 15,000 Facebook users, we found substantial gender differences in the use of affiliative language and slight differences in assertive language. Language used more by self-identified females was interpersonally warmer, more compassionate, polite, and-contrary to previous findings-slightly more assertive in their language use, whereas language used more by self-identified males was colder, more hostile, and impersonal. Computational linguistic analysis combined with methods to automatically label topics offer means for testing psychological theories unobtrusively at large scale.

Women are Warmer but No Less Assertive than Men: Gender and Language on Facebook

PubMed Central

Park, Gregory; Schwartz, H. Andrew; Kern, Margaret L.; Eichstaedt, Johannes C.; Kosinski, Michael; Stillwell, David; Ungar, Lyle H.; Seligman, Martin E. P.

2016-01-01

Using a large social media dataset and open-vocabulary methods from computational linguistics, we explored differences in language use across gender, affiliation, and assertiveness. In Study 1, we analyzed topics (groups of semantically similar words) across 10 million messages from over 52,000 Facebook users. Most language differed little across gender. However, topics most associated with self-identified female participants included friends, family, and social life, whereas topics most associated with self-identified male participants included swearing, anger, discussion of objects instead of people, and the use of argumentative language. In Study 2, we plotted male- and female-linked language topics along two interpersonal dimensions prevalent in gender research: affiliation and assertiveness. In a sample of over 15,000 Facebook users, we found substantial gender differences in the use of affiliative language and slight differences in assertive language. Language used more by self-identified females was interpersonally warmer, more compassionate, polite, and—contrary to previous findings—slightly more assertive in their language use, whereas language used more by self-identified males was colder, more hostile, and impersonal. Computational linguistic analysis combined with methods to automatically label topics offer means for testing psychological theories unobtrusively at large scale. PMID:27223607

A construct-driven investigation of gender differences in a leadership-role assessment center.

PubMed

Anderson, Neil; Lievens, Filip; van Dam, Karen; Born, Marise

2006-05-01

This study examined gender differences in a large-scale assessment center for officer entry in the British Army. Subgroup differences were investigated for a sample of 1,857 candidates: 1,594 men and 263 women. A construct-driven approach was chosen (a) by examining gender differences at the construct level, (b) by formulating a priori hypotheses about which constructs would be susceptible to gender effects, and (c) by using both effect size statistics and latent mean analyses to investigate gender differences in assessment center ratings. Results showed that female candidates were rated notably higher on constructs reflecting an interpersonally oriented leadership style (i.e., oral communication and interaction) and on drive and determination. These results are discussed in light of role congruity theory and of the advantages of using latent mean analyses.

Siblings and Gender Differences in African-American College Attendance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loury, Linda Datcher

2004-01-01

Differences in college enrollment growth rates for African-American men and women have resulted in a large gender gap in college attendance. This paper shows that, controlling for spurious correlation with unobserved variables, having more college-educated older siblings raises rather than lowers the likelihood of college attendance for…

Recalled and current gender role behavior, gender identity and sexual orientation in adults with Disorders/Differences of Sex Development.

PubMed

Callens, Nina; Van Kuyk, Maaike; van Kuppenveld, Jet H; Drop, Stenvert L S; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Dessens, Arianne B

2016-11-01

The magnitude of sex differences in human brain and behavior and the respective contributions of biology versus socialization remain a topic of ongoing study in science. The preponderance of evidence attests to the notion that sexual differentiation processes are at least partially hormonally mediated, with high levels of prenatal androgens facilitating male-typed and inhibiting female-typed behaviors. In individuals with Disorders/Differences of Sex Development (DSD), hormonal profiles or sensitivities have been altered due to genetic influences, presumably affecting gender(ed) activity interests as well as gender identity development in a minority of the affected population. While continued postnatal androgen exposure in a number of DSD syndromes has been associated with higher rates of gender dysphoria and gender change, the role of a number of mediating and moderating factors, such as initial gender assignment, syndrome severity and clinical management remains largely unclear. Limited investigations of the associations between these identified influences and gendered development outcomes impede optimization of clinical care. Participants with DSD (n=123), recruited in the context of a Dutch multi-center follow-up audit, were divided in subgroups reflecting prenatal androgen exposure, genital appearance at birth and gender of rearing. Recalled childhood play and playmate preferences, gender identity and sexual orientation were measured with questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Data were compared to those of control male (n=46) and female participants (n=79). The findings support that (a) prenatal androgen exposure has large effects on (gendered) activity interests, but to a much lesser extent on sexual orientation and that (b) initial gender of rearing remains a better predictor of gender identity contentedness than prenatal androgen exposure, beyond syndrome severity and medical treatment influences. Nonetheless, 3.3% of individuals with DSD in our sample self-reported gender dysphoria from an early age and changed gender, which further underlines the need for thorough long- term follow-up and specific clinical support. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Treatment of Hypertension.

PubMed

Di Giosia, Paolo; Giorgini, Paolo; Stamerra, Cosimo Andrea; Petrarca, Marco; Ferri, Claudio; Sahebkar, Amirhossein

2018-02-14

This review aims to examine gender differences in both the epidemiology and pathophysiology of hypertension and to explore gender peculiarities on the effects of antihypertensive agents in decreasing BP and CV events. Men and women differ in prevalence, awareness, and control rate of hypertension in an age-dependent manner. Studies suggest that sex hormones changes play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of hypertension in postmenopausal women. Estrogens influence the vascular system inducing vasodilatation, inhibiting vascular remodeling processes, and modulating the renin-angiotensin aldosterone system and the sympathetic system. This leads to a protective effect on arterial stiffness during reproductive age that is dramatically reversed after menopause. Data on the efficacy of antihypertensive therapy between genders are conflicting, and the underrepresentation of aged women in large clinical trials could influence the results. Therefore, further clinical research is needed to uncover potential gender differences in hypertension to promote the development of a gender-oriented approach to antihypertensive treatment.

[Behavioral gender differences in school relationships].

PubMed

Postigo Zegarra, Silvia; González Barrón, Remedios; Mateu Marqués, Carmen; Ferrero Berlanga, Javier; Martorell Pallás, Carmen

2009-08-01

Adolescents take on different social roles mediated by gender, which affect the development of their identity and the expression of school violence. The purpose of this work is to study the behavioral differences in bullying depending on gender. The sample (N=641) is aged between 12 and 16 years old. Personal variables are assessed by self-reports, and relational variables by sociometric measures. Results indicate a large incidence of bullying, peer rejection, and school maladjustment among boys. Girls report more relational aggressions, acceptance and social skills, but also higher personal maladjustment. Female victims are rejected the most. Gender differences seem more relevant in relational variables, suggesting the special importance of the relational context in bullying.

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).

Analysis of sex and gender-specific research reveals a common increase in publications and marked differences between disciplines

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The incorporation of sex and gender-specific analysis in medical research is increasing due to pressure from public agencies, funding bodies, and the clinical and research community. However, generations of knowledge and publication trends in this discipline are currently spread over distinct specialties and are difficult to analyze comparatively. Methods Using a text-mining approach, we have analysed sex and gender aspects in research within nine clinical subspecialties - Cardiology, Pulmonology, Nephrology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Oncology, Rheumatology, Neurology - using six paradigmatic diseases in each one. Articles have been classified into five pre-determined research categories - Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, Clinical research, Management and Outcomes. Additional information has been collected on the type of study (human/animal) and the number of subjects included. Of the 8,836 articles initially retrieved, 3,466 (39%) included sex and gender-specific research and have been further analysed. Results Literature incorporating sex/gender analysis increased over time and displays a stronger trend if compared to overall publication increase. All disciplines, but cardiology (22%), demonstrated an underrepresentation of research about gender differences in management, which ranges from 3 to 14%. While the use of animal models for identification of sex differences in basic research varies greatly among disciplines, studies involving human subjects are frequently conducted in large cohorts with more than 1,000 patients (24% of all human studies). Conclusions Heterogeneity characterizes sex and gender-specific research. Although large cohorts are often analysed, sex and gender differences in clinical management are insufficiently investigated leading to potential inequalities in health provision and outcomes. PMID:21067576

Small-worldness and gender differences of large scale brain metabolic covariance networks in young adults: a FDG PET study of 400 subjects.

PubMed

Hu, Yuxiao; Xu, Qiang; Shen, Junkang; Li, Kai; Zhu, Hong; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Lu, Guangming

2015-02-01

Many studies have demonstrated the small-worldness of the human brain, and have revealed a sexual dimorphism in brain network properties. However, little is known about the gender effects on the topological organization of the brain metabolic covariance networks. To investigate the small-worldness and the gender differences in the topological architectures of human brain metabolic networks. FDG-PET data of 400 healthy right-handed subjects (200 women and 200 age-matched men) were involved in the present study. Metabolic networks of each gender were constructed by calculating the covariance of regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMglc) across subjects on the basis of AAL parcellation. Gender differences of network and nodal properties were investigated by using the graph theoretical approaches. Moreover, the gender-related difference of rCMglc in each brain region was tested for investigating the relationships between the hub regions and the brain regions showing significant gender-related differences in rCMglc. We found prominent small-world properties in the domain of metabolic networks in each gender. No significant gender difference in the global characteristics was found. Gender differences of nodal characteristic were observed in a few brain regions. We also found bilateral and lateralized distributions of network hubs in the females and males. Furthermore, we first reported that some hubs of a gender located in the brain regions showing weaker rCMglc in this gender than the other gender. The present study demonstrated that small-worldness was existed in metabolic networks, and revealed gender differences of organizational patterns in metabolic network. These results maybe provided insights into the understanding of the metabolic substrates underlying individual differences in cognition and behaviors. © The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Gender differences in the relationship between built environment and non-communicable diseases: A systematic review.

PubMed

Valson, Joanna Sara; Kutty, V Raman

2018-02-05

Non-communicable diseases are on the rise globally. Risk factors of non-communicable diseases continue to be a growing concern in both developed and developing countries. With significant rise in population and establishment of buildings, rapid changes have taken place in the built environment. Relationship between health and place, particularly with non-communicable diseases has been established in previous literature. This systematic review assesses the current evidence on influence of gender in the relationship between built environment and non-communicable diseases. A systematic literature search using PubMed was done to identify all studies that reported relationship between gender and built environment. All titles and abstracts were scrutinised to include only articles based on risk factors, prevention, treatment and outcome of non-communicable diseases. The Gender Analysis Matrix developed by the World Health Organization was used to describe the findings of gender differences. Sex differences, biological susceptibility, gender norms/ values, roles and activities related to gender and access to/control over resources were themes for the differences in the relationship. A total of 15 out of 214 articles met the inclusion criteria. Majority of the studies were on risk factors of non-communicable diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases. Gender differences in physical access to recreational facilities, neighbourhood perceptions of safety and walkability have been documented. Men and women showed differential preferences to walking, engaging in physical activity and in perceiving safety of the neighbourhood. Girls and boys showed differences in play activities at school and in their own neighbourhood environment. Safety from crime and safety from traffic were also perceived important to engage in physical activity. Gender norms and gender roles and activities have shown basis for the differences in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases. Sparse evidence was found on how built environment affects health seeking behaviour, preventive options or experience with health providers. Though yet unexplored in the developing or low/middle income countries, there seems to be a major role in the gendered perception of how men and women are affected by noncommunicable diseases. Large gaps still exist in the research evidence on gender-based differences in non-communicable diseases and built environment relationship. Future research directions could bring out underpinnings of how perceived and objective built environment could largely affect the health behaviour of men and women across the globe.

Evaluating gender similarities and differences using metasynthesis.

PubMed

Zell, Ethan; Krizan, Zlatan; Teeter, Sabrina R

2015-01-01

Despite the common lay assumption that males and females are profoundly different, Hyde (2005) used data from 46 meta-analyses to demonstrate that males and females are highly similar. Nonetheless, the gender similarities hypothesis has remained controversial. Since Hyde's provocative report, there has been an explosion of meta-analytic interest in psychological gender differences. We utilized this enormous collection of 106 meta-analyses and 386 individual meta-analytic effects to reevaluate the gender similarities hypothesis. Furthermore, we employed a novel data-analytic approach called metasynthesis (Zell & Krizan, 2014) to estimate the average difference between males and females and to explore moderators of gender differences. The average, absolute difference between males and females across domains was relatively small (d = 0.21, SD = 0.14), with the majority of effects being either small (46%) or very small (39%). Magnitude of differences fluctuated somewhat as a function of the psychological domain (e.g., cognitive variables, social and personality variables, well-being), but remained largely constant across age, culture, and generations. These findings provide compelling support for the gender similarities hypothesis, but also underscore conditions under which gender differences are most pronounced. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved.

School Context and Gender Differences in Mathematical Performance among School Graduates in Russia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bessudnov, Alexey; Makarov, Alexey

2015-01-01

Gender differences in mathematical performance have received considerable scrutiny in the fields of sociology, economics and psychology. We analyse a large data-set of high school graduates who took a standardised mathematical test in Russia in 2011 (n = 738,456) and find no substantial difference in mean test scores across boys and girls.…

Gender Differences in Cognition in China and Reasons for Change over Time: Evidence from CHARLS.

PubMed

Lei, Xiaoyan; Smith, James P; Sun, Xiaoting; Zhao, Yaohui

2014-12-01

In this paper, we model gender differences in cognitive ability in China using a new sample of middle-aged and older Chinese respondents. Modeled after the American Health and Retirement Survey (HRS), CHARLS respondents are 45 years and older and are nationally representative of the Chinese population in this age span. Our measures of cognition in CHARLS rely on two measures that proxy for different dimensions of adult cognition-episodic memory and intact mental status. We relate these cognitive measures to adult health and SES outcomes during the adult years. We find large cognitive differences to the detriment of women that were mitigated by large gender differences in education among these generations of Chinese people. These gender differences in cognition are especially concentrated in the older age groups and poorer communities within the sample. We also investigated historical, geographical, and cultural characteristics of communities to understand how they impact cognition. Economic development and environmental improvement such as having electricity, increases in wage per capita and green coverage ratio generally contribute to higher cognition ability. Women benefit more from the fruits of development -electricity and growth of green coverage ratio are conducive to lessening female disadvantage in cognition.

Gender Differences in Cognition in China and Reasons for Change over Time: Evidence from CHARLS

PubMed Central

Lei, Xiaoyan; Sun, Xiaoting; Zhao, Yaohui

2014-01-01

In this paper, we model gender differences in cognitive ability in China using a new sample of middle-aged and older Chinese respondents. Modeled after the American Health and Retirement Survey (HRS), CHARLS respondents are 45 years and older and are nationally representative of the Chinese population in this age span. Our measures of cognition in CHARLS rely on two measures that proxy for different dimensions of adult cognition—episodic memory and intact mental status. We relate these cognitive measures to adult health and SES outcomes during the adult years. We find large cognitive differences to the detriment of women that were mitigated by large gender differences in education among these generations of Chinese people. These gender differences in cognition are especially concentrated in the older age groups and poorer communities within the sample. We also investigated historical, geographical, and cultural characteristics of communities to understand how they impact cognition. Economic development and environmental improvement such as having electricity, increases in wage per capita and green coverage ratio generally contribute to higher cognition ability. Women benefit more from the fruits of development –electricity and growth of green coverage ratio are conducive to lessening female disadvantage in cognition. PMID:25530942

Gender Differences in College Student Satisfaction. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bean, John P.; Vesper, Nick

This study assessed gender differences in student satisfaction with college to further understand what contributes to student persistence and student outcomes. The study gathered data from 494 first and second year honors students (1,000 were originally surveyed) at a large midwestern research university. Of these, 175 were male and 319 were…

Prevalence of Gendered Views of Reading in Thailand and Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sokal, Laura

2010-01-01

Recent large-scale testing of reading achievement indicates significant gender differences favoring girls in all countries tested, a situation that some researchers believe is the result of boys viewing reading as a feminine activity. Given that Canada has one of the world's smallest gender gaps in reading whereas Thailand has one of the largest,…

"Sensible Girls" and "Silly Boys": What Do Teachers Need to Know about Gender?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Major, Jae; Santoro, Ninetta

2014-01-01

Much to the consternation of many feminist researchers, teacher education programs have become largely silent about gender and the influence of gender discourses on teaching and learning. Stereotypical views of males and females can dominate teachers' views of boys and girls, and they can be seen as essentially different--as binary opposites. This…

Equal Pay for Working Families. National and State Data on the Pay Gap and Its Costs. A Joint Research Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartmann, Heidi; Allen, Katherine; Owens, Christine

A national study, including state-by-state breakouts, analyzed Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data to explore the wage gap. Median weekly earnings of men and women and of minorities and nonminorities were analyzed. Gender-based earnings differences and gender wage gaps were large for all women--and especially large for minority…

Gender differences in trajectories of health limitations and subsequent mortality. A study based on the German Socioeconomic Panel 1995-2001 with a mortality follow-up 2002-2005.

PubMed

Doblhammer, Gabriele; Hoffmann, Rasmus

2010-07-01

Although research on health limitations has investigated gender differences in health and mortality, gender differentials in individual-level trajectories have been studied less frequently. Moreover, there are no studies on the relationship between course types and subsequent mortality. We investigate course types, explore confounding by socioeconomic and demographic correlates, and pose the question of whether the gender gap in morbidity results from differences in the onset of, and/or survival with, health limitations. Using the German Socioeconomic Panel, we identify individual trajectories of health limitations and use multinomial logistic regressions to explore confounding and the relationship with mortality. The frequency of stable trajectories without limitations is lower among women because they tend to experience courses that involve extended periods of limitations and deteriorating health. Women also experience more frequently improvement after deterioration. The female mortality advantage is particularly large after health deterioration. Health limitations do not make men and women more equal in the face of death. Our results are consistent with earlier studies showing that mortality selection and differences in chronic conditions may explain the gender gap in health and mortality. We extend previous research showing that the female health disadvantage is largely the result of their mortality advantage.

The High School Environment and the Gender Gap in Science and Engineering

PubMed Central

Legewie, Joscha; DiPrete, Thomas A.

2016-01-01

Despite the striking reversal of the gender gap in education, women pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees at much lower rates than those of their male peers. This study extends existing explanations for these gender differences and examines the role of the high school context for plans to major in STEM fields. Building on recent gender theories, we argue that widely shared and hegemonic gender beliefs manifest differently across schools so that the gender-specific formation of study plans is shaped by the local environment of high schools. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study, we first show large variations between high schools in the ability to attract students to STEM fields conditional on a large set of pre–high school measures. Schools that are successful in attracting students to these fields reduce the gender gap by 25 percent or more. As a first step toward understanding what matters about schools, we then estimate the effect of two concrete high school characteristics on plans to major in STEM fields in college—a high school's curriculum in STEM and gender segregation of extracurricular activities. These factors have a substantial effect on the gender gap in plans to major in STEM: a finding that is reaffirmed in a number of sensitivity analyses. Our focus on the high school context opens concrete avenues for policy intervention and is of central theoretical importance to understand the gender gap in orientations toward STEM fields. PMID:27857451

The High School Environment and the Gender Gap in Science and Engineering.

PubMed

Legewie, Joscha; DiPrete, Thomas A

2014-10-01

Despite the striking reversal of the gender gap in education, women pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degrees at much lower rates than those of their male peers. This study extends existing explanations for these gender differences and examines the role of the high school context for plans to major in STEM fields. Building on recent gender theories, we argue that widely shared and hegemonic gender beliefs manifest differently across schools so that the gender-specific formation of study plans is shaped by the local environment of high schools. Using the National Education Longitudinal Study, we first show large variations between high schools in the ability to attract students to STEM fields conditional on a large set of pre-high school measures. Schools that are successful in attracting students to these fields reduce the gender gap by 25 percent or more. As a first step toward understanding what matters about schools, we then estimate the effect of two concrete high school characteristics on plans to major in STEM fields in college-a high school's curriculum in STEM and gender segregation of extracurricular activities. These factors have a substantial effect on the gender gap in plans to major in STEM: a finding that is reaffirmed in a number of sensitivity analyses. Our focus on the high school context opens concrete avenues for policy intervention and is of central theoretical importance to understand the gender gap in orientations toward STEM fields.

Gender differences in mathematics achievement in Beijing: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Li, Meijuan; Zhang, Yongmei; Liu, Hongyun; Hao, Yi

2017-12-19

The topic of gender differences in mathematical performance has received considerable attention in the fields of education, sociology, economics and psychology. We analysed gender differences based on data from the Beijing Assessment of Educational Quality in China. A large data set of Grade 5 and Grade 8 students who took the mathematical test from 2008 to 2013 (n = 73,318) were analysed. Meta-analysis was used in this research. The findings were as follows. (1) No gender differences in mathematical achievement exist among students in Grade 5, relatively small gender differences exist in Grade 8, females scored higher than males, and variance of male students is larger than that of females in both Grade 5 and Grade 8. (2) Except for statistics and probability, gender differences in other domains in Grade 8 are significantly higher than those in Grade 5, and female students outperform males. (3) The ratio of students of both gender in Grade 5 and Grade 8 at the 95-100% percentile level shows no significant differences. However, the ratio of male students is significantly higher than that of females at the 0-5% percentile level. (4) In Grade 5, the extent to which females outperformed males in low SES group is larger than that in higher SES groups, and in Grade 8, the magnitude of gender differences in urban schools is smaller than that in rural schools. There is a small gender difference among the 8th graders, with the male disadvantage at the bottom of the distribution. And gender differences also vary across school locations. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Focusing on Interactions between Content and Cognition: A New Perspective on Gender Differences in Mathematical Sub-Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Ann Cathrice; Robitzsch, Alexander

2018-01-01

This article presents a new perspective on measuring gender differences in the large-scale assessment study Trends in International Science Study (TIMSS). The suggested empirical model is directly based on the theoretical competence model of the domain mathematics and thus includes the interaction between content and cognitive sub-competencies.…

Race and Gender Differences in Perceived Caregiver Availability for Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Older Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, David L.; Haley, William E.; Wadley, Virginia G.; Clay, Olivio J.; Howard, George

2007-01-01

Purpose: Informal family caregivers are increasingly recognized as critical for meeting the needs of individuals with chronic diseases associated with aging. This study examined race and gender differences in perceived informal caregiver availability for participants aged 45 and older in a large national epidemiological study. Design and Methods:…

Gender Differences in Processing Speed: A Review of Recent Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roivainen, Eka

2011-01-01

A review of recent large-scale studies on gender differences in processing speed and on the cognitive factors assumed to affect processing speed was performed. It was found that females have an advantage in processing speed tasks involving digits and alphabets as well as in rapid naming tasks while males are faster on reaction time tests and…

Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in School Discipline among U.S. High School Students: 1991-2005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, John M., Jr.; Goodkind, Sara; Wallace, Cynthia M.; Bachman, Jerald G.

2008-01-01

Large nationally representative samples of White, Black, Hispanic, Asian American, and American Indian students were used in this study to examine current patterns and recent trends in racial, ethnic, and gender differences in school discipline from 1991 to 2005. Findings revealed that Black, Hispanic, and American Indian youth are slightly more…

Gender Differences in the Use of Laptops in Higher Education: A Formative Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Robin H.; Lauricella, Sharon

2011-01-01

Over the past 18 years, a number of large scale reviews of the literature have documented that gender differences in computer attitudes, ability, and use tend to favor males. Since the use of laptops in higher education classrooms is increasing, it is important to examine whether this use is disproportionally advantageous to males and…

Mechanisms of gender-related outcome differences after carotid endarterectomy.

PubMed

den Hartog, Anne G; Algra, Ale; Moll, Frans L; de Borst, Gert J

2010-10-01

Large randomized trials have confirmed a difference in outcome after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) between men and women. In this review, we aimed to provide an overview of the gender-specific characteristics causing these perioperative and long-term outcome differences between men and women after CEA. A systematic search strategy with the synonyms of 'gender' and 'carotid endarterectomy' was conducted from PubMed and EMBASE databases. Only 11 relevant studies specifically discussing gender-specific related characteristics and their influence on outcome after CEA could be identified. Due to the limited number of included studies, pooling of findings was impossible, and results are presented in a descriptive manner. Each included study described only one possible gender-specific factor. Differences in carotid artery diameter, sex hormones, sensitivity for antiplatelet therapy, plaque morphology, occurrence of microembolic signals, and restenosis rate have all been suggested as gender-specific characteristics influencing outcome after CEA. Higher embolic potential in women and relatively stable female plaque morphology are the best-described factors influencing the difference in outcomes between men and women. However, the overall evidence for outcome differences by gender-specific characteristics in the literature is limited. Copyright © 2010 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Hospital CEO Compensation: A National Investigation of Not-for-Profit Hospitals.

PubMed

Song, Paula H; Lee, Shoou-Yih Daniel; Toth, Matthew; Singh, Simone R; Young, Gary J

2018-01-01

Gender pay equity is a desirable social value and an important strategy to fill every organizational stratum with gender-diverse talent to fulfill an organization's goals and mission. This study used national, large-sample data to examine gender difference in CEO compensation among not-for-profit hospitals. Results showed the average unadjusted annual compensation for female CEOs in 2009 was $425,085 compared with $581,121 for male CEOs. With few exceptions, the difference existed across all types of not-for-profit hospitals. After controlling for hospital- and area-level characteristics, female CEOs of not-for-profit hospitals earned 22.6% less than male CEOs of not-for-profit hospitals. This translates into an earnings differential of $132,652 associated with gender. Explanations and implications of the results are discussed.

[The foundation of "feminine" and "masculine". Useful theories for the training of future physicians concerning the importance of gender].

PubMed

Risberg, G

2000-11-15

A gender perspective on health and consultation is part of medical education today. Teaching about gender must not focus on differences between men and women as essential, biological, and unchangeable. The meaning of "feminine" and "masculine" is largely a social construction, i.e. the behavior and character of an individual are seldom determined by sex. Furthermore, women and men live under different conditions and have different positions in society. Medical students need to be aware of this and reflect upon the influence it may have on their professional role and practice. To achieve this awareness, knowledge about the construction of gender is needed. This article reviews relevant research in this field. The gender of the physician is used as a basis and illustration of this.

What will I be when I grow up? The impact of gender identity threat on adolescents' occupational preferences.

PubMed

Sinclair, Samantha; Carlsson, Rickard

2013-06-01

The present study examined the impact of gender identity threat on adolescents' occupational preferences. Two hundred and ninety-seven adolescents (45% girls, M age = 14.4, SD = .54) participated in the experiment. There were substantial differences between boys' and girls' occupational preferences. Importantly, adolescents who received a threat to their gender identity became more stereotypical in job preferences, suggesting a causal link between threatened gender identity and stereotypical preferences. A comparison threat to one's capability did not have this effect, indicating a unique effect of gender identity threat. Further, individual differences in gender identity concerns predicted gender stereotypical preferences, and this finding was replicated with an independent sample (N = 242). In conclusion, the results suggest that threats to adolescents' gender identity may contribute to the large gender segregation on the labor market. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Gender Color-Coding on Toddlers' Gender-Typical Toy Play.

PubMed

Wong, Wang I; Hines, Melissa

2015-07-01

Gender color-coding of children's toys may make certain toys more appealing or less appealing to a given gender. We observed toddlers playing with two gender-typical toys (a train, a doll), once in gender-typical colors and once in gender-atypical colors. Assessments occurred twice, at 20-40 months of age and at 26-47 months of age. A Sex × Time × Toy × Color ANOVA showed expected interactions between Sex and Toy and Sex and Color. Boys played more with the train than girls did and girls played more with the doll and with pink toys than boys did. The Sex × Toy × Color interaction was not significant, but, at both time points, boys and girls combined played more with the gender-atypical toy when its color was typical for their sex than when it was not. This effect appeared to be caused largely by boys' preference for, or avoidance of, the doll and by the use of pink. Also, at both time points, gender differences in toy preferences were larger in the gender-typical than in the gender-atypical color condition. At Time 2, these gender differences were present only in the gender-typical color condition. Overall, the results suggest that, once acquired, gender-typical color preferences begin to influence toy preferences, especially those for gender-atypical toys and particularly in boys. They thus could enlarge differences between boys' and girls' toy preferences. Because boys' and girls' toys elicit different activities, removing the gender color-coding of toys could encourage more equal learning opportunities.

Sexual orientation and childhood gender nonconformity: evidence from home videos.

PubMed

Rieger, Gerulf; Linsenmeier, Joan A W; Gygax, Lorenz; Bailey, J Michael

2008-01-01

Homosexual adults tend to be more gender nonconforming than heterosexual adults in some of their behaviors, feelings, and interests. Retrospective studies have also shown large differences in childhood gender nonconformity, but these studies have been criticized for possible memory biases. The authors studied an indicator of childhood gender nonconformity not subject to such biases: childhood home videos. They recruited homosexual and heterosexual men and women (targets) with videos from their childhood and subsequently asked heterosexual and homosexual raters to judge the gender nonconformity of the targets from both the childhood videos and adult videos made for the study. Prehomosexual children were judged more gender nonconforming, on average, than preheterosexual children, and this pattern obtained for both men and women. This difference emerged early, carried into adulthood, and was consistent with self-report. In addition, targets who were more gender nonconforming tended to recall more childhood rejection. Copyright (c) 2008 APA.

New Trends in Gender and Mathematics Performance: A Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Lindberg, Sara M.; Hyde, Janet Shibley; Petersen, Jennifer L.; Linn, Marcia C.

2010-01-01

In this paper, we use meta-analysis to analyze gender differences in recent studies of mathematics performance. First, we meta-analyzed data from 242 studies published between 1990 and 2007, representing the testing of 1,286,350 people. Overall, d = .05, indicating no gender difference, and VR = 1.08, indicating nearly equal male and female variances. Second, we analyzed data from large data sets based on probability sampling of U.S. adolescents over the past 20 years: the NLSY, NELS88, LSAY, and NAEP. Effect sizes for the gender difference ranged between −0.15 and +0.22. Variance ratios ranged from 0.88 to 1.34. Taken together these findings support the view that males and females perform similarly in mathematics. PMID:21038941

Gender similarities and differences in brain activation strategies: Voxel-based meta-analysis on fMRI studies.

PubMed

AlRyalat, Saif Aldeen

2017-01-01

Gender similarities and differences have long been a matter of debate in almost all human research, especially upon reaching the discussion about brain functions. This large scale meta-analysis was performed on functional MRI studies. It included more than 700 active brain foci from more than 70 different experiments to study gender related similarities and differences in brain activation strategies for three of the main brain functions: Visual-spatial cognition, memory, and emotion. Areas that are significantly activated by both genders (i.e. core areas) for the tested brain function are mentioned, whereas those areas significantly activated exclusively in one gender are the gender specific areas. During visual-spatial cognition task, and in addition to the core areas, males significantly activated their left superior frontal gyrus, compared with left superior parietal lobule in females. For memory tasks, several different brain areas activated by each gender, but females significantly activated two areas from the limbic system during memory retrieval tasks. For emotional task, males tend to recruit their bilateral prefrontal regions, whereas females tend to recruit their bilateral amygdalae. This meta-analysis provides an overview based on functional MRI studies on how males and females use their brain.

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.

Evolution of division of labor: emergence of different activities among group members.

PubMed

Nakahashi, Wataru; Feldman, Marcus W

2014-05-07

The division of labor is an important component of the organization of human society. However, why this division evolved in hominids requires further investigation. Archeological evidence suggests that it appeared after the emergence of Homo sapiens and contributed to the great success of our species. We develop a mathematical model to investigate under what conditions division of labor should evolve. We assume two types of resources the acquisition of which demands different skills, and study the evolution of the strategy that an individual should use to divide its lifetime into learning and using each skill. We show that division of labor likely evolves when group size is large, skill learning is important for acquiring resources, and there is food sharing within a group. We also investigate division of labor by gender under the assumption that the genders have different efficiencies in acquiring each resource. We show that division of labor by gender likely evolves when skill learning is important and the difference in efficiencies between genders in acquiring resources is large. We discuss how the results of our analysis might apply to the evolution of division of labor in hominids. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

The Trouble with Boys: Social Influences and the Gender Gap in Disruptive Behavior. NBER Working Paper No. 17541

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertrand, Marianne; Pan, Jessica

2011-01-01

This paper explores the importance of the home and school environments in explaining the gender gap in disruptive behavior. We document large differences in the gender gap across key features of the home environment--boys do especially poorly in broken families. In contrast, we find little impact of the early school environment on non-cognitive…

Gender differences in depression severity and symptoms across depressive sub-types.

PubMed

Parker, Gordon; Fletcher, Kathryn; Paterson, Amelia; Anderson, Josephine; Hong, Michael

2014-01-01

Lifetime rates of depression are distinctly higher in women reflecting both real and artefactual influences. Most prevalence studies quantifying a female preponderance have examined severity-based diagnostic groups such as major depression or dysthymia. We examined gender differences across three depressive sub-type conditions using four differing measures to determine whether any gender differences emerge more from severity or symptom prevalence, reflect nuances of the particular measure, or whether depressive sub-type is influential. A large clinical sample was recruited. Patients completed two severity-weighted depression measures: the Depression in the Medically Ill 10 (DMI-10) and Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms-Self-Report (QIDS-SR) and two measures weighting symptoms and illness correlates of melancholic and non-melancholic depressive disorders - the Severity of Depressive Symptoms (SDS) and Sydney Melancholia Prototype Index (SMPI). Analyses were undertaken of three diagnostic groups comprising those with unipolar melancholic, unipolar non-melancholic and bipolar depressive conditions. Women in the two unipolar groups scored only marginally (and non-significantly) higher than men on the depression severity measures. Women in the bipolar depression group, did however, score significantly higher than men on depression severity. On measures weighted to assessing melancholic and non-melancholic symptoms, there were relatively few gender differences identified in the melancholic and non-melancholic sub-sets, while more gender differences were quantified in the bipolar sub-set. The symptoms most commonly and consistently differentiating by gender were those assessing appetite/weight change and psychomotor disturbance. Our analyses of several measures and the minimal differentiation of depressive symptoms and symptom severity argues against any female preponderance in unipolar depression being contributed to distinctly by these depression rating measures. Our analyses indicated that gender had minimal if any impact on depression severity estimates. Gender differences in depressive symptoms and severity were more distinctive in bipolar patients, a finding seemingly not previously identified or reported. The study had considerable power reflecting large sample sizes and thus risks assigning significant differences where none truly exist, although we repeated analyses after controlling for the type I error rate. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Early preschool environments and gender: Effects of gender pedagogy in Sweden.

PubMed

Shutts, Kristin; Kenward, Ben; Falk, Helena; Ivegran, Anna; Fawcett, Christine

2017-10-01

To test how early social environments affect children's consideration of gender, 3- to 6-year-old children (N=80) enrolled in gender-neutral or typical preschool programs in the central district of a large Swedish city completed measures designed to assess their gender-based social preferences, stereotypes, and automatic encoding. Compared with children in typical preschools, a greater proportion of children in the gender-neutral school were interested in playing with unfamiliar other-gender children. In addition, children attending the gender-neutral preschool scored lower on a gender stereotyping measure than children attending typical preschools. Children at the gender-neutral school, however, were not less likely to automatically encode others' gender. The findings suggest that gender-neutral pedagogy has moderate effects on how children think and feel about people of different genders but might not affect children's tendency to spontaneously notice gender. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Unisex Math: Narrowing the Gender Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tapia, Martha; Marsh, George E., II

This study examined gender differences in attitudes toward mathematics of undergraduate students. The Attitudes Toward Mathematics Instrument (ATMI) was administered to students enrolled in introductory mathematics classes (Pre-Calculus, Calculus, and Business Calculus) at two Southeast universities, one a large state university and the other one…

Gender minority social stress in adolescence: disparities in adolescent bullying and substance use by gender identity.

PubMed

Reisner, Sari L; Greytak, Emily A; Parsons, Jeffrey T; Ybarra, Michele L

2015-01-01

Bullying and substance use represent serious public health issues facing adolescents in the United States. Few large-sample national studies have examined differences in these indicators by gender identity. The Teen Health and Technology Study (N = 5,542) sampled adolescents ages 13 to 18 years old online. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models investigated disparities in substance use and tested a gender minority social stress hypothesis, comparing gender minority youth (i.e., who are transgender/gender nonconforming and have a gender different from their sex assigned at birth) and cisgender (i.e., whose gender identity or expression matches theirs assigned at birth). Overall, 11.5% of youth self-identified as gender minority. Gender minority youth had increased odds of past-12-month alcohol use, marijuana use, and nonmarijuana illicit drug use. Gender minority youth disproportionately experienced bullying and harassment in the past 12 months, and this victimization was associated with increased odds of all substance use indicators. Bullying mediated the elevated odds of substance use for gender minority youth compared to cisgender adolescents. Findings support the use of gender minority stress perspectives in designing early interventions aimed at addressing the negative health sequelae of bullying and harassment.

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.

Commentary: deconstructing gender difference.

PubMed

Carnes, Molly

2010-04-01

In Japan, as in the United States, a growing proportion of physicians are women. Hence, the different social roles that men and women occupy and the gendered norms for behavior are increasingly relevant in ensuring that male and female physicians have equal opportunity to participate and advance in all aspects of medicine. Elsewhere in this issue, Nomura and colleagues report on a large survey of primary care residents in Japan. They found that on average women's self-rated confidence on many clinical tasks was lower than men's. This is not surprising given similar gender differences in self-assessed competence in other research and the socialization of women in virtually all cultures to be modest. The actual differences in average scores were small suggesting considerable overlap in the distributions of responses from male and female residents. In addition, research from other countries finds no association between physicians' self-reported confidence in clinical tasks and objective measures of competence on which female physicians rate at or above the level of their male counterparts. Congruent with different social roles for men and women, Nomura and colleagues also found gender differences in the average responses about work-family priorities and aspirations toward leadership, but some women indicated a desire for research careers and some men were "life-oriented." The author of this commentary argues that to draw conclusions about all male or all female physicians from average differences of a large group of residents may reinforce gender stereotypes that continue to impede each individual female physician's career advancement and each individual male physician's struggle for work-life balance.

Gender Differences in Determinants and Consequences of Health and Illness

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

This paper uses a framework developed for gender and tropical diseases for the analysis of non-communicable diseases and conditions in developing and industrialized countries. The framework illustrates that gender interacts with the social, economic and biological determinants and consequences of tropical diseases to create different health outcomes for males and females. Whereas the framework was previously limited to developing countries where tropical infectious diseases are more prevalent, the present paper demonstrates that gender has an important effect on the determinants and consequences of health and illness in industrialized countries as well. This paper reviews a large number of studies on the interaction between gender and the determinants and consequences of chronic diseases and shows how these interactions result in different approaches to prevention, treatment, and coping with illness. Specific examples of chronic diseases are discussed in each section with respect to both developing and industrialized countries. PMID:17615903

Gender differences in determinants and consequences of health and illness.

PubMed

Vlassoff, Carol

2007-03-01

This paper uses a framework developed for gender and tropical diseases for the analysis of non-communicable diseases and conditions in developing and industrialized countries. The framework illustrates that gender interacts with the social, economic and biological determinants and consequences of tropical diseases to create different health outcomes for males and females. Whereas the framework was previously limited to developing countries where tropical infectious diseases are more prevalent, the present paper demonstrates that gender has an important effect on the determinants and consequences of health and illness in industrialized countries as well. This paper reviews a large number of studies on the interaction between gender and the determinants and consequences of chronic diseases and shows how these interactions result in different approaches to prevention, treatment, and coping with illness. Specific examples of chronic diseases are discussed in each section with respect to both developing and industrialized countries.

The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same? Examining Gender Equality in Prior Achievement and Entry into STEM College Majors over Time.

PubMed

Riegle-Crumb, Catherine; King, Barbara; Grodsky, Eric; Muller, Chandra

2012-12-01

This article investigates the empirical basis for often-repeated arguments that gender differences in entrance into STEM majors are largely explained by disparities in prior achievement. Analyses use data from three national cohorts of college matriculates across three decades to consider differences across several indicators of high school math and science achievement at the mean and also at the top of the test distribution. Analyses also examine the different comparative advantages men and women enjoy in math/science vs. English/reading. Regardless of how prior achievement is measured, very little of the strong and persistent gender gap in physical science and engineering majors over time is explained. Findings highlight the limitations of theories focusing on gender differences in skills and suggest directions for future research.

All STEM fields are not created equal: People and things interests explain gender disparities across STEM fields

PubMed Central

Su, Rong; Rounds, James

2015-01-01

The degree of women's underrepresentation varies by STEM fields. Women are now overrepresented in social sciences, yet only constitute a fraction of the engineering workforce. In the current study, we investigated the gender differences in interests as an explanation for the differential distribution of women across sub-disciplines of STEM as well as the overall underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. Specifically, we meta-analytically reviewed norm data on basic interests from 52 samples in 33 interest inventories published between 1964 and 2007, with a total of 209,810 male and 223,268 female respondents. We found gender differences in interests to vary largely by STEM field, with the largest gender differences in interests favoring men observed in engineering disciplines (d = 0.83–1.21), and in contrast, gender differences in interests favoring women in social sciences and medical services (d = −0.33 and −0.40, respectively). Importantly, the gender composition (percentages of women) in STEM fields reflects these gender differences in interests. The patterns of gender differences in interests and the actual gender composition in STEM fields were explained by the people-orientation and things-orientation of work environments, and were not associated with the level of quantitative ability required. These findings suggest potential interventions targeting interests in STEM education to facilitate individuals' ability and career development and strategies to reform work environments to better attract and retain women in STEM occupations. PMID:25762964

All STEM fields are not created equal: People and things interests explain gender disparities across STEM fields.

PubMed

Su, Rong; Rounds, James

2015-01-01

The degree of women's underrepresentation varies by STEM fields. Women are now overrepresented in social sciences, yet only constitute a fraction of the engineering workforce. In the current study, we investigated the gender differences in interests as an explanation for the differential distribution of women across sub-disciplines of STEM as well as the overall underrepresentation of women in STEM fields. Specifically, we meta-analytically reviewed norm data on basic interests from 52 samples in 33 interest inventories published between 1964 and 2007, with a total of 209,810 male and 223,268 female respondents. We found gender differences in interests to vary largely by STEM field, with the largest gender differences in interests favoring men observed in engineering disciplines (d = 0.83-1.21), and in contrast, gender differences in interests favoring women in social sciences and medical services (d = -0.33 and -0.40, respectively). Importantly, the gender composition (percentages of women) in STEM fields reflects these gender differences in interests. The patterns of gender differences in interests and the actual gender composition in STEM fields were explained by the people-orientation and things-orientation of work environments, and were not associated with the level of quantitative ability required. These findings suggest potential interventions targeting interests in STEM education to facilitate individuals' ability and career development and strategies to reform work environments to better attract and retain women in STEM occupations.

Gender Differences in Second Language Motivation: An Investigation of Micro- and Macro-Level Influences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kissau, Scott

2006-01-01

The present article is part of a large-scale study conducted in Ontario that investigated gender differences in motivation to learn French. However, for this particular article second language (L2) motivation theory is the primary focus. Over the past 30 years of research, the study of L2 motivation has evolved. There appears to be a definite…

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.

Gender differences in patenting in the academic life sciences.

PubMed

Ding, Waverly W; Murray, Fiona; Stuart, Toby E

2006-08-04

We analyzed longitudinal data on academic careers and conducted interviews with faculty members to determine the scope and causes of the gender gap in patenting among life scientists. Our regressions on a random sample of 4227 life scientists over a 30-year period show that women faculty members patent at about 40% of the rate of men. We found that the gender gap has improved over time but remains large.

The mobility gap between older men and women: the embodiment of gender.

PubMed

Zunzunegui, M V; Alvarado, B E; Guerra, R; Gómez, J F; Ylli, A; Guralnik, J M

2015-01-01

To present the study design and baseline results of the longitudinal International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) on gender differences in physical performance and mobility disability prevalence in five diverse societies. Data are from surveys on random samples of people aged 65-74 years at Canadian (Kingston, Ontario; Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec), Mediterranean (Tirana, Albania) and Latin American sites (Natal, Brazil; Manizales, Colombia) (N=1995). Mobility disability was defined as reporting difficulty in walking 400m or climbing stairs. Activities of daily living (ADL) disability was based on any self-reported difficulty in five mobility-related ADLs. The short physical performance battery (SPPB) was used to assess physical performance. Poisson regression models were fitted to estimate prevalence ratios. Age-adjusted prevalence of low SPPB, mobility disability and ADL disability were higher in women than in men in all sites except for Kingston. After adjustment for education and income, gender differences in SPPB and ADL disability attenuated or disappeared in Saint-Hyacinthe and Manizales but remained large in Tirana and Natal and mobility disability remained more frequent in women than in men at all sites except Kingston. After further adjustment by chronic conditions and depressive symptoms, gender differences in mobility remained large at all sites except Kingston but only in Tirana did women have significantly poorer physical performance than men. Results provide evidence for gender as a risk factor to explain poorer physical function in women and suggest that moving toward gender equality could attenuate the gender gap in physical function in old age. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender and cultural differences in the association between family roles, social stratification, and alcohol use: a European cross-cultural analysis.

PubMed

Kuntsche, Sandra; Gmel, Gerhard; Knibbe, Ronald A; Kuendig, Hervé; Bloomfield, Kim; Kramer, Stephanie; Grittner, Ulrike

2006-01-01

First, this paper investigates (i) gender differences in associations of social stratification, family roles, and heavy drinking, and (ii) country differences in these associations. Second, it seeks to explain country differences in the associations of social stratification and family roles with alcohol consumption by societal level variables. Survey data of 25 to 49-years-old from eight European countries were used. Logistic regressions were used to analyse gender differences in the association between family roles (marriage, having children), social stratification (education, employment), and heavy drinking (>20 g/day for women; 30 g/day for men). Gender differences were tested by means of interactions between gender and social stratification/family roles. Structural measures of work desirability, social welfare, and gender equity were used to explain differences in associations across countries. The associations between social stratification, family roles, and heavy drinking varied across gender and countries. A country's social welfare system was associated with heavy drinking only among women. Women in countries with a strong social welfare system, such as Nordic countries, tended to drink more heavily if employed, having lower formal education, and a non-traditional family role. In countries with weak social welfare systems or work desirability, heavy drinking was associated with high education, while effects of family roles and employment were small. It appeared that the social welfare system and gender equity of a country determines to a large extent how education, employment, and family roles are associated with heavy drinking.

Attitudes to Gender Equality Issues in British and German Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pritchard, Rosalind M. O.

2010-01-01

This paper explores a range of perceived similarities and differences between male and female academics in the context of contemporary European Union "gender mainstreaming" policy. It concentrates upon the higher education systems of Germany and the United Kingdom, and is based upon questionnaire responses. A large majority of…

Gendered Responses to Online Homework Use in General Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards-Babb, Michelle; Jackson, Jennifer Kasi

2011-01-01

Online homework assignments have been shown to enhance student performance. Our research on gendered responses to these assignments adds new and useful information. We investigated differences between male and female students' responses to online homework in large-enrollment general chemistry courses. Replacing in class quizzes with online…

Gendered Perspectives about Water Risks and Policy Strategies: A Tripartite Conceptual Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larson, Kelli L.; Ibes, Dorothy C.; White, Dave D.

2011-01-01

Previous research has examined gendered perspectives on a variety of environmental risks. Mixed results complicate the ability to make generalizations about human-ecological judgments, largely because of the use of inconsistent conceptual and methodological approaches in previous work. Following the tripartite model, we examine differences between…

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.

Gender Minority Social Stress in Adolescence: Disparities in Adolescent Bullying and Substance Use by Gender Identity

PubMed Central

Reisner, Sari L.; Greytak, Emily A.; Parsons, Jeffrey T.; Ybarra, Michele

2014-01-01

Bullying and substance use represent serious public health issues facing adolescents in the U.S. Few large-sample national studies have examined differences in these indicators by gender identity. The Teen Health and Technology Study (N=5,542) sampled adolescents 13–18 years-old online. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models investigated disparities in substance use and tested a gender minority social stress hypothesis, comparing gender minority youth (i.e., who are transgender/gender nonconforming and have a gender different from their sex assigned at birth) and cisgender (i.e., whose gender identity or expression matches one’s sex assigned at birth). Overall, 11.5% of youth self-identified as gender minority. Gender minority youth had increased odds of past-12 month alcohol use, marijuana use, and non-marijuana illicit drug use. Gender minority youth disproportionately experienced bullying and harassment in the past 12 months, and this victimization was associated with increased odds of all substance use indicators. Bullying mediated the elevated odds of substance use for gender minority youth compared to cisgender adolescents. Findings support the use of gender minority stress perspectives in designing early interventions aimed at addressing the negative health sequelae of bullying and harassment. PMID:24742006

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.

Gender aspects in heart failure. Pathophysiology and medical therapy.

PubMed

Regitz-Zagrosek, V; Lehmkuhl, E; Lehmkuhl, H B; Hetzer, R

2004-09-01

Gender differences in the syndrome of heart failure (HF) occur in etiology and pathophysiology and lead to differences in the clinical presentation and course of the syndrome. In addition, gender specific treatment responses and gender associated differences in the behavior of treating physicians are found. Hypertension and diabetes play a major role as causes of HF in women and both interact in their pathophysiology with the renin angiotensin system (RAS). Modulation of the RAS by estrogens explains specific differences between pre- and post-menopausal women and men. Myocardial growth processes and myocardial calcium handling are differentially regulated in female and male myocytes. Myocardial remodeling with age and as a consequence of mechanical load differs in women and men. For yet unknown reasons, HF with preserved systolic function seems to be more frequent in women than in men and the clinical course of systolic HF is different in both genders. Medical therapy in heart failure has usually not been specified according to gender and gender specific analysis has been neglected in most large survival trials. Only a post-hoc analysis of gender differences led to the recognition of increased mortality with digitalis therapy in women. Single studies on angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or beta-receptor blockers did not reach significant end points in women whereas meta-analyses showed overall positive effects. Side effects of ACEI are more common and pharmacokinetics of beta-blockers are different in women. Angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) are equally well tolerated in women and men. RAS inhibition may be particularly advantageous in postmenopausal women in whom the natural modulation of the RAS by estrogens is lost.

Can gender difference in prescription drug use be explained by gender-related morbidity?: a study on a Swedish population during 2006.

PubMed

Skoog, Jessica; Midlöv, Patrik; Borgquist, Lars; Sundquist, Jan; Halling, Anders

2014-04-08

It has been reported that there is a difference in drug prescription between males and females. Even after adjustment for multi-morbidity, females tend to use more prescription drugs compared to males. In this study, we wanted to analyse whether the gender difference in drug treatment could be explained by gender-related morbidity. Data was collected on all individuals 20 years and older in the county of Östergötland in Sweden. The Johns Hopkins ACG Case-Mix System was used to calculate individual level of multi-morbidity. A report from the Swedish National Institute of Public Health using the WHO term DALY was the basis for gender-related morbidity. Prescription drugs used to treat diseases that mainly affect females were excluded from the analyses. The odds of having prescription drugs for males, compared to females, increased from 0.45 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.46) to 0.82 (95% CI 0.81-0.83) after exclusion of prescription drugs that are used to treat diseases that mainly affect females. Gender-related morbidity and the use of anti-conception drugs may explain a large part of the difference in prescription drug use between males and females but still there remains a difference between the genders at 18%. This implicates that it is of importance to take the gender-related morbidity into consideration, and to exclude anti-conception drugs, when performing studies regarding difference in drug use between the genders.

Gender similarities in somatic depression and in DSM depression secondary symptom profiles within the context of severity and bereavement.

PubMed

Thompson, Angus H; Bland, Roger C

2018-02-01

Most population studies report higher rates of depression among women than men, and some researchers have observed gender differences in depression symptoms overall, or in sub-groupings (e.g. somatic depression). However, gender symptom differences have been inconsistent, prompting this investigation of gender differences in secondary DSM symptom profiles in the context of bereavement status, age, and depression severity. Individuals with symptoms of core depression (flat affect or anhedonia) were selected from a large survey of adults in the Alberta, Canada workforce. Analyses involved the comparison of gender profiles across the seven DSM-IV secondary depressive symptoms plus a MANOVA of sex, bereavement, and age, with secondary symptoms comprising the dependent variable. Gender profiles were very similar, irrespective of depression severity or bereavement. Secondary symptoms were marginally more common among women and more frequent among bereaved young adults, but there was no evidence for a gender-related somatic factor. First, data were gathered only for persons in the workforce and thus may not be generalizable to, for example, stay-at-home parents or those with employment issues. Second, the focus here is restricted to DSM symptoms, leaving risk factors, social roles, and brain functioning for separate investigation. Third, inferences were drawn from associations between groups of persons, rather than between individuals, requiring caution when speculating about individual attributes. Gender differences in depression represent a difference in amount, not kind, suggesting that the range of depressive experiences is similar for men and women. There was no gender difference ascribable to somatic depression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gendered academic adjustment among Asian American adolescents in an emerging immigrant community.

PubMed

Kiang, Lisa; Supple, Andrew J; Stein, Gabriela L; Gonzalez, Laura M

2012-03-01

Research on the academic adjustment of immigrant adolescents has been predominately conducted in large cities among established migration areas. To broaden the field's restricted focus, data from 172 (58% female) Asian American adolescents who reside within a non-traditional or emerging immigrant community in the Southeastern US were used to examine gender differences in academic adjustment as well as school, family, and cultural variables as potential mediators of gender differences found. Results suggest that girls report significantly higher educational goals, intrinsic academic motivation, and utility value of school compared to boys. These gender differences are statistically mediated by ethnic exploration and family processes, most prominently, family respect. School connectedness and perceived discrimination are also associated with academic adjustment at the bivariate level, suggesting that academic success may be best promoted if multiple domains of influence can be targeted.

Gender differences in extreme mathematical achievement: an international perspective on biological and social factors.

PubMed

Penner, Andrew M

2008-01-01

Genetic and other biological explanations have reemerged in recent scholarship on the underrepresentation of women in mathematics and the sciences. This study engages this debate by using international data-including math achievement scores from the Third International Mathematics and Sciences Study and country-level data from the World Bank, the United Nations, the International Labour Organization, the World Values Survey, and the International Social Survey Programme-to demonstrate the importance of social factors and to estimate an upper bound for the impact of genetic factors. The author argues that international variation provides a valuable opportunity to present simple and powerful arguments for the continued importance of social factors. In addition, where previous research has, by and large, focused on differences in population means, this work examines gender differences throughout the distribution. The article shows that there is considerable variation in gender differences internationally, a finding not easily explained by strictly biological theories. Modeling the cross-national variation in gender differences with country-level predictors reveals that differences among high achievers are related to gender inequality in the labor market and differences in the overall status of men and women.

Large sexual-orientation-related differences in performance on mental rotation and judgment of line orientation tasks.

PubMed

Rahman, Qazi; Wilson, Glenn D

2003-01-01

This study examined the performance of heterosexual and homosexual men and women on 2 tests of spatial processing, mental rotation (MR) and Benton Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO). The sample comprised 60 heterosexual men, 60 heterosexual women, 60 homosexual men, and 60 homosexual women. There were significant main effects of gender (men achieving higher scores overall) and Gender x Sexual Orientation interactions. Decomposing these interactions revealed large differences between the male groups in favor of heterosexual men on JLO and MR performance. There was a modest difference between the female groups on MR total correct scores in favor of homosexual women but no differences in MR percentage correct. The evidence suggests possible variations in the parietal cortex between homosexual and heterosexual persons.

Gender Differences in Radiation Dose from Nuclear Cardiology Studies Across the World: Findings from the International Atomic Energy Agency Nuclear Cardiology Protocols Study (INCAPS) Registry

PubMed Central

Shi, Lynn; Dorbala, Sharmila; Paez, Diana; Shaw, Leslee J.; Zukotynski, Katherine A.; Pascual, Thomas N. B.; Karthikeyan, Ganesan; Vitola, João V.; Better, Nathan; Bokhari, Nadia; Rehani, Madan M.; Kashyap, Ravi; Dondi, Maurizio; Mercuri, Mathew; Einstein, Andrew J.

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate gender-based differences in nuclear cardiology practice, globally, with particular focus on laboratory volume, radiation dose, protocols, and best practices. BACKGROUND It is unclear if gender-based differences exist in radiation exposure for nuclear cardiology procedures. METHODS In a large multicenter observational cross-sectional study encompassing 7911 patients in 65 countries, radiation effective dose was estimated for each examination. Patient-level best practices relating to radiation exposure were compared between genders. Analysis of covariance was utilized to determine any difference in radiation exposure according to gender, region, and the interaction between gender and region. Linear, logistic, and hierarchical regression models were developed to evaluate gender-based differences in radiation exposure and laboratory adherence to best practices. We also included the United Nations’ gender inequality and human development indices as covariates in multivariable models. RESULTS The proportion of MPI studies performed in women varied between countries, however there was no significant correlation with gender inequality index. Globally, mean effective dose for nuclear cardiology procedures was only slightly lower in women (9.6±4.5 mSv) than in men (10.3±4.5 mSv men, p<0.001), with a difference of only 0.3 mSv in a multivariable model adjusting for patient age and weight. Stress-only imaging was performed more frequently in women (12.5% vs. 8.4%, p<0.001), however camera-based dose-reduction strategies were used less frequently in women (58.6% vs. 65.5%, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Despite significant worldwide variation in best practice use and radiation doses from nuclear cardiology procedures, only small differences were observed between genders worldwide. Regional variations noted in MPI use and radiation dose offer potential opportunities to address gender-related differences in delivery of nuclear cardiology care. PMID:27056156

Migration, Trauma, PTSD: A Gender Study in Morrison's Jazz

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Motlagh, Leila Tafreshi; Yahya, Wan Roselezam Wan

2014-01-01

Toni Morrison is an acknowledged master of trauma literature, however trauma theory and a gender response to trauma remain largely unaccounted for her migration literature, specifically "Jazz" (1992). In her novel, two migrant women are affected by the same trauma, a crime of passion. But they choose different reactions and coping…

Stability and Volatility of STEM Career Interest in High School: A Gender Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sadler, Philip M.; Sonnert, Gerhard; Hazari, Zahra; Tai, Robert

2012-01-01

This retrospective cohort study characterizes how interest in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) careers changes during high school for more than 6,000 students in a representative national sample of 34 two- and four-year colleges taking mandatory college English courses. Overall, large gender differences in career plans were…

Women Favour Dyadic Relationships, but Men Prefer Clubs: Cross-Cultural Evidence from Social Networking

PubMed Central

David-Barrett, Tamas; Rotkirch, Anna; Carney, James; Behncke Izquierdo, Isabel; Krems, Jaimie A.; Townley, Dylan; McDaniell, Elinor; Byrne-Smith, Anna; Dunbar, Robin I. M.

2015-01-01

The ability to create lasting, trust-based friendships makes it possible for humans to form large and coherent groups. The recent literature on the evolution of sociality and on the network dynamics of human societies suggests that large human groups have a layered structure generated by emotionally supported social relationships. There are also gender differences in adult social style which may involve different trade-offs between the quantity and quality of friendships. Although many have suggested that females tend to focus on intimate relations with a few other females, while males build larger, more hierarchical coalitions, the existence of such gender differences is disputed and data from adults is scarce. Here, we present cross-cultural evidence for gender differences in the preference for close friendships. We use a sample of ∼112,000 profile pictures from nine world regions posted on a popular social networking site to show that, in self-selected displays of social relationships, women favour dyadic relations, whereas men favour larger, all-male cliques. These apparently different solutions to quality-quantity trade-offs suggest a universal and fundamental difference in the function of close friendships for the two sexes. PMID:25775258

Women favour dyadic relationships, but men prefer clubs: cross-cultural evidence from social networking.

PubMed

David-Barrett, Tamas; Rotkirch, Anna; Carney, James; Behncke Izquierdo, Isabel; Krems, Jaimie A; Townley, Dylan; McDaniell, Elinor; Byrne-Smith, Anna; Dunbar, Robin I M

2015-01-01

The ability to create lasting, trust-based friendships makes it possible for humans to form large and coherent groups. The recent literature on the evolution of sociality and on the network dynamics of human societies suggests that large human groups have a layered structure generated by emotionally supported social relationships. There are also gender differences in adult social style which may involve different trade-offs between the quantity and quality of friendships. Although many have suggested that females tend to focus on intimate relations with a few other females, while males build larger, more hierarchical coalitions, the existence of such gender differences is disputed and data from adults is scarce. Here, we present cross-cultural evidence for gender differences in the preference for close friendships. We use a sample of ∼112,000 profile pictures from nine world regions posted on a popular social networking site to show that, in self-selected displays of social relationships, women favour dyadic relations, whereas men favour larger, all-male cliques. These apparently different solutions to quality-quantity trade-offs suggest a universal and fundamental difference in the function of close friendships for the two sexes.

Gender, culture, and mathematics performance

PubMed Central

Hyde, Janet S.; Mertz, Janet E.

2009-01-01

Using contemporary data from the U.S. and other nations, we address 3 questions: Do gender differences in mathematics performance exist in the general population? Do gender differences exist among the mathematically talented? Do females exist who possess profound mathematical talent? In regard to the first question, contemporary data indicate that girls in the U.S. have reached parity with boys in mathematics performance, a pattern that is found in some other nations as well. Focusing on the second question, studies find more males than females scoring above the 95th or 99th percentile, but this gender gap has significantly narrowed over time in the U.S. and is not found among some ethnic groups and in some nations. Furthermore, data from several studies indicate that greater male variability with respect to mathematics is not ubiquitous. Rather, its presence correlates with several measures of gender inequality. Thus, it is largely an artifact of changeable sociocultural factors, not immutable, innate biological differences between the sexes. Responding to the third question, we document the existence of females who possess profound mathematical talent. Finally, we review mounting evidence that both the magnitude of mean math gender differences and the frequency of identification of gifted and profoundly gifted females significantly correlate with sociocultural factors, including measures of gender equality across nations. PMID:19487665

Gender, culture, and mathematics performance.

PubMed

Hyde, Janet S; Mertz, Janet E

2009-06-02

Using contemporary data from the U.S. and other nations, we address 3 questions: Do gender differences in mathematics performance exist in the general population? Do gender differences exist among the mathematically talented? Do females exist who possess profound mathematical talent? In regard to the first question, contemporary data indicate that girls in the U.S. have reached parity with boys in mathematics performance, a pattern that is found in some other nations as well. Focusing on the second question, studies find more males than females scoring above the 95th or 99th percentile, but this gender gap has significantly narrowed over time in the U.S. and is not found among some ethnic groups and in some nations. Furthermore, data from several studies indicate that greater male variability with respect to mathematics is not ubiquitous. Rather, its presence correlates with several measures of gender inequality. Thus, it is largely an artifact of changeable sociocultural factors, not immutable, innate biological differences between the sexes. Responding to the third question, we document the existence of females who possess profound mathematical talent. Finally, we review mounting evidence that both the magnitude of mean math gender differences and the frequency of identification of gifted and profoundly gifted females significantly correlate with sociocultural factors, including measures of gender equality across nations.

Gender classification in low-resolution surveillance video: in-depth comparison of random forests and SVMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geelen, Christopher D.; Wijnhoven, Rob G. J.; Dubbelman, Gijs; de With, Peter H. N.

2015-03-01

This research considers gender classification in surveillance environments, typically involving low-resolution images and a large amount of viewpoint variations and occlusions. Gender classification is inherently difficult due to the large intra-class variation and interclass correlation. We have developed a gender classification system, which is successfully evaluated on two novel datasets, which realistically consider the above conditions, typical for surveillance. The system reaches a mean accuracy of up to 90% and approaches our human baseline of 92.6%, proving a high-quality gender classification system. We also present an in-depth discussion of the fundamental differences between SVM and RF classifiers. We conclude that balancing the degree of randomization in any classifier is required for the highest classification accuracy. For our problem, an RF-SVM hybrid classifier exploiting the combination of HSV and LBP features results in the highest classification accuracy of 89.9 0.2%, while classification computation time is negligible compared to the detection time of pedestrians.

Gender Profiles of Behavioral Attention in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

May, Tamara; Cornish, Kim; Rinehart, Nicole J

2016-07-01

The attention profile of girls with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is unclear compared with boys with ASD and typical children. This study aimed to investigate parent-reported ASD and ADHD symptoms in a large sample of boys and girls with and without ASD. A total of 124 normally intelligent children, half of them girls, 64 with autistic disorder or Asperger's disorder, and 60 age- and gender-matched typically developing, aged 7 to 12 years, were recruited. Parents completed questionnaires regarding autistic and ADHD symptoms. No gender differences in social difficulties but more repetitive motor movements, communication difficulties, and inattention were reported in males, regardless of group. Younger boys with ASD had more elevated levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity than younger girls with ASD. Gender differences in autistic symptoms and inattention in ASD reflected gender differences in typical children. More pronounced hyperactivity in younger boys with ASD could contribute to higher rates of clinical referral than girls. © The Author(s) 2012.

The moderating effect of gender on ideal-weight goals and exercise dependence symptoms.

PubMed

Cook, Brian; Hausenblas, Heather; Rossi, James

2013-03-01

Background and aims Exercise dependence is implicated in the development of eating disorders and muscle dysmorphic disorder. Although conceptually these disorders represent similar pathologies they largely affect different genders and result in opposite body composition, appearance, and ideal-weight goals (i.e., to gain or lose/maintain weight). Therefore, understanding individuals' ideal-weight goals related to engaging in exercise while simultaneously examining gender differences in exercise dependence symptoms may help to identify those whom may be most at-risk for eating disorders and muscle dysmorphic disorder. The purpose of our study was to examine the moderating effect of gender for exercise dependence symptoms in relation to weight gain, loss, or maintenance goals. Methods Self-reported exercise behavior and exercise dependence symptoms (i.e., Exercise Dependence Scale) were assessed in 513 undergraduate students. Results Our analysis revealed a moderating effect for gender on ideal-weight goals and a gender difference in exercise dependence symptoms. Specifically, men who were dissatisfied with their current weight reported more exercise dependence symptoms than women. Conclusions These results support a growing body of research and extend our understanding of the relationships among exercise dependence and gender specific body-focused psychiatric disorders.

Gendered education in a gendered world: looking beyond cosmetic solutions to the gender gap in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinnes, Astrid T.; Løken, Marianne

2014-06-01

Young people in countries considered to be at the forefront of gender equity still tend to choose very traditional science subjects and careers. This is particularly the case in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects (STEM), which are largely male dominated. This article uses feminist critiques of science and science education to explore the underlying gendered assumptions of a research project aiming to contribute to improving recruitment, retention and gender equity patterns in STEM educations and careers. Much research has been carried out to understand this gender gap phenomenon as well as to suggest measures to reduce its occurrence. A significant portion of this research has focused on detecting the typical "female" and "male" interest in science and has consequently suggested that adjustments be made to science education to cater for these interests. This article argues that adjusting science subjects to match perceived typical girls' and boys' interests risks being ineffective, as it contributes to the imposition of stereotyped gender identity formation thereby also imposing the gender differences that these adjustments were intended to overcome. This article also argues that different ways of addressing gender issues in science education themselves reflects different notions of gender and science. Thus in order to reduce gender inequities in science these implicit notions of gender and science have to be made explicit. The article begins with an overview of the current situation regarding gender equity in some so- called gender equal countries. We then present three perspectives from feminist critiques of science on how gender can be seen to impact on science and science education. Thereafter we analyze recommendations from a contemporary research project to explore which of these perspectives is most prevalent.

Grammatical gender in German: a case for linguistic relativity?

PubMed

Bender, Andrea; Beller, Sieghard; Klauer, Karl Christoph

2011-09-01

The "principle of linguistic relativity" holds that, by way of grammatical categorization, language affects the conceptual representations of its speakers. Formal gender systems are a case in point, albeit a particularly controversial one: Previous studies obtained broadly diverging data, thus giving rise to conflicting conclusions. To a large extent, this incoherence is related to task differences and methodological problems. Here, a priming design is presented that avoids previous problems, as it prevents participants from employing gender information in a strategic manner. Four experiments with German native speakers show priming effects of the prime's grammatical gender on animate and nonanimate targets, an effect for the prime's biological gender on animate targets, but no effect for the prime's biological gender on nonanimate targets, and thus speak against an effect of language on thought for German gender.

Gender differences amongst adult arsonists at psychiatric assessment.

PubMed

Dickens, Geoff; Sugarman, Philip; Ahmad, Farooq; Edgar, Simon; Hofberg, Kristina; Tewari, Sidharta

2007-07-01

Reports of gender differences amongst arsonists at psychiatric assessment are not uncommon, however some are based on relatively small samples. A new retrospective study highlighting gender differences could help to confirm or refute the current state of knowledge. The aim of the current study was to examine gender differences amongst a sample of 167 adult arsonists (129 males and 38 females). Information was collected from clinical records on sociodemographic, family background and childhood factors; adult adjustment; fire setting history; motives; features of pyromania and other offending, from the case notes of a group of arsonists referred to the West Midlands Psychiatry Service over a 24-year period. Female arsonists were older than males and more likely to have a psychiatric diagnosis. Women more frequently had a history of sexual abuse, while men had a more varied criminal background and more substance abuse problems. Our findings largely support previous research, and are discussed in this context, whilst also bringing attention to a more recently developed theory (Action System Model). Significant gender differences amongst arsonists indicates that different emphases in the treatment of male and female arsonists may be advisable, though a reliable evidence base for treatment has yet to be established.

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.

Nurture affects gender differences in spatial abilities.

PubMed

Hoffman, Moshe; Gneezy, Uri; List, John A

2011-09-06

Women remain significantly underrepresented in the science, engineering, and technology workforce. Some have argued that spatial ability differences, which represent the most persistent gender differences in the cognitive literature, are partly responsible for this gap(.) The underlying forces at work shaping the observed spatial ability differences revolve naturally around the relative roles of nature and nurture. Although these forces remain among the most hotly debated in all of the sciences, the evidence for nurture is tenuous, because it is difficult to compare gender differences among biologically similar groups with distinct nurture. In this study, we use a large-scale incentivized experiment with nearly 1,300 participants to show that the gender gap in spatial abilities, measured by time to solve a puzzle, disappears when we move from a patrilineal society to an adjoining matrilineal society. We also show that about one-third of the effect can be explained by differences in education. Given that none of our participants have experience with puzzle solving and that villagers from both societies have the same means of subsistence and shared genetic background, we argue that these results show the role of nurture in the gender gap in cognitive abilities.

Nurture affects gender differences in spatial abilities

PubMed Central

Hoffman, Moshe; Gneezy, Uri; List, John A.

2011-01-01

Women remain significantly underrepresented in the science, engineering, and technology workforce. Some have argued that spatial ability differences, which represent the most persistent gender differences in the cognitive literature, are partly responsible for this gap. The underlying forces at work shaping the observed spatial ability differences revolve naturally around the relative roles of nature and nurture. Although these forces remain among the most hotly debated in all of the sciences, the evidence for nurture is tenuous, because it is difficult to compare gender differences among biologically similar groups with distinct nurture. In this study, we use a large-scale incentivized experiment with nearly 1,300 participants to show that the gender gap in spatial abilities, measured by time to solve a puzzle, disappears when we move from a patrilineal society to an adjoining matrilineal society. We also show that about one-third of the effect can be explained by differences in education. Given that none of our participants have experience with puzzle solving and that villagers from both societies have the same means of subsistence and shared genetic background, we argue that these results show the role of nurture in the gender gap in cognitive abilities. PMID:21876159

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.

Sex and gender differences in chronic kidney disease: progression to end-stage renal disease and haemodialysis.

PubMed

Cobo, Gabriela; Hecking, Manfred; Port, Friedrich K; Exner, Isabella; Lindholm, Bengt; Stenvinkel, Peter; Carrero, Juan Jesús

2016-07-01

Sex and gender differences are of fundamental importance in most diseases, including chronic kidney disease (CKD). Men and women with CKD differ with regard to the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and its complications, present different symptoms and signs, respond differently to therapy and tolerate/cope with the disease differently. Yet an approach using gender in the prevention and treatment of CKD, implementation of clinical practice guidelines and in research has been largely neglected. The present review highlights some sex- and gender-specific evidence in the field of CKD, starting with a critical appraisal of the lack of inclusion of women in randomized clinical trials in nephrology, and thereafter revisits sex/gender differences in kidney pathophysiology, kidney disease progression, outcomes and management of haemodialysis care. In each case we critically consider whether apparent discrepancies are likely to be explained by biological or psycho-socioeconomic factors. In some cases (a few), these findings have resulted in the discovery of disease pathways and/or therapeutic opportunities for improvement. In most cases, they have been reported as merely anecdotal findings. The aim of the present review is to expose some of the stimulating hypotheses arising from these observations as a preamble for stricter approaches using gender for the prevention and treatment of CKD and its complications. © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

Gender and the transmission of civic engagement: assessing the influences on youth civic activity.

PubMed

Matthews, Todd L; Hempel, Lynn M; Howell, Frank M

2010-01-01

The study of civic activity has become a central focus for many social scientists over the past decade, generating considerable research and debate. Previous studies have largely overlooked the role of youth socialization into civic life, most notably in the settings of home and school. Further, differences along gender lines in civic capacity have not been given sufficient attention in past studies. This study adds to the literature by examining the potential pathways in the development of youth civic activity and potential, utilizing both gender-neutral and gender-specific structural equation modeling of data from the 1996 National Household Education Survey. Results indicate that involvement by parents in their child's schooling plays a crucial, mediating role in the relationship between adult and youth civic activity. Gender differences are minimal; thus adult school involvement is crucial for transmitting civic culture from parents to both female and male youth.

Gender differences in the evolution of illness understanding among patients with advanced cancer

PubMed Central

Fletcher, Kalen; Prigerson, Holly G.; Paulk, Elizabeth; Temel, Jennifer; Finlay, Esme; Marr, Lisa; McCorkle, Ruth; Rivera, Lorna; Munoz, Francisco; Maciejewski, Paul K.

2014-01-01

Background Patient understanding of advanced metastatic disease is central to decisions about care near death. Prior studies have focused on gender differences in communication style rather than on illness understanding. Objectives To evaluate gender differences in terminal illness acknowledgement (TIA), understanding that the disease is incurable and the advanced stage of the disease. To evaluate gender differences in patients’ reports of discussions of life expectancy with oncology providers and its effect on differences in illness understanding. Methods Coping with Cancer 2 patients (N = 68) were interviewed before and after a visit with their oncology providers to discuss scan results. Results At the prescan interview, there were no statistically significant gender differences in patient measures of illness understanding. At the postscan interview, women were more likely than men to recognize that their illness was incurable (Adjusted Odds Ratio, [AOR] = 5.29; P = .038), know that their cancer was at an advanced stage (AOR = 6.38; P = .013), and report having had discussions of life expectancy with their oncologist (AOR = 4.77; P = .021). Controlling discussions of life expectancy, women were more likely than men to report that their cancer was at an advanced stage (AOR = 9.53; P = .050). Controlling for gender, discussions of life expectancy were associated with higher rates of TIA (AOR = 4.65; P = .036) and higher rates of understanding that the cancer was incurable (AOR = 4.09; P = .085). Conclusions Due largely to gender differences in communication, women over time have a better understanding of their illness than men. More frequent discussions of life expectancy should enhance illness understanding and reduce gender differences. PMID:24400392

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

New trends in gender and mathematics performance: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Lindberg, Sara M; Hyde, Janet Shibley; Petersen, Jennifer L; Linn, Marcia C

2010-11-01

In this article, we use meta-analysis to analyze gender differences in recent studies of mathematics performance. First, we meta-analyzed data from 242 studies published between 1990 and 2007, representing the testing of 1,286,350 people. Overall, d = 0.05, indicating no gender difference, and variance ratio = 1.08, indicating nearly equal male and female variances. Second, we analyzed data from large data sets based on probability sampling of U.S. adolescents over the past 20 years: the National Longitudinal Surveys of Youth, the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, and the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Effect sizes for the gender difference ranged between -0.15 and +0.22. Variance ratios ranged from 0.88 to 1.34. Taken together, these findings support the view that males and females perform similarly in mathematics.

Gender Differences in Unilateral Spatial Neglect within 24 Hours of Ischemic Stroke

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleinman, Jonathan T.; Gottesman, Rebecca F.; Davis, Cameron; Newhart, Melissa; Heidler-Gary, Jennifer; Hillis, Argye E.

2008-01-01

Hemispatial neglect is a common and disabling consequence of stroke. Previous reports examining the relationship between gender and the incidence of unilateral spatial neglect (USN) have included either a large numbers of patients with few neglect tests or small numbers of patients with multiple tests. To determine if USN was more common and/or…

Sexual Abuse and Suicidality: Gender Differences in a Large Community Sample of Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Graham; Bergen, Helen A.; Richardson, Angela S.; Roeger, Leigh; Allison, Stephen

2004-01-01

Objective: A cross-sectional study of gender specific relationships between self-reported child sexual abuse and suicidality in a community sample of adolescents. Method: Students aged 14 years on average (N=2,485) from 27 schools in South Australia completed a questionnaire including items on sexual abuse and suicidality, and measures of…

Self-Concept of Students in Higher Education: Are There Differences by Faculty and Gender?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubie-Davies, C. M.; Lee, K.

2013-01-01

Many studies examine student self-concept during compulsory schooling but few have explored the self-concept of students in higher educational settings. The current study examined self-concept by faculty and gender among higher education students in New Zealand. Participants were 929 undergraduate students from a large New Zealand university. The…

The Age Parameters of the Starting Demographic Events across Russian Generations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitrofanova, E. S.

2016-01-01

This article presents comparisons of the ages and facts of starting demographic events in Russia based on the findings of three large-scale surveys: the European Social Survey, 2006; the Generations and Gender Survey, 2004, 2007, and 2011; and Person, Family, Society, 2013. This study focuses on the intergenerational and gender differences in the…

The Persistence of the Gender Gap in Introductory Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2008-10-01

We previously showed[l] that despite teaching with interactive engagement techniques, the gap in performance between males and females on conceptual learning surveys persisted from pre- to posttest, at our institution. Such findings were counter to previously published work[2]. Our current work analyzes factors that may influence the observed gender gap in our courses. Posttest conceptual assessment data are modeled using both multiple regression and logistic regression analyses to estimate the gender gap in posttest scores after controlling for background factors that vary by gender. We find that at our institution the gender gap persists in interactive physics classes, but is largely due to differences in physics and math preparation and incoming attitudes and beliefs.

The Child Play Behavior and Activity Questionnaire: A Parent-Report Measure of Childhood Gender-Related Behavior in China

PubMed Central

Winter, Sam; Xie, Dong

2008-01-01

Boys and girls establish relatively stable gender stereotyped behavior patterns by middle childhood. Parent-report questionnaires measuring children’s gender-related behavior enable researchers to conduct large-scale screenings of community samples of children. For school-aged children, two parent-report instruments, the Child Game Participation Questionnaire (CGPQ) and the Child Behavior and Attitude Questionnaire (CBAQ), have long been used for measuring children’s sex-dimorphic behaviors in Western societies, but few studies have been conducted using these measures for Chinese populations. The current study aimed to empirically examine and modify the two instruments for their applications to Chinese society. Parents of 486 Chinese boys and 417 Chinese girls (6–12 years old) completed a questionnaire comprising items from the CGPQ and CBAQ, and an additional 14 items specifically related to Chinese gender-specific games. Items revealing gender differences in a Chinese sample were identified and used to construct a Child Play Behavior and Activity Questionnaire (CPBAQ). Four new scales were generated through factor analysis: a Gender Scale, a Girl Typicality Scale, a Boy Typicality Scale, and a Cross-Gender Scale (CGS). These scales had satisfactory internal reliabilities and large effect sizes for gender. The CPBAQ is believed to be a promising instrument for measuring children’s gender-related behavior in China. PMID:18719986

Men, women…who cares? A population-based study on sex differences and gender roles in empathy and moral cognition.

PubMed

Baez, Sandra; Flichtentrei, Daniel; Prats, María; Mastandueno, Ricardo; García, Adolfo M; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Ibáñez, Agustín

2017-01-01

Research on sex differences in empathy has revealed mixed findings. Whereas experimental and neuropsychological measures show no consistent sex effect, self-report data consistently indicates greater empathy in women. However, available results mainly come from separate populations with relatively small samples, which may inflate effect sizes and hinder comparability between both empirical corpora. To elucidate the issue, we conducted two large-scale studies. First, we examined whether sex differences emerge in a large population-based sample (n = 10,802) when empathy is measured with an experimental empathy-for-pain paradigm. Moreover, we investigated the relationship between empathy and moral judgment. In the second study, a subsample (n = 334) completed a self-report empathy questionnaire. Results showed some sex differences in the experimental paradigm, but with minuscule effect sizes. Conversely, women did portray themselves as more empathic through self-reports. In addition, utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas were less frequent in women, although these differences also had small effect sizes. These findings suggest that sex differences in empathy are highly driven by the assessment measure. In particular, self-reports may induce biases leading individuals to assume gender-role stereotypes. Awareness of the role of measurement instruments in this field may hone our understanding of the links between empathy, sex differences, and gender roles.

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.

Effect of Meat Price on Race and Gender Disparities in Obesity, Mortality and Quality of Life in the US: A Model-Based Analysis

PubMed Central

Pitt, Allison; Bendavid, Eran

2017-01-01

Introduction There are large differences in the burden and health implications of obesity by race and gender in the US. It is unclear to what extent policies modifying caloric consumption change the distribution of the burden of obesity and related health outcomes. Meat is a large component of the American diet. We investigate how changing meat prices (that may result from policies or from exogenous factors that reduce supply) might impact the burden of obesity by race and gender. Methods We construct a microsimulation model that evaluates the 15-year body-mass index (BMI) and mortality impact of changes in meat price (5, 10, 25, and 50% increase) in the US adult population stratified by age, gender, race, and BMI. Results Under each price change evaluated, relative to the status quo, white males, black males, and black females are expected to realize more dramatic reduction in 2030 obesity prevalence than white females. Life expectancy gains are also projected to differ by subpopulation, with black males far less likely to benefit from an increase in meat prices than other groups. Conclusions Changing meat prices has considerable potential to affect population health differently by race and gender. In designing interventions that alter the price of foods to consumers, it is not sufficient to assess health effects based solely on the population as a whole, since differential effects across subpopulations may be substantial. PMID:28045931

Effect of Meat Price on Race and Gender Disparities in Obesity, Mortality and Quality of Life in the US: A Model-Based Analysis.

PubMed

Pitt, Allison; Bendavid, Eran

2017-01-01

There are large differences in the burden and health implications of obesity by race and gender in the US. It is unclear to what extent policies modifying caloric consumption change the distribution of the burden of obesity and related health outcomes. Meat is a large component of the American diet. We investigate how changing meat prices (that may result from policies or from exogenous factors that reduce supply) might impact the burden of obesity by race and gender. We construct a microsimulation model that evaluates the 15-year body-mass index (BMI) and mortality impact of changes in meat price (5, 10, 25, and 50% increase) in the US adult population stratified by age, gender, race, and BMI. Under each price change evaluated, relative to the status quo, white males, black males, and black females are expected to realize more dramatic reduction in 2030 obesity prevalence than white females. Life expectancy gains are also projected to differ by subpopulation, with black males far less likely to benefit from an increase in meat prices than other groups. Changing meat prices has considerable potential to affect population health differently by race and gender. In designing interventions that alter the price of foods to consumers, it is not sufficient to assess health effects based solely on the population as a whole, since differential effects across subpopulations may be substantial.

Gender differences in research grant applications for pediatric residents.

PubMed

Gordon, Mary Beth; Osganian, Stavroula K; Emans, S Jean; Lovejoy, Frederick H

2009-08-01

Recent studies have reported gender differences in research grant applications and funding outcomes for medical school faculty. Our goal was to determine whether similar patterns exist at the resident level and, if so, to explore possible explanations. We conducted a retrospective review of all applications to an internal, mentored research grant fund at a large academic pediatric residency program from 2003 to 2008. We determined whether gender differences existed for application characteristics and outcomes and defined significant predictors of success. During the 5-year period, the fund supported 42 (66%) of 64 applications. Among all applicants, men were more likely than women to hold an advanced research degree. Men requested more money than women and obtained more favorable application scores. Funding success rates were not statistically different between male and female applicants. Among funded applicants, men received higher awards than women, although the percentage of requests funded was the same. In a multiple regression analysis, advanced degree was the significant independent predictor of successful funding outcome. Controlling for advanced degree attenuated the association between gender and timing of application, type of project, dollars requested, and dollars awarded; however, even after controlling for advanced degree, women had inferior grant scores compared with men. Gender differences existed in research grant applications and funding among pediatric residents that mirrored faculty patterns. Among residents, these differences were explained in part by the correlation of male gender with holding an advanced research degree.

Boys vs. girls: Gender differences in the neural development of trust and reciprocity depend on social context.

PubMed

Lemmers-Jansen, Imke L J; Krabbendam, Lydia; Veltman, Dick J; Fett, Anne-Kathrin J

2017-06-01

Trust and cooperation increase from adolescence to adulthood, but studies on gender differences in this development are rare. We investigated gender and age-related differences in trust and reciprocity and associated neural mechanisms in 43 individuals (16-27 years, 22 male). Participants played two multi-round trust games with a cooperative and an unfair partner. Males showed more basic trust towards unknown others than females. Both genders increased trust during cooperative interactions, with no differences in average trust. Age was unrelated to trust during cooperation. During unfair interactions males decreased their trust more with age than females. ROI analysis showed age-related increases in activation in the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during cooperative investments, and increased age-related caudate activation during both cooperative and unfair repayments. Gender differences in brain activation were only observed during cooperative repayments, with males activating the TPJ more than females, and females activating the caudate more. The findings suggest relatively mature processes of trust and reciprocity in the investigated age range. Gender differences only occur in unfair contexts, becoming more pronounced with age. Largely similar neural activation in males and females and few age effects suggest that similar, mature cognitive strategies are employed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Beyond Pink and Blue: The Complexity of Early Androgen Effects on Gender Development.

PubMed

Berenbaum, Sheri A

2018-03-01

Why do girls and women differ from boys and men? Gender development is typically considered to result from socialization, but sex hormones present during sensitive periods of development, particularly prenatal androgens, play an important role. Data from natural experiments, especially from females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, show the complexity of the effects of androgens on behavior: Prenatal androgens apparently have large effects on interests and engagement in gendered activities; moderate effects on spatial abilities; and relatively small or no effects on gender identity, gender cognitions, and gendered peer involvement. These differential effects provide an opportunity to move beyond identifying sources of variation in behavior to understanding developmental processes. These processes include links among gendered characteristics, psychological and neural mechanisms underlying development, and the joint effects of biological predispositions and social experiences.

Physician gender, patient gender, and primary care.

PubMed

Franks, Peter; Bertakis, Klea D

2003-01-01

Studies of the effects of physician gender on patient care have been limited by selected samples, examining a narrow spectrum of care, or not controlling for important confounders. We sought to examine the role of physician and patient gender across the spectrum of primary care in a nationally representative sample, large enough to examine the role of gender concordance and adjust for confounding variables. We examined the relationships between physician and patient gender using nationally representative samples (the U. S. National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys from 1985 to 1992) of encounters of 41,292 adult patients with 1470 primary care physicians (internists, family physicians, and obstetrician/gynecologists). Factors examined included physician (age, gender, region, rural location), patient (age, gender, race, insurance), and visit characteristics (diagnoses, gender-specific and nonspecific prevention, duration, continuity, and disposition). After multivariate adjustment, female physicians were more likely to see female patients, had longer visit durations, and were more likely to perform female prevention procedures and make some follow-up arrangements and referrals. Female physicians were slightly more likely to check patients blood pressure, but there were no significant differences in other nongender-specific prevention procedures or use of psychiatric diagnoses. Among encounters without breast or pelvic examinations, visit length was not related to physician gender, but length was longer in gender concordant visits than gender-discordant visits. Female physicians were more likely to deliver female prevention procedures, but few other physician gender differences in primary care were observed. Physician-patient gender concordance was a key determinant of encounters.

Gender differences in knee morphology and the prospects for implant design in total knee replacement.

PubMed

Asseln, Malte; Hänisch, Christoph; Schick, Fabian; Radermacher, Klaus

2018-05-14

Morphological differences between female and male knees have been reported in the literature, which led to the development of so-called gender-specific implants. However, detailed morphological descriptions covering the entire joint are rare and little is known regarding whether gender differences are real sexual dimorphisms or can be explained by overall differences in size. We comprehensively analysed knee morphology using 33 features of the femur and 21 features of the tibia to quantify knee shape. The landmark recognition and feature extraction based on three-dimensional surface data were fully automatically applied to 412 pathological (248 female and 164 male) knees undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Subsequently, an exploratory statistical analysis was performed and linear correlation analysis was used to investigate normalization factors and gender-specific differences. Statistically significant differences between genders were observed. These were pronounced for distance measurements and negligible for angular (relative) measurements. Female knees were significantly narrower at the same depth compared to male knees. The correlation analysis showed that linear correlations were higher for distance measurements defined in the same direction. After normalizing the distance features according to overall dimensions in the direction of their definition, gender-specific differences disappeared or were smaller than the related confidence intervals. Implants should not be linearly scaled according to one dimension. Instead, features in medial/lateral and anterior/posterior directions should be normalized separately (non-isotropic scaling). However, large inter-individual variations of the features remain after normalization, suggesting that patient-specific design solutions are required for an improved implant design, regardless of gender. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender-stereotyping and cognitive sex differences in mixed- and same-sex groups.

PubMed

Hirnstein, Marco; Coloma Andrews, Lisa; Hausmann, Markus

2014-11-01

Sex differences in specific cognitive abilities are well documented, but the biological, psychological, and sociocultural interactions that may underlie these differences are largely unknown. We examined within a biopsychosocial approach how gender stereotypes affect cognitive sex differences when adult participants were tested in mixed- or same-sex groups. A total of 136 participants (70 women) were allocated to either mixed- or same-sex groups and completed a battery of sex-sensitive cognitive tests (i.e., mental rotation, verbal fluency, perceptual speed) after gender stereotypes or gender-neutral stereotypes (control) were activated. To study the potential role of testosterone as a mediator for group sex composition and stereotype boost/threat effects, saliva samples were taken before the stereotype manipulation and after cognitive testing. The results showed the typical male and female advantages in mental rotation and verbal fluency, respectively. In general, men and women who were tested in mixed-sex groups and whose gender stereotypes had not been activated performed best. Moreover, a stereotype threat effect emerged in verbal fluency with reduced performance in gender stereotyped men but not women. Testosterone levels did not mediate the effects of group sex composition and stereotype threat nor did we find any relationship between testosterone and cognitive performance in men and women. Taken together, the findings suggest that an interaction of gender stereotyping and group sex composition affects the performance of men and women in sex-sensitive cognitive tasks. Mixed-sex settings can, in fact, increase cognitive performance as long as gender-stereotyping is prevented.

Gender Differences in Radiation Dose From Nuclear Cardiology Studies Across the World: Findings From the INCAPS Registry.

PubMed

Shi, Lynn; Dorbala, Sharmila; Paez, Diana; Shaw, Leslee J; Zukotynski, Katherine A; Pascual, Thomas N B; Karthikeyan, Ganesan; Vitola, João V; Better, Nathan; Bokhari, Nadia; Rehani, Madan M; Kashyap, Ravi; Dondi, Maurizio; Mercuri, Mathew; Einstein, Andrew J

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to investigate gender-based differences in nuclear cardiology practice globally, with a particular focus on laboratory volume, radiation dose, protocols, and best practices. It is unclear whether gender-based differences exist in radiation exposure for nuclear cardiology procedures. In a large, multicenter, observational, cross-sectional study encompassing 7,911 patients in 65 countries, radiation effective dose was estimated for each examination. Patient-level best practices relating to radiation exposure were compared between genders. Analysis of covariance was used to determine any difference in radiation exposure according to gender, region, and the interaction between gender and region. Linear, logistic, and hierarchical regression models were developed to evaluate gender-based differences in radiation exposure and laboratory adherence to best practices. The study also included the United Nations Gender Inequality Index and Human Development Index as covariates in multivariable models. The proportion of myocardial perfusion imaging studies performed in women varied among countries; however, there was no significant correlation with the Gender Inequality Index. Globally, mean effective dose for nuclear cardiology procedures was only slightly lower in women (9.6 ± 4.5 mSv) than in men (10.3 ± 4.5 mSv; p < 0.001), with a difference of only 0.3 mSv in a multivariable model adjusting for patients' age and weight. Stress-only imaging was performed more frequently in women (12.5% vs. 8.4%; p < 0.001); however, camera-based dose reduction strategies were used less frequently in women (58.6% vs. 65.5%; p < 0.001). Despite significant worldwide variation in best practice use and radiation doses from nuclear cardiology procedures, only small differences were observed between genders worldwide. Regional variations noted in myocardial perfusion imaging use and radiation dose offer potential opportunities to address gender-related differences in delivery of nuclear cardiology care. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in alcohol consumption among middle-aged and older adults in Australia, the United States and Korea.

PubMed

French, Davina J; Sargent-Cox, Kerry A; Kim, Sarang; Anstey, Kaarin J

2014-08-01

To compare gender differences in alcohol use and the socioeconomic correlates of at-risk drinking among middle-aged and older adults in Australia, the United States (US) and South Korea. Data were drawn from large nationally representative surveys of people aged 45 years and older, collected in 2006. Rates of any drinking and at-risk drinking (>14 US standard drinks/week) were higher for males than females in all countries and these gender differences were largest in Korea. Socioeconomic differentials for at-risk drinking varied by country and gender. In the US, at-risk drinking was associated with lower educational levels among men, but higher educational levels among women; in Korea, it was associated with being unpartnered, particularly for women; and in Australia, at-risk drinking was associated with higher income. Gender-role expectations differ between countries and may influence both the levels at which older adults consume alcohol and the ways in which at-risk drinking is associated with socioeconomic factors. Heavy alcohol use in middle-aged and older adults is a cause for concern. Health promotion strategies should target older age groups and consider the ways in which gender, marital status and education influence norms and opportunities for risky alcohol use. © 2014 Public Health Association of Australia.

Stroke and myocardial infarction: a comparative systematic evaluation of gender-specific analysis, funding and authorship patterns in cardiovascular research.

PubMed

Oertelt-Prigione, Sabine; Wiedmann, Silke; Endres, Matthias; Nolte, Christian H; Regitz-Zagrosek, Vera; Heuschmann, Peter

2011-01-01

Major gender differences exist in cardiovascular diseases and lead to different outcomes in women and men. However, attention and incorporation of sex-/gender-specific research might vary among disciplines. We therefore conducted a systematic review comparing publication characteristics and trends between stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) with respect to sex- and gender-related aspects. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed to identify gender-/sex-related articles published for stroke and MI between 1977 and 2008. A specifically designed text mining program was used, and all literature was rated by two independent investigators. Publications were classified according to type of research performed, publication year, funding, geographical location, and gender of first and last authors. 962 articles were retrieved and limited to 405 (42%) gender-relevant publications; 131 on stroke and 274 on MI. Type of performed research differed, especially in disease management, which received little attention (17%) in stroke, while representing the major focus in MI (40%). In both areas, clinical presentation received little attention (3 and 5%). Although publications progressively increased in both fields, an 8- to 10-year time gap emerged for stroke compared to MI. Last authors in both areas were predominantly men, but female last authorship is increasing more significantly over time in the field of stroke. Research on sex and gender differences in MI and stroke is largely underfunded, particularly by the EU. The data demonstrate how sex-/gender-specific research differs between specialties, most likely due to the diverse interest, funding opportunities and authorship distributions identified. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

The reverse environmental gender gap in China: evidence from "The China Survey".

PubMed

Shields, Todd; Zeng, Ka

2012-01-01

Objectives This article explores gender differences in attitudes about the seriousness of the environment as a problem in China using the “2008 China Survey.” Methods We use generalized ordered logit models to analyze survey respondents’ environmental attitudes. Results Our results indicate that there is indeed a “gender gap” in environmental attitudes in China, but the pattern is reversed from what has been generally found in previous work conducted in the United States and Europe. Chinese men, not women, show a greater concern about environmental problems and the seriousness of the environmental degradation in China. Further, we find that this gender gap is based largely in the substantial economic and educational differences between men and women in contemporary China. Conclusions This study emphasizes the mediating influence of socioeconomic variables in explaining gender attitudes toward the environment in China. Our findings suggest that in different contexts, women may be faced with difficult decisions between immediate economic necessities and long-term environmental concerns. The observed environmental gender gap in China will likely persist unless further economic development results in improved access to education and economic conditions for Chinese women.

Gender Gaps in Achievement and Participation in Multiple Introductory Biology Classrooms

PubMed Central

Brownell, Sara E.; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2014-01-01

Although gender gaps have been a major concern in male-dominated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines such as physics and engineering, the numerical dominance of female students in biology has supported the assumption that gender disparities do not exist at the undergraduate level in life sciences. Using data from 23 large introductory biology classes for majors, we examine two measures of gender disparity in biology: academic achievement and participation in whole-class discussions. We found that females consistently underperform on exams compared with males with similar overall college grade point averages. In addition, although females on average represent 60% of the students in these courses, their voices make up less than 40% of those heard responding to instructor-posed questions to the class, one of the most common ways of engaging students in large lectures. Based on these data, we propose that, despite numerical dominance of females, gender disparities remain an issue in introductory biology classrooms. For student retention and achievement in biology to be truly merit based, we need to develop strategies to equalize the opportunities for students of different genders to practice the skills they need to excel. PMID:25185231

An Examination of Some of the Cognitive and Motivation Variables Related to Gender Differences in Lecture Note-Taking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reddington, Lindsay A.; Peverly, Stephen T.; Block, Caryn J.

2015-01-01

The primary purpose of this investigation was to explore if gender is related to note-taking in a large undergraduate sample (divided relatively evenly between males and females), and if it is, to examine the cognitive (handwriting speed, working memory, language comprehension) and motivation variables (conscientiousness and goal orientation) that…

Nightlife Violence: A Gender-Specific View on Risk Factors for Violence in Nightlife Settings--A Cross-Sectional Study in Nine European Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schnitzer, Susanne; Bellis, Mark A.; Anderson, Zara; Hughes, Karen; Calafat, Amador; Juan, Montse; Kokkevi, Anna

2010-01-01

Within nightlife settings, youth violence places large burdens on both nightlife users and wider society. Internationally, research has identified risk factors for nightlife violence. However, few empirical studies have assessed differences in risk factors between genders. Here, a pan-European cross-sectional survey of 1,341 nightlife users aged…

Equity Issues in Performance Assessment. Undermining Gender Stereotypes: Examination Performance in the UK at 16.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elwood, Jannette

Since its introduction in 1988 the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), the main public examination for pupils at age 16 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, has become an obvious area in which to investigate gender-related differences in performance. As a complex attainment test, the GCSE is largely made up of a coursework…

Living Conditions of Adults with Intellectual Disabilities from a Gender Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umb-Carlsson, O.; Sonnander, K.

2006-01-01

Background: The role of gender has been a neglected issue in research on intellectual disability (ID). People with ID are generally treated as a homogenous group that are largely categorized by their level of ID. This study compared living conditions of women and men with ID and related the results to similarities and differences among the general…

Diversity in Primary Teacher Education Gender Differences in Student Factors and Curriculum Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geerdink, Gerda; Bergen, Theo; Dekkers, Hetty

2011-01-01

In the Netherlands only a small number of male students opt for primary school teaching and a relatively large percentage of them leave without graduating. A small-scale research project was set up to explore the question: Can gender-specific student factors be identified in relation to the initial teacher education curriculum that leads to the…

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.

Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in School Discipline among U.S. High School Students: 1991-2005.

PubMed

Wallace, John M; Goodkind, Sara; Wallace, Cynthia M; Bachman, Jerald G

2008-01-01

The present study uses large nationally representative samples of White, Black, Hispanic, Asian American, and American Indian students to examine current patterns and recent trends (1991 to 2005) in racial, ethnic, and gender differences in school discipline. We found that Black, Hispanic, and American Indian youth are slightly more likely than White and Asian American youth to be sent to the office and substantially (two to five times) more likely to be suspended or expelled. Although school discipline rates decreased over time for most ethnic groups, among Black students school discipline rates increased between 1991 and 2005. Logistic regression analyses that controlled for racial and ethnic differences in socio-demographic factors suggest racial and ethnic differences in school discipline do not result from racial and ethnic differences in socioeconomic status. Future research and practice efforts should seek to better understand and to eliminate racial, ethnic and gender disproportionality in school discipline.

Gender considerations in ventilatory and metabolic development in rats: special emphasis on the critical period

PubMed Central

LIU, QIULI; WONG-RILEY, MARGARET T.T

2013-01-01

In rats, a critical period exists around postnatal day (P) 12-13, when an imbalance between heightened inhibition and suppressed excitation led to a weakened ventilatory and metabolic response to acute hypoxia. An open question was whether the two genders follow the same or different developmental trends throughout the first 3 postnatal weeks and whether the critical period exists in one or both genders. The present large-scale, in-depth ventilatory and metabolic study was undertaken to address this question. Our data indicated that: 1) the ventilatory and metabolic rates in both normoxia and acute hypoxia were comparable between the two genders from P0 to P21; thus, gender was never significant as a main effect; and 2) the age effect was highly significant in all parameters studies for both genders, and both genders exhibited a significantly weakened response to acute hypoxia during the critical period. Thus, the two genders have comparable developmental trends, and the critical period exists in both genders in rats. PMID:23797186

Gender differences in psychological reactions to Hurricane Sandy among New York Metropolitan Area residents.

PubMed

Hamama-Raz, Yaira; Palgi, Yuval; Shrira, Amit; Goodwin, Robin; Kaniasty, Krzysztof; Ben-Ezra, Menachem

2015-06-01

Hurricane Sandy was a natural disaster of large proportions--a category 3 storm at its peak intensity that struck New York Metropolitan Area on October, 2012. The death and destruction caused by a hurricane can rise numerous of mental health vulnerabilities such as, acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety. Gender has been identified as one critical variable that can impact vulnerability to adverse effects of trauma, as well as how these reactions are managed. The present research provides an evaluation of gender differences regarding posttraumatic stress symptoms, recollections of national disasters and fears of future negative life events. It also aims to explore information seeking and sources of assistance that were utilized during Hurricane Sandy. An online survey sample of 1,000 people from New York Metropolitan Area completed a battery of self-report questionnaires four weeks after the storm. Results revealed that recollections of national disaster and fear of future events were found to be significantly different among women compared to men. Additionally, women were more inclined toward information seeking through Facebook than men, although no gender differences emerged when examining sources of support. The results indicate that disaster practitioners should tailor gender sensitive interventions.

Gender Differences in Anxiety Disorders: Prevalence, Course of Illness, Comorbidity and Burden of Illness

PubMed Central

McLean, Carmen P.; Asnaani, Anu; Litz, Brett T.; Hofmann, Stefan G.

2011-01-01

Women have consistently higher prevalence rates of anxiety disorders, but less is known about how gender affects age of onset, chronicity, comorbidity, and burden of illness. Gender differences in DSM-IV anxiety disorders were examined in a large sample of adults (N = 20,013) in the United States using data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Studies (CPES). The lifetime and 12-month male:female prevalence ratios of any anxiety disorder were 1:1.7 and 1:1.79, respectively. Women had higher rates of lifetime diagnosis for each of the anxiety disorders examined, except for social anxiety disorder which showed no gender difference in prevalence. No gender differences were observed in the age of onset and chronicity of the illness. However, women with a lifetime diagnosis of an anxiety disorder were more likely than men to also be diagnosed with another anxiety disorder, bulimia nervosa, and major depressive disorder. Furthermore, anxiety disorders were associated with a greater illness burden in women than in men, particularly among European American women and to some extend also among Hispanic women. These results suggest that anxiety disorders are not only more prevalent but also more disabling in women than in men. PMID:21439576

Variations on an Expectancy-Value Model of Motivation in Science.

PubMed

DeBacker; Nelson

1999-04-01

Relationships among motivational variables from goal theory and expectancy-value theory were investigated in this correlational study of high school students. Self-report surveys of motivation in science were collected during biology classes from 69 males and 80 females. Outcome measures were effort, persistence, and achievement. Gender differences were noted in the pattern of zero-order correlations. Internal motivation variables were related to achievement in males but not females. Regression analyses indicated that the motivation variables explained large proportions of variance in the outcomes. However, the contribution of individual variables differed by gender. Most notable was perceived ability, which contributed significantly to predicting outcome measures for females but not males. Findings suggest that interventions may need to focus on different motivational aspects depending on gender. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

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.

Association of Gender With Outcome and Host Response in Critically Ill Sepsis Patients.

PubMed

van Vught, Lonneke A; Scicluna, Brendon P; Wiewel, Maryse A; Hoogendijk, Arie J; Klein Klouwenberg, Peter M C; Ong, David S Y; Cremer, Olaf L; Horn, Janneke; Franitza, Marek; Toliat, Mohammad R; Nürnberg, Peter; Bonten, Marc M J; Schultz, Marcus J; van der Poll, Tom

2017-11-01

To determine the association of gender with the presentation, outcome, and host response in critically ill patients with sepsis. A prospective observational cohort study in the ICU of two tertiary hospitals between January 2011 and January 2014. All consecutive critically ill patients admitted with sepsis, involving 1,815 admissions (1,533 patients). The host response was evaluated on ICU admission by measuring 19 plasma biomarkers reflecting organ systems implicated in sepsis pathogenesis (1,205 admissions) and by applying genome-wide blood gene expression profiling (582 admissions). Sepsis patients admitted to the ICU were more frequently males (61.0%; p < 0.0001 vs females). Baseline characteristics were not different between genders. Urosepsis was more common in females; endocarditis and mediastinitis in men. Disease severity was similar throughout ICU stay. Mortality was similar up to 1 year after ICU admission, and gender was not associated with 90-day mortality in multivariate analyses in a variety of subgroups. Although plasma proteome analyses (including systemic inflammatory and cytokine responses, and activation of coagulation) were largely similar between genders, females showed enhanced endothelial cell activation; this difference was virtually absent in patients more than 55 years old. More than 80% of the leukocyte blood gene expression response was similar in male and female patients. The host response and outcome in male and female sepsis patients requiring ICU admission are largely similar.

Empathy: Gender effects in brain and behavior

PubMed Central

Christov-Moore, Leonardo; Simpson, Elizabeth A.; Coudé, Gino; Grigaityte, Kristina; Iacoboni, Marco; Ferrari, Pier Francesco

2016-01-01

Evidence suggests that there are differences in the capacity for empathy between males and females. However, how deep do these differences go? Stereotypically, females are portrayed as more nurturing and empathetic, while males are portrayed as less emotional and more cognitive. Some authors suggest that observed gender differences might be largely due to cultural expectations about gender roles. However, empathy has both evolutionary and developmental precursors, and can be studied using implicit measures, aspects that can help elucidate the respective roles of culture and biology. This article reviews evidence from ethology, social psychology, economics, and neuroscience to show that there are fundamental differences in implicit measures of empathy, with parallels in development and evolution. Studies in nonhuman animals and younger human populations (infants/children) offer converging evidence that sex differences in empathy have phylogenetic and ontogenetic roots in biology and are not merely cultural byproducts driven by socialization. We review how these differences may have arisen in response to males’ and females’ different roles throughout evolution. Examinations of the neurobiological underpinnings of empathy reveal important quantitative gender differences in the basic networks involved in affective and cognitive forms of empathy, as well as a qualitative divergence between the sexes in how emotional information is integrated to support decision making processes. Finally, the study of gender differences in empathy can be improved by designing studies with greater statistical power and considering variables implicit in gender (e.g., sexual preference, prenatal hormone exposure). These improvements may also help uncover the nature of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders in which one sex is more vulnerable to compromised social competence associated with impaired empathy. PMID:25236781

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.

Exploring Parent-Adolescent Communication About Gender: Results from Adolescent and Emerging Adult Samples

PubMed Central

Epstein, Marina; Ward, L. Monique

2011-01-01

Although parents are assumed to be children’s primary models of socialization when it comes to gender, little is known about direct communication of gendered values in the family. Accordingly, this study assessed the amount and content of recalled parental gender socialization messages using data from 291 U.S. college undergraduates attending a large Midwestern university and 259 U.S. adolescents enrolled in public high schools in the Midwest. The study examined the amount and content of parental communications of five gendered discourses and then tested for connections to current gender beliefs. Findings indicate that gender socialization may be quite similar for sons and daughters, with some evidence of gender typing in patterns of communication. No significant age differences emerged in the patterns of socialization, although high school students reported receiving greater amounts of communication than college students on two of the five discourses. In general, receiving messages promoting traditional gender roles was associated with more traditional gender beliefs (and vice versa), although interpretation of some messages appeared to vary by gender. PMID:21712963

Quantum Algorithms for Scientific Computing and Approximate Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadfield, Stuart Andrew

Diversity and inclusion has been a concern for the physics community for nearly 50 years. Despite significant efforts including the American Physical Society (APS) Conferences for Undergraduate Women in Physics (CUWiP) and the APS Bridge Program, women, African Americans, and Hispanics continue to be substantially underrepresented in the physics profession. Similar efforts within the field of engineering, whose students make up the majority of students in the introductory calculus-based physics courses, have also met with limited success. With the introduction of research-based instruments such as the Force Concept Inventory (FCI), the Force and Motion Conceptual Evaluation (FMCE), and the Conceptual Survey of Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM), differences in performance by gender began to be reported. Researchers have yet to come to an agreement as to why these "gender gaps" exist in the conceptual inventories that are widely used in physics education research and/or how to reduce the gaps. The "gender gap" has been extensively studied; on average, for the mechanics conceptual inventories, male students outperform female students by 13% on the pretest and by 12% post instruction. While much of the gender gap research has been geared toward the mechanics conceptual inventories, there have been few studies exploring the gender gap in the electricity and magnetism conceptual inventories. Overall, male students outperform female students by 3.7% on the pretest and 8.5% on the post-test; however, these studies have much more variation including one study showing female students outperforming male students on the CSEM. Many factors have been proposed that may influence the gender gap, from differences in background and preparation to various psychological and sociocultural effects. A parallel but largely disconnected set of research has identified gender biased questions within the FCI. This research has produced sporadic results and has only been performed on the FCI. The work performed in this manuscript will seek to synthesize these strands and use large datasets and deep demographic data to understand the persistent differences in male and female performance.

Gender differences in the adverse events’ profile registered in seven observational studies of a wide gender-medicine (MetaGeM) project: the MetaGeM safety analysis

PubMed Central

Colombo, Delia; Zagni, Emanuela; Nica, Mihaela; Rizzoli, Sara; Ori, Alessandra; Bellia, Gilberto

2016-01-01

Background MetaGeM is a wide gender-medicine project comprising post hoc and meta-analyses by gender of clinical outcomes, therapeutic approaches, and safety data from previously conducted observational studies to explore possible gender differences in real-life clinical settings. We report the results of the safety meta-analysis of seven MetaGeM studies, evaluating gender differences in adverse event (AE) incidence and severity. Methods Data were collected between February 2002 and July 2013. Male and female patients were compared for the main safety variables, using Student’s t-test, χ2 test, or Fisher’s exact test as appropriate. As supportive analysis, a logistic regression model was estimated to evaluate associations between gender and outcome. Results In total, 4,870 patients (46% females, 54% males) were included in the analysis; age was higher for females (mean ± standard deviation 61.2±18.3 years) than males (56.3±16.6 years). Overall, 264 AEs were reported (59.1% in males). There were no significant gender differences in the percentage of patients with at least one AE: 3.0% for females versus 3.9% for males, χ2 test P>0.05. According to the logistic regression model results, no association between gender and AEs occurrence seems to exist. A statistically significant gender difference in the percentage of drug-related AEs emerged (37.6% in females vs 20.8% in males, χ2 P=0.0039). Slightly significantly more AEs in females were addressed with treatment compared with males (78.1% vs 66.7%, χ2 P=0.0485). Total serious AEs (SAEs) were 47 (72% in males). The frequency of patients with ≥1 SAE was 0.6% in females versus 1.2% in males (χ2 test P=0.0246). Conclusion This safety analysis on a large sample of almost 5,000 patients with different diseases and treated with a wide range of different drugs provides a useful overview on possible gender differences in drug tolerability, which may be helpful in more accurately designing future clinical trials from a gender-specific perspective. PMID:27695289

An Empirical Analysis of the Gender Gap in Mathematics. NBER Working Paper No. 15430

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fryer, Roland G., Jr.; Levitt, Steven D.

2009-01-01

We document and analyze the emergence of a substantial gender gap in mathematics in the early years of schooling using a large, recent, and nationally representative panel of children in the United States. There are no mean differences between boys and girls upon entry to school, but girls lose more than two-tenths of a standard deviation relative…

Gender and age inequalities in regular sports participation: a cross-national study of 25 European countries.

PubMed

Van Tuyckom, Charlotte; Scheerder, Jeroen; Bracke, Piet

2010-08-01

This article provides a unique opportunity to compare gender inequalities in sports participation across Europe, and the extent to which this varies by age using large, cross-sections of the population. The Eurobarometer Survey 62.0 (carried out in 2004 at the request of the European Commission and covering the adult population of 25 European member states, N = 23,909) was used to analyse differences in regular sports participation by gender and by age in the different countries. For the majority of countries, the occurrence of regular sporting activity was less than 40%. Additionally, binary logistic regression analyses identified significant gender differences in sports participation in 12 countries. In Belgium, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Spain, and the UK, men were more likely to report being regularly active in sports than women, whereas in Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands the opposite was true. Moreover, the extent to which these gender inequalities differ by age varies considerably across countries. The results imply that: (i) in some European countries more efforts must be undertaken to promote the original goals of the Sport for All Charter, and (ii) to achieve more female participation in sports will require different policy responses in the diverse European member states.

The impact of study design and diagnostic approach in a large multi-centre ADHD study: Part 2: Dimensional measures of psychopathology and intelligence.

PubMed

Müller, Ueli C; Asherson, Philip; Banaschewski, Tobias; Buitelaar, Jan K; Ebstein, Richard P; Eisenberg, Jaques; Gill, Michael; Manor, Iris; Miranda, Ana; Oades, Robert D; Roeyers, Herbert; Rothenberger, Aribert; Sergeant, Joseph A; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund Js; Thompson, Margaret; Faraone, Stephen V; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph

2011-04-07

The International Multi-centre ADHD Genetics (IMAGE) project with 11 participating centres from 7 European countries and Israel has collected a large behavioural and genetic database for present and future research. Behavioural data were collected from 1068 probands with ADHD and 1446 unselected siblings. The aim was to describe and analyse questionnaire data and IQ measures from all probands and siblings. In particular, to investigate the influence of age, gender, family status (proband vs. sibling), informant, and centres on sample homogeneity in psychopathological measures. Conners' Questionnaires, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires, and Wechsler Intelligence Scores were used to describe the phenotype of the sample. Data were analysed by use of robust statistical multi-way procedures. Besides main effects of age, gender, informant, and centre, there were considerable interaction effects on questionnaire data. The larger differences between probands and siblings at home than at school may reflect contrast effects in the parents. Furthermore, there were marked gender by status effects on the ADHD symptom ratings with girls scoring one standard deviation higher than boys in the proband sample but lower than boys in the siblings sample. The multi-centre design is another important source of heterogeneity, particularly in the interaction with the family status. To a large extent the centres differed from each other with regard to differences between proband and sibling scores. When ADHD probands are diagnosed by use of fixed symptom counts, the severity of the disorder in the proband sample may markedly differ between boys and girls and across age, particularly in samples with a large age range. A multi-centre design carries the risk of considerable phenotypic differences between centres and, consequently, of additional heterogeneity of the sample even if standardized diagnostic procedures are used. These possible sources of variance should be counteracted in genetic analyses either by using age and gender adjusted diagnostic procedures and regional normative data or by adjusting for design artefacts by use of covariate statistics, by eliminating outliers, or by other methods suitable for reducing heterogeneity.

Thinking about gender types: cognitive organization of female and male types.

PubMed

Vonk, Roos; Ashmore, Richard D

2003-06-01

We examined the content and dimensional structure of a large and representative sample of gender types. In Study 1, using an open-ended procedure, participants generated 306 different labels for female types (e.g. housewife, feminist, femme fatale, secretary, slob) and 310 for male types (e.g. workaholic, family man, sissy, womanizer, labourer). In Study 2A, a multidimensional configuration of 229 of these male and female types was derived from a free sorting task among a new set of participants. In Study 2B, a subset of types was judged on several dimensions of meaning, which were then fitted into the configuration of types. The most important dimensions in describing the structure of gender types were: young-old, masculine-feminine and traditional-modern. The masculine-feminine dimension showed that the male and female types were largely separated from each other; within each gender category, the types were ordered by their position on the masculine-feminine dimension. Several other aspects of current thinking about men and women are discussed.

Few differences in diet and health behaviors and perceptions were observed in adult urban Native American Indians by tribal association, gender, and age grouping.

PubMed

Carter, Tina L; Morse, Kristin L; Giraud, David W; Driskell, Judy A

2008-12-01

Diet and health behaviors and perceptions of adult urban Native American Indians in a large Midwestern city were evaluated for differences by tribal association, gender, and age grouping. The hypothesis was that human behavior is influenced by tribal association, gender, and age grouping in the subject population. The subjects included 33 men and 32 women, with 26 being Sioux; 22 Omaha; and 17 a combination of other tribes. The descriptive survey included two interviewer-administered 24-hour recalls. The majority of subjects were overweight or obese. Significant differences (P< .05) were observed in vitamin A and calcium intakes by tribal association. Men reported consuming significantly more (P< .05) kilocalories, vitamin C, and sodium. Over half the subjects consumed more than the recommended 20% to 35% kcal from fat, >or=10% kcal from saturated fat, and >or=300 mg cholesterol/d. Less than Estimated Average Requirements for vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron were consumed by 31%, 59%, and 6%, respectively; 79% consumed less than Adequate Intakes for calcium. Ninety-two percent consumed more than the Tolerable Upper Intake Level for sodium. Few differences were observed in the kilocalorie, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and sodium intakes of these Native American Indians by tribal association, gender, or age grouping. Significant differences in percentages consuming alcohol were observed by gender (P< .05) and by age grouping (P< .01). A significant difference (P< .01) was observed by gender regarding the subjects' perceptions of their being alcoholics. Overall, few differences were observed in diet and health behaviors and perceptions of adult urban Native American Indians by tribal association, gender, and age grouping.

Men, women…who cares? A population-based study on sex differences and gender roles in empathy and moral cognition

PubMed Central

Baez, Sandra; Flichtentrei, Daniel; Prats, María; Mastandueno, Ricardo; García, Adolfo M.; Cetkovich, Marcelo

2017-01-01

Research on sex differences in empathy has revealed mixed findings. Whereas experimental and neuropsychological measures show no consistent sex effect, self-report data consistently indicates greater empathy in women. However, available results mainly come from separate populations with relatively small samples, which may inflate effect sizes and hinder comparability between both empirical corpora. To elucidate the issue, we conducted two large-scale studies. First, we examined whether sex differences emerge in a large population-based sample (n = 10,802) when empathy is measured with an experimental empathy-for-pain paradigm. Moreover, we investigated the relationship between empathy and moral judgment. In the second study, a subsample (n = 334) completed a self-report empathy questionnaire. Results showed some sex differences in the experimental paradigm, but with minuscule effect sizes. Conversely, women did portray themselves as more empathic through self-reports. In addition, utilitarian responses to moral dilemmas were less frequent in women, although these differences also had small effect sizes. These findings suggest that sex differences in empathy are highly driven by the assessment measure. In particular, self-reports may induce biases leading individuals to assume gender-role stereotypes. Awareness of the role of measurement instruments in this field may hone our understanding of the links between empathy, sex differences, and gender roles. PMID:28632770

Gender Difference in Relationship between Health-Related Quality of Life and Work Status.

PubMed

Noh, Jin-Won; Kim, Jinseok; Park, Jumin; Kim, Hyun-Jung; Kwon, Young Dae

2015-01-01

This study investigated the association of employment status with health-related quality of life in adult Koreans, as well as the gender difference in the relationship, using a large, nationally representative sample. Using data from the Korea Health Panel survey, we examined the relationship between quality of life measured by EQ-5D and work status among Korean adults. We also tested whether and how the relationship between quality of life and work status differed by gender. Quality of life among working adults was better than among non-working adults. The gap between the two groups was larger among male than female participants. Further, the gender differential effect was larger in the 41-60-year-old age group than in the 18-40-year-old and 61-or-older groups. Being employed has a positive relation to quality of life among adults. Work status plays a more important role in quality of life for men than for women, especially for the working elderly men than working elderly women.

The interplay between gender, race and weight status: self perceptions and social consequences.

PubMed

Fletcher, Jason M

2014-07-01

This paper uses data from nearly 15,000 young adult respondents to the Add Health survey to examine racial and gender differences in the perceptions and social rewards to weight. The data include information on several typically unmeasured domains: self-perceptions of ideal weight, attractiveness ratings, and measured weight information, along with ties to a series of adult outcomes. Results show important gender and racial differences in ideal weight as well as differences for both self-perceived attractiveness and interviewer rated attractiveness. Findings also suggest the existence of large differences in socio-cultural rewards and sanctions for weight status. Black respondents, particularly women, appear to receive lower "obesity penalties" in both their self-perceived and interviewer accessed attractiveness ratings than other groups. These findings suggest the need to consider new classes of policies directed at shifting relative social benefits and consequences to weight status. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trends in the earnings gender gap among dentists, physicians, and lawyers.

PubMed

Nguyen Le, Thanh An; Lo Sasso, Anthony T; Vujicic, Marko

2017-04-01

The authors examined the factors associated with sex differences in earnings for 3 professional occupations. The authors used a multivariate Blinder-Oaxaca method to decompose the differences in mean earnings across sex. Although mean differences in earnings between men and women narrowed over time, there remained large, unaccountable earnings differences between men and women among all professions after multivariate adjustments. For dentists, the unexplained difference in earnings for women was approximately constant at 62% to 66%. For physicians, the unexplained difference in earnings for women ranged from 52% to 57%. For lawyers, the unexplained difference in earnings for women was the smallest of the 3 professions but also exhibited the most growth, increasing from 34% in 1990 to 45% in 2010. The reduction in the earnings gap is driven largely by a general convergence between men and women in some, but not all, observable characteristics over time. Nevertheless, large unexplained gender gaps in earnings remain for all 3 professions. Policy makers must use care in efforts to alleviate earnings differences for men and women because measures could make matters worse without a clear understanding of the nature of the factors driving the differences. Copyright © 2017 American Dental Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in Reasons for Sickness Presenteeism - a study among GPs in a Swedish health care organization.

PubMed

Gustafsson Sendén, Marie; Schenck-Gustafsson, Karin; Fridner, Ann

2016-01-01

It is common that physicians go to work while sick and therefore it is important to understand the reasons behind. Previous research has shown that women and men differ in health and health related behavior. In this study, we examine gender differences among general practitioners who work while sick. General practitioners (GP's) working in outpatient care in a Swedish city participated in the study (n = 283; women = 63 %; response rate = 41 %). Data were obtained from a large web-based questionnaire about health and organization within primary care. Two questions about sickness presenteeism (going to work while sick) were included; life-long and during the past 12 months, and five questions about reasons. We controlled for general health, work-family conflict and demographic variables. Female physicians reported sickness presenteeism more often than male physicians. Work-family conflict mediated the association between gender and sickness presenteeism. Women reported reasons related with "concern for others" and "workload" more strongly than men. Men reported reasons related with "capacity" and "money" more strongly than women. These differences are likely effects of gender stereotyping and different family-responsibilities. Gender socialization and gender stereotypes may influence work and health-related behavior. Because sickness presenteeism is related with negative effects both on individuals and at organizational levels, it is important that managers of health organizations understand the reasons for this, and how gender roles may influence the prevalence of sickness presenteeism and the reasons that female and male GPs give for their behavior.

Discrimination versus specialization: a survey of economic studies on sexual orientation, gender and earnings in the United States.

PubMed

Schmitt, Elizabeth Dunne

2008-01-01

Several studies examine the link between sexual orientation and earnings using large data sets that distinguish sexual orientation through questions about sexual behavior and/or by allowing respondents to self-identify as part of a same-sex cohabitating couple. After controlling for other earnings-related characteristics these studies generally show an earnings penalty for gay/bisexual men relative to heterosexual men and an earnings premium for lesbian/bisexual women relative to heterosexual women. Explanations for this gender disparity include gender differences in sexual orientation discrimination, greater labor force attachment for lesbian/bisexual women, and the effects of the overall gender earnings gap.

To each its own? Gender differences in affective, autonomic, and behavioral responses to same-sex and opposite-sex visual sexual stimuli.

PubMed

Sarlo, Michela; Buodo, Giulia

2017-03-15

A large body of research on gender differences in response to erotic stimuli has focused on genital and/or subjective sexual arousal. On the other hand, studies assessing gender differences in emotional psychophysiological responding to sexual stimuli have only employed erotic pictures of male-female couples or female/male nudes. The present study aimed at investigating differences between gynephilic men and androphilic women in emotional responding to visual sexual stimuli depicting female-male, female-female and male-male couples. Affective responses were explored in multiple response systems, including autonomic indices of emotional activation, i.e., heart rate and skin conductance, along with standardized measures of valence and arousal. Blood pressure was measured as an index of autonomic activation associated with sexual arousal, and free viewing times as an index of interest/avoidance. Overall, men showed gender-specific activation characterized by clearly appetitive reactions to the target of their sexual attraction (i.e., women), with physiological arousal discriminating female-female stimuli as the most effective sexual cues. In contrast, women's emotional activation to sexual stimuli was clearly non-specific in most of the considered variables, with the notable exception of the self-report measures. Overall, affective responses replicate patterns of gender-specific and gender-nonspecific sexual responses in gynephilic men and androphilic women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"They Were Really Looking for a Male Leader for the Building": Gender, Identity and Leadership Development in a Principal Preparation Program.

PubMed

Burton, Laura J; Weiner, Jennie M

2016-01-01

This study utilized a comparative case study analysis to investigate how gender influenced the experiences of participants in a leadership development program (principal preparation program) designed to lead public K-12 schools identified as requiring turnaround. We closely focused on two participants, a man and a woman, and compared the ways each participant made meaning of his/her experiences as developing leaders in the program. Although both participants conceptualized effective leadership in similar communally-oriented ways, the way they came to construct their identities as leaders varied greatly. These differences were largely influenced by different and, what appeared to be, gendered feedback occurring during the program and when participants entered the job market.

Even subtle cultural differences affect face tuning.

PubMed

Pavlova, Marina A; Heiz, Julie; Sokolov, Alexander N; Fallgatter, Andreas J; Barisnikov, Koviljka

2018-01-01

Culture shapes social cognition in many ways. Yet cultural impact on face tuning remains largely unclear. Here typically developing females and males from the French-speaking part of Switzerland were presented with a set of Arcimboldo-like Face-n-Food images composed of food ingredients and in different degree resembling a face. The outcome had been compared with previous findings obtained in young adults of the South-West Germany. In that study, males exhibit higher thresholds for face tuning on the Face-n-Food task than females. In Swiss participants, no gender differences exist in face tuning. Strikingly, males from the French-speaking part of Switzerland possess higher sensitivity to faces than their German peers, whereas no difference in face tuning occurs between females. The outcome indicates that even relatively subtle cultural differences as well as culture by gender interaction can modulate social cognition. Clarification of the nature of cultural impact on face tuning as well as social cognition at large is of substantial value for understanding a wide range of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions.

The evaluation of MCI, MI, PMI and GT on both genders with different age and dental status.

PubMed

Bozdag, G; Sener, S

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to measure the mandibular cortical index (MCI), mental index (MI), panoramic mandibular index (PMI) and cortical bone thickness in the zone of the gonial angle (GT) in panoramic radiographies from a large sample of males and females and to determine how they relate to patients' age, gender and dental status. 910 panoramic radiographs were obtained and grouped into age, dental status and gender. The MCI, MI, PMI and GT were analysed. Remarkable differences were observed for MCI and GT regarding gender, age groups and dental status on both sides (p < 0.05). While age and dental status had an effect on the MI and PMI in females, dental status had an effect on the MI and PMI in males (p < 0.05). Also, gender had an effect on the MI and PMI (p < 0.05). The effects of age and tooth loss are different in females and males. In females, the harmful effects of tooth loss and age are more prominent according to the PMI and MI measurements. The effects of age and tooth loss in the GT and MCI measurements are similar, and these indices can be accepted as more reliable in studies including both genders.

The evaluation of MCI, MI, PMI and GT on both genders with different age and dental status

PubMed Central

Sener, S

2015-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this study was to measure the mandibular cortical index (MCI), mental index (MI), panoramic mandibular index (PMI) and cortical bone thickness in the zone of the gonial angle (GT) in panoramic radiographies from a large sample of males and females and to determine how they relate to patients' age, gender and dental status. Methods: 910 panoramic radiographs were obtained and grouped into age, dental status and gender. The MCI, MI, PMI and GT were analysed. Results: Remarkable differences were observed for MCI and GT regarding gender, age groups and dental status on both sides (p < 0.05). While age and dental status had an effect on the MI and PMI in females, dental status had an effect on the MI and PMI in males (p < 0.05). Also, gender had an effect on the MI and PMI (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The effects of age and tooth loss are different in females and males. In females, the harmful effects of tooth loss and age are more prominent according to the PMI and MI measurements. The effects of age and tooth loss in the GT and MCI measurements are similar, and these indices can be accepted as more reliable in studies including both genders. PMID:26133366

The role of gender in social network organization.

PubMed

Psylla, Ioanna; Sapiezynski, Piotr; Mones, Enys; Lehmann, Sune

2017-01-01

The digital traces we leave behind when engaging with the modern world offer an interesting lens through which we study behavioral patterns as expression of gender. Although gender differentiation has been observed in a number of settings, the majority of studies focus on a single data stream in isolation. Here we use a dataset of high resolution data collected using mobile phones, as well as detailed questionnaires, to study gender differences in a large cohort. We consider mobility behavior and individual personality traits among a group of more than 800 university students. We also investigate interactions among them expressed via person-to-person contacts, interactions on online social networks, and telecommunication. Thus, we are able to study the differences between male and female behavior captured through a multitude of channels for a single cohort. We find that while the two genders are similar in a number of aspects, there are robust deviations that include multiple facets of social interactions, suggesting the existence of inherent behavioral differences. Finally, we quantify how aspects of an individual's characteristics and social behavior reveals their gender by posing it as a classification problem. We ask: How well can we distinguish between male and female study participants based on behavior alone? Which behavioral features are most predictive?

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.

The role of gender in social network organization

PubMed Central

Psylla, Ioanna; Mones, Enys; Lehmann, Sune

2017-01-01

The digital traces we leave behind when engaging with the modern world offer an interesting lens through which we study behavioral patterns as expression of gender. Although gender differentiation has been observed in a number of settings, the majority of studies focus on a single data stream in isolation. Here we use a dataset of high resolution data collected using mobile phones, as well as detailed questionnaires, to study gender differences in a large cohort. We consider mobility behavior and individual personality traits among a group of more than 800 university students. We also investigate interactions among them expressed via person-to-person contacts, interactions on online social networks, and telecommunication. Thus, we are able to study the differences between male and female behavior captured through a multitude of channels for a single cohort. We find that while the two genders are similar in a number of aspects, there are robust deviations that include multiple facets of social interactions, suggesting the existence of inherent behavioral differences. Finally, we quantify how aspects of an individual’s characteristics and social behavior reveals their gender by posing it as a classification problem. We ask: How well can we distinguish between male and female study participants based on behavior alone? Which behavioral features are most predictive? PMID:29261767

Sexual Victimization and Subsequent Police Reporting by Gender Identity Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Adults.

PubMed

Langenderfer-Magruder, Lisa; Walls, N Eugene; Kattari, Shanna K; Whitfield, Darren L; Ramos, Daniel

2016-01-01

Prevalence of sexual victimization among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) persons is frequently found to be higher than the prevalence reported by their heterosexual peers. Transgender individuals are often included solely as part of larger LGBTQ research samples, potentially obfuscating differences between sexual orientation and gender identity. In this study, the authors examined sexual assault/rape in a large convenience sample of LGBTQ adults (N = 1,124) by respondents' gender identity (cisgender, transgender) to determine whether differences exist in lifetime prevalence of sexual assault/rape and subsequent police reporting. Findings indicate transgender individuals report having experienced sexual assault/rape more than twice as frequently as cisgender LGBQ individuals. Authors found no statistically significant difference in reporting sexual violence to police. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Gender differences in psychological morbidity, burnout, job stress and job satisfaction among Chinese neurologists: a national cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Pu, Juncai; Zhou, Xinyu; Zhu, Dan; Zhong, Xiaoni; Yang, Lining; Wang, Haiyang; Zhang, Yuqing; Fan, Songhua; Liu, Lanxiang; Xie, Peng

2017-07-01

Women are an important part of the medical workforce, yet little is known about gender differences in psychological morbidity, burnout, job stress and job satisfaction among neurologists. This study assessed gender differences in a large national sample of Chinese neurologists. Multivariate analyses were performed to examine associations. A total of 5558 neurologists were included in the analysis. Compared with their male counterparts, female neurologists were generally younger; were less likely to be married or to have children; had higher levels of education; were in practice for a shorter period of time; were less likely to hold senior roles; and had lower incomes. Male and female neurologists worked similar hours and spent a similar number of nights on call. No gender differences were found in psychological morbidity, burnout, and high levels of job stress for female and male, respectively. Women had higher emotional exhaustion scores, while men were more likely to have low levels of job satisfaction. The multivariate analysis showed that factors independently associated with psychological morbidity, burnout, high levels of job stress and low levels of job satisfaction were generally similar for women and men. These findings increase our understanding of gender differences in psychological morbidity, burnout, job stress, and job satisfaction among neurologists. As more women join the medical profession, these differences may be useful in designing medical training and practice.

Prospective clinical observational study evaluating gender-associated differences of preoperative pain intensity.

PubMed

Tafelski, Sascha; Kerper, Léonie F; Salz, Anna-Lena; Spies, Claudia; Reuter, Eva; Nachtigall, Irit; Schäfer, Michael; Krannich, Alexander; Krampe, Henning

2016-07-01

Previous studies reported conflicting results concerning different pain perceptions of men and women. Recent research found higher pain levels in men after major surgery, contrasted by women after minor procedures. This trial investigates differences in self-reported preoperative pain intensity between genders before surgery.Patients were enrolled in 2011 and 2012 presenting for preoperative evaluation at the anesthesiological assessment clinic at Charité University hospital. Out of 5102 patients completing a computer-assisted self-assessment, 3042 surgical patients with any preoperative pain were included into this prospective observational clinical study. Preoperative pain intensity (0-100 VAS, visual analog scale) was evaluated integrating psychological cofactors into analysis.Women reported higher preoperative pain intensity than men with median VAS scores of 30 (25th-75th percentiles: 10-52) versus 21 (10-46) (P < 0.001). Adjusted multiple regression analysis showed that female gender remained statistically significantly associated with higher pain intensity (P < 0.001). Gender differences were consistent across several subgroups especially with varying patterns in elderly. Women scheduled for minor and moderate surgical procedures showed largest differences in overall pain compared to men.This large clinical study observed significantly higher preoperative pain intensity in female surgical patients. This gender difference was larger in the elderly potentially contradicting the current hypothesis of a primary sex-hormone derived effect. The observed variability in specific patient subgroups may help to explain heterogeneous findings of previous studies.

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.

Type of Violence, Age, and Gender Differences in the Effects of Family Violence on Children's Behavior Problems: A Mega-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sternberg, Kathleen J.; Baradaran, Laila P.; Abbott, Craig B.; Lamb, Michael E.; Guterman, Eva

2006-01-01

A mega-analytic study was designed to exploit the power of a large data set combining raw data from multiple studies (n=1870) to examine the effects of type of family violence, age, and gender on children's behavior problems assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Our findings confirmed that children who experienced multiple forms of…

Gender, Complexity, and Science for All: Systemizing and Its Impact on Motivation to Learn Science for Different Science Subjects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeyer, Albert

2018-01-01

The present study is based on a large cross-cultural study, which showed that a systemizing cognition type has a high impact on motivation to learn science, while the impact of gender is only indirect thorough systemizing. The present study uses the same structural equation model as in the cross-cultural study and separately tests it for physics,…

Gender affects body language reading.

PubMed

Sokolov, Arseny A; Krüger, Samuel; Enck, Paul; Krägeloh-Mann, Ingeborg; Pavlova, Marina A

2011-01-01

Body motion is a rich source of information for social cognition. However, gender effects in body language reading are largely unknown. Here we investigated whether, and, if so, how recognition of emotional expressions revealed by body motion is gender dependent. To this end, females and males were presented with point-light displays portraying knocking at a door performed with different emotional expressions. The findings show that gender affects accuracy rather than speed of body language reading. This effect, however, is modulated by emotional content of actions: males surpass in recognition accuracy of happy actions, whereas females tend to excel in recognition of hostile angry knocking. Advantage of women in recognition accuracy of neutral actions suggests that females are better tuned to the lack of emotional content in body actions. The study provides novel insights into understanding of gender effects in body language reading, and helps to shed light on gender vulnerability to neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental impairments in visual social cognition.

Engendering the bureaucracy? Challenges and opportunities for mainstreaming gender in Ministries of Health under sector-wide approaches.

PubMed

Theobald, Sally; Tolhurst, Rachel; Elsey, Helen; Standing, Hilary; Standing, Helen

2005-05-01

The increasing ascendancy of 'gender mainstreaming' as the central approach to improving gender equity has largely determined strategies to integrate a gender focus in sector-wide approaches (SWAps). This paper explores the impetus for and process of gender mainstreaming in SWAps in the Ministries of Health in Uganda, Ghana, Malawi and Mozambique, and outlines some achievements and challenges. The shifting and contested relationships between the Ministry of Health, donors and other government ministries (such as Ministries of Finance and Ministries of Women's Affairs/Gender) are important in shaping the opportunities and constraints faced in gender mainstreaming. The refocusing of resource allocation to different sectors has led to changes in the balance of power between the various actors at the national level, with diverse implications for promoting gender equity in health. Some of the achievements to date and ongoing challenges are explored through concrete examples from different countries. These include: the development of structures for mainstreaming, including the dilemmas of the 'focal points' approach and the role of national gender mainstreaming machinery; the need for training and building capacity to identify and address gender issues, which involves engaging with new languages and concepts, and developing new skills; building alliances, consensus and momentum; integrating gender concerns into policy and planning documents; and promoting gender equity in human resources in the health sector. Cross-cutting themes underlying these challenges are the need for gender-specific information and ways to finance mainstreaming strategies. Implications are drawn for ways forward, without losing sight of the challenge of translating discourses of gender mainstreaming, and its central ideal of social transformation, into pragmatic strategies in the bureaucratic environment.

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.

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.

Psychosexual Outcome Among Iranian Individuals With 5α-Reductase Deficiency Type 2 and Its Relationship With Parental Sexism.

PubMed

Khorashad, Behzad S; Aghili, Zahra; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P C; Hiradfar, Mehran; Roshan, Ghasem M; Afkhamizadeh, Mozhgan; Abbaszadegan, Mohammad Reza; Ghaemi, Nosrat; Khazai, Behnaz; Cohen-Kettenis, P T

2016-11-01

Few studies exist on the psychosexual outcome of homogeneous groups of individuals with 5α-reductase deficiency type 2 (5α-RD-2) and the relation between gender changes and parental hostile and benevolent sexism, which are two components of ambivalent sexism that assume a stereotypical approach toward women in an overtly negative way or a chivalrous, seemingly positive way. To report on the psychosexual outcome of individuals with 5α-RD-2 and to investigate its relation to the level of parental sexism in a relatively large sample of Iranians with 5α-RD-2. Twenty participants (mean age = 19.5 years, SD = 6.345) with a molecularly confirmed diagnosis of 5α-RD-2 who were assigned the female gender at birth and raised as female were included in the study. Participants and their parents were interviewed and their medical records were assessed. Parents also completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory (ASI), which includes hostile and benevolent sexism subscales. Psychosexual outcome and parental hostile and benevolent sexism measurements. Twelve of 20 participants (60%) were diagnosed with gender identity disorder not otherwise specified (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision). Ten of these transitioned to the male gender. The other 10 participants (50%), including the two diagnosed with gender identity disorder not otherwise specified, continued living in a female gender role. When comparing the ASI subscale scores between families of participants who changed their gender and those who did not, no significant difference was found for ASI total and hostile sexism scores, but there was a difference for benevolent sexism (P = .049): those whose daughters had changed their gender had higher benevolent sexism scores. The high prevalence of gender change and gender dysphoria reported in the literature was confirmed in this relatively large and homogeneous sample of Iranians with 5-α-RD-2 raised as female. Prenatal exposure to testosterone is hypothesized to play a role in the development of gender identity and sexual orientation, but parental attitudes also might be important. Although gender change in individuals with 5-α-RD-2 is often attributed to high levels of hostile sexism in some cultures, our findings show this to be associated with benevolent sexism. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Sexual Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Identifying Gender Minority Patients' Health And Health Care Needs In Administrative Claims Data.

PubMed

Progovac, Ana M; Cook, Benjamin Lê; Mullin, Brian O; McDowell, Alex; Sanchez R, Maria Jose; Wang, Ye; Creedon, Timothy B; Schuster, Mark A

2018-03-01

Health care utilization patterns for gender minority Medicare beneficiaries (those who are transgender or gender nonbinary people) are largely unknown. We identified gender minority beneficiaries using a diagnosis-code algorithm and compared them to a 5 percent random sample of non-gender minority beneficiaries from the period 2009-14 in terms of mental health and chronic diseases, use of preventive and mental health care, hospitalizations, and emergency department (ED) visits. Gender minority beneficiaries experienced more disability and mental illness. When we adjusted for age and mental health, we found that they used more mental health care. And when we adjusted for age and chronic conditions, we found that they were more likely to be hospitalized and to visit the ED. There were several small but significant differences in preventive care use. Findings were similar for disabled and older cohorts. These findings underscore the need to capture gender identity in health data to better address this population's health needs.

Variations in the gender composition of immigrant populations: how they matter.

PubMed

Donato, Katharine M; Alexander, Joseph T; Gabaccia, Donna R; Leinonen, Johanna

2011-01-01

This paper estimates and interprets empirical shifts in the gender composition of immigrants to add to scholarship about the gendering of international migrations over time. We map shifts in gender ratios using micro-level data that permit us to create age-standardized estimates among adult foreign born stock living in the United States since 1850 and in 26 other nations worldwide since 1960. We examine regional and national variations in these shifts, and ask whether and how the gendered composition of foreigners from diverse origins in the United States – the nation that has received the largest populations of migrants for over a century – differs from other nations that receive large numbers of immigrants. We also examine recent variations in gender ratios among immigrants living in six regional destination countries. Results show substantial variation in the gender composition of foreign-born populations, and they offer a starting point for examining causes and consequences in future research.

Explaining the Gender Wealth Gap

PubMed Central

Ruel, Erin; Hauser, Robert M.

2013-01-01

To assess and explain the United States’ gender wealth gap, we use the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study to examine wealth accumulated by a single cohort over 50 years by gender, by marital status, and limited to the respondents who are their family’s best financial reporters. We find large gender wealth gaps between currently married men and women, and never-married men and women. The never-married accumulate less wealth than the currently married, and there is a marital disruption cost to wealth accumulation. The status-attainment model shows the most power in explaining gender wealth gaps between these groups explaining about one-third to one-half of the gap, followed by the human-capital explanation. In other words, a lifetime of lower earnings for women translates into greatly reduced wealth accumulation. A gender wealth gap remains between married men and women after controlling for the full model that we speculate may be related to gender differences in investment strategies and selection effects. PMID:23264038

Sensing emotion in voices: Negativity bias and gender differences in a validation study of the Oxford Vocal ('OxVoc') sounds database.

PubMed

Young, Katherine S; Parsons, Christine E; LeBeau, Richard T; Tabak, Benjamin A; Sewart, Amy R; Stein, Alan; Kringelbach, Morten L; Craske, Michelle G

2017-08-01

Emotional expressions are an essential element of human interactions. Recent work has increasingly recognized that emotional vocalizations can color and shape interactions between individuals. Here we present data on the psychometric properties of a recently developed database of authentic nonlinguistic emotional vocalizations from human adults and infants (the Oxford Vocal 'OxVoc' Sounds Database; Parsons, Young, Craske, Stein, & Kringelbach, 2014). In a large sample (n = 562), we demonstrate that adults can reliably categorize these sounds (as 'positive,' 'negative,' or 'sounds with no emotion'), and rate valence in these sounds consistently over time. In an extended sample (n = 945, including the initial n = 562), we also investigated a number of individual difference factors in relation to valence ratings of these vocalizations. Results demonstrated small but significant effects of (a) symptoms of depression and anxiety with more negative ratings of adult neutral vocalizations (R2 = .011 and R2 = .008, respectively) and (b) gender differences in perceived valence such that female listeners rated adult neutral vocalizations more positively and infant cry vocalizations more negatively than male listeners (R2 = .021, R2 = .010, respectively). Of note, we did not find evidence of negativity bias among other affective vocalizations or gender differences in perceived valence of adult laughter, adult cries, infant laughter, or infant neutral vocalizations. Together, these findings largely converge with factors previously shown to impact processing of emotional facial expressions, suggesting a modality-independent impact of depression, anxiety, and listener gender, particularly among vocalizations with more ambiguous valence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

The Effects of Gender Differences in Patients with Depression on Their Emotional Working Memory and Emotional Experience

PubMed Central

Li, Mi; Lu, Shengfu; Wang, Gang; Zhong, Ning

2015-01-01

A large amount of research has been conducted on the effects of sex hormones on gender differences in patients with depression, yet research on cognitive differences between male and female patients with depression is insufficient. This study uses emotion pictures to investigate the differences of the emotional working memory ability and emotional experience in male and female patients with depression. Despite identifying that the working memory of patients with depression is impaired, our study found no significant gender differences in emotional working memory. Moreover, the research results revealed that memory effects of mood congruence are produced in both men and women, which may explain why the depression state can be maintained. Furthermore, female patients have more emotional experiences than male patients, which is particularly significant in terms of negative emotional experiences. This result provides cognitive evidence to explain why women suffer from longer terms of depression, are more susceptible to relapse, and can more easily suffer from major depressive disorder in the future. PMID:26578820

Gender Differences in Cognition among Older Adults in China.

PubMed

Lei, Xiaoyan; Hu, Yuqing; McArdle, John J; Smith, James P; Zhao, Yaohui

2012-01-01

In this paper, we model gender differences in cognitive ability in China using a new sample of middle-aged and older Chinese respondents. Modeled after the American Health and Retirement Study (HRS), the CHARLS Pilot survey respondents are 45 years and older in two quite distinct provinces-Zhejiang, a high-growth industrialized province on the East Coast, and Gansu, a largely agricultural and poor province in the West-in a sense new and old China. Our cognition measures proxy for two different dimensions of adult cognition-episodic memory and intact mental status. On both measures, Chinese women score much lower than do Chinese men, a gender difference that grows among older Chinese cohorts. We relate both these cognition scores to schooling, urban residence, family and community levels of economic resources, and height. We find that cognition is more closely related to mean community resources than to family resources, especially for women, suggesting that in traditional poor Chinese communities there are strong economic incentives to favor boys at the expense of girls. We also find that these gender differences in cognitive ability have been steadily decreasing across birth cohorts as the economy of China grew rapidly. Among cohorts of young adults in China, there is no longer any gender disparity in cognitive ability. This parallels the situation in the United States where cognition scores of adult women actually exceed those of adult men.

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.

Gender differences in mental disorders and suicidality in Europe: results from a large cross-sectional population-based study.

PubMed

Boyd, Anders; Van de Velde, Sarah; Vilagut, Gemma; de Graaf, Ron; O'Neill, Siobhan; Florescu, Silvia; Alonso, Jordi; Kovess-Masfety, Vivane

2015-03-01

When evaluating gender differences in mental disorders and suicidality, specifically between European countries, studies are sparse and frequently hindered by methodological issues, such as the limited items evaluated and inconsistent sampling designs. In ten European countries participating in the World Mental Health Survey Initiative, lifetime internalizing and externalizing disorders and suicidality were assessed among 37,289 respondents. Disorders were classified using DMS-IV criteria. Odds ratios (OR) for gender differences were calculated using logistic regression, while trends across age-groups were tested via gender × age interaction. Within countries, prevalence of any lifetime internalizing disorder ranged from 10.8% to 44.5% among women and 5.9% to 26.5% among men, with women having consistently higher odds than men (OR range: 1.52-2.73). Prevalence of any lifetime externalizing disorders ranged from 0.2% to 6.6% among women and 2.2% to 22.4% among men, with women having consistently lower odds than men (OR range: 0.05-0.35). Any lifetime suicide attempt was found in 0.8-5.4% of women and 0.3-2.4% of men, showing inconsistent relative gender-differences across countries (OR range: 0.77-4.72). Significant effects in gender OR across age-groups were not observed for any internalizing disorder or suicide attempt, yet were present for any externalizing disorder in France (p = 0.01), the Netherlands (p = 0.05), and Spain (p = 0.02). Mental disorders were assessed with the CIDI 3.0 and not psychiatric evaluations. Suicidality does not fully represent more important clinical events, such as suicide mortality. Consistent across European countries, internalizing disorders are more common among women and externalizing disorders among men, whereas gender differences in suicidality varied. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in binaural speech-evoked auditory brainstem response: are they clinically significant?

PubMed

Jalaei, Bahram; Azmi, Mohd Hafiz Afifi Mohd; Zakaria, Mohd Normani

2018-05-17

Binaurally evoked auditory evoked potentials have good diagnostic values when testing subjects with central auditory deficits. The literature on speech-evoked auditory brainstem response evoked by binaural stimulation is in fact limited. Gender disparities in speech-evoked auditory brainstem response results have been consistently noted but the magnitude of gender difference has not been reported. The present study aimed to compare the magnitude of gender difference in speech-evoked auditory brainstem response results between monaural and binaural stimulations. A total of 34 healthy Asian adults aged 19-30 years participated in this comparative study. Eighteen of them were females (mean age=23.6±2.3 years) and the remaining sixteen were males (mean age=22.0±2.3 years). For each subject, speech-evoked auditory brainstem response was recorded with the synthesized syllable /da/ presented monaurally and binaurally. While latencies were not affected (p>0.05), the binaural stimulation produced statistically higher speech-evoked auditory brainstem response amplitudes than the monaural stimulation (p<0.05). As revealed by large effect sizes (d>0.80), substantive gender differences were noted in most of speech-evoked auditory brainstem response peaks for both stimulation modes. The magnitude of gender difference between the two stimulation modes revealed some distinct patterns. Based on these clinically significant results, gender-specific normative data are highly recommended when using speech-evoked auditory brainstem response for clinical and future applications. The preliminary normative data provided in the present study can serve as the reference for future studies on this test among Asian adults. Copyright © 2018 Associação Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia Cérvico-Facial. Published by Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.

Gender Effects in Young Road Users on Road Safety Attitudes, Behaviors and Risk Perception

PubMed Central

Cordellieri, Pierluigi; Baralla, Francesca; Ferlazzo, Fabio; Sgalla, Roberto; Piccardi, Laura; Giannini, Anna Maria

2016-01-01

In the present study, we investigated gender-related effects on road safety attitudes in 2681 young drivers (1458 males, 54.4%; aged 18–22) who filled out several scales assessing attitudes toward road safety issues, driving behavior in specific hypothetical situations, accident risk perception, and concerns about such a risk. We focused only on young drivers to better understand the role of gender in road safety attitudes in a period of life in which risky behaviors are widespread for males and females. Indeed, there is still no agreement as to the nature of these gender differences. According to some authors, the effects of gender on being involved in a crash due to driving skills are either non-existent or largely explained by differences in alcohol consumption. In our study, we found gender differences in road safety attitudes (i.e., “negative attitude toward traffic rules and risky driving”; “negative attitude toward drugs and alcohol” and “tolerance toward speeding”) and in driver behavior (i.e., “errors in inattentive driving” and “driving violations”). This result is consistent in all drivers coming from nine different European countries. Our analyses yielded an important finding concerning risk perception. The results indicate that the level of risk perception during driving is the same for males and females. However, these two groups differ in the level of concern about this risk, with males being less concerned about the risk of a road accident. This suggests that the main difference between these two groups is not strictly related to judgment of the perceived risk probability but rather to the level of concern experienced about the consequences of the risk. This difference between risk perception and worry could explain differences in the frequency of car accidents in the two groups. The present findings may provide new insights for the development of gender-based prevention programs. PMID:27729877

Evidence of change in men's versus women's emotional reactions to first sexual intercourse: a 23-year study in a human sexuality course at a midwestern university.

PubMed

Sprecher, Susan

2014-01-01

With a large sample (N = 5,769) of university students obtained over a 23-year period (1990-2012), which represented three decades of first sexual intercourse experiences, the present study examined gender differences in pleasure, anxiety, and guilt in response to first intercourse. Men reported more pleasure and anxiety than women, and women reported more guilt than men. Anxiety decreased over the three decades for men; pleasure increased and guilt decreased for women. As a result of these changes, the differences between men and women in emotional reactions decreased slightly over time. The magnitude of the gender differences overall and in the most recent years of data collection, however, suggests that emotional responses to first sexual intercourse should be included in a small list of sexuality variables that are exceptions to Hyde's ( 2005 ) gender similarities hypothesis.

Gender Differences in Both Force Concept Inventory and Introductory Physics Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Docktor, Jennifer; Heller, Kenneth

2008-10-01

We present data from a decade of introductory calculus-based physics courses for science and engineering students at the University of Minnesota taught using cooperative group problem solving. The data include 40 classes with more than 5500 students taught by 22 different professors. The average normalized gain for males is 0.4 for these large classes that emphasized problem solving. Female students made up approximately 20% of these classes. We present relationships between pre and post Force Concept Inventory (FCI) scores, course grades, and final exam scores for females and males. We compare our results with previous studies from Harvard [2] and the University of Colorado [3,4]. Our data show there is a significant gender gap in pre-test FCI scores that persists post-instruction although there is essentially no gender difference in course performance as determined by course grade.

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.

“They Were Really Looking for a Male Leader for the Building”: Gender, Identity and Leadership Development in a Principal Preparation Program

PubMed Central

Burton, Laura J.; Weiner, Jennie M.

2016-01-01

This study utilized a comparative case study analysis to investigate how gender influenced the experiences of participants in a leadership development program (principal preparation program) designed to lead public K-12 schools identified as requiring turnaround. We closely focused on two participants, a man and a woman, and compared the ways each participant made meaning of his/her experiences as developing leaders in the program. Although both participants conceptualized effective leadership in similar communally-oriented ways, the way they came to construct their identities as leaders varied greatly. These differences were largely influenced by different and, what appeared to be, gendered feedback occurring during the program and when participants entered the job market. PMID:26909054

Who gives? Multilevel effects of gender and ethnicity on workplace charitable giving.

PubMed

Leslie, Lisa M; Snyder, Mark; Glomb, Theresa M

2013-01-01

Research on diversity in organizations has largely focused on the implications of gender and ethnic differences for performance, to the exclusion of other outcomes. We propose that gender and ethnic differences also have implications for workplace charitable giving, an important aspect of corporate social responsibility. Drawing from social role theory, we hypothesize and find that gender has consistent effects across levels of analysis; women donate more money to workplace charity than do men, and the percentage of women in a work unit is positively related to workplace charity, at least among men. Alternatively and consistent with social exchange theory, we hypothesize and find that ethnicity has opposing effects across levels of analysis; ethnic minorities donate less money to workplace charity than do Whites, but the percentage of minorities in a work unit is positively related to workplace charity, particularly among minorities. The findings provide a novel perspective on the consequences of gender and ethnic diversity in organizations and highlight synergies between organizational efforts to increase diversity and to build a reputation for corporate social responsibility. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 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

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.

Are there gender differences in the emotional intelligence of resident physicians?

PubMed

McKinley, Sophia K; Petrusa, Emil R; Fiedeldey-Van Dijk, Carina; Mullen, John T; Smink, Douglas S; Scott-Vernaglia, Shannon E; Kent, Tara S; Black-Schaffer, W Stephen; Phitayakorn, Roy

2014-01-01

Because academic literature indicates that emotional intelligence (EI) is tied to work performance, job satisfaction, burnout, and client satisfaction, there is great interest in understanding physician EI. To determine whether gender differences in resident EI profiles mirror EI gender differences in the general population. A total of 325 residents in 3 types of residency programs (pathology, pediatrics, and general surgery) at 3 large academic institutions were invited electronically to complete the validated Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (TEIQue), a tool consisting of 153 items that cluster to 15 independent facets, 4 composite factors, and 1 global EI score. The response rate was 42.8% (n = 139, women = 84). Global EI was not significantly different between men and women resident physicians (p = 0.74). Women scored higher than men in the TEIQue facets impulse control (p = 0.004) and relationships (p = 0.004). Men scored higher than women in 2 facets, stress management (p = 0.008) and emotion management (p = 0.023). Within surgery (n = 85, women = 46), women scored higher than men in impulse control (p = 0.006), whereas men scored higher in stress management (p = 0.008). Men and women residents across 3 specialties demonstrated near-identical global EI scores. However, gender differences in specific TEIQue facets suggest that similar to the general population, men and women residents may benefit from specific training of different EI domains to enhance well-rounded development. The lack of significant gender differences within surgery may indicate that surgery attracts individuals with particular EI profiles regardless of gender. Future research should focus on the functional relationship between educational interventions that promote targeted EI development and enhanced clinical performance. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Do Men and Women Perform Academic Work Differently?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González Ramos, Ana M.; Fernández Palacín, Fernando; Muñoz Márquez, Manuel

2015-01-01

Why is the gender gap so large in researchers' career progression? Do men and women have different priorities in their academic careers? This study explores men's and women's academic work to shed light on the strategies of male and female researchers. The online survey collected data on Andalusian researchers to determine possible differences in…

Adolescents and adults at the mall: dyadic interactions.

PubMed

Readdick, C A; Mullis, R L

1997-01-01

The purpose of this descriptive study is to examine differences in interpersonal engagements between teen-teen dyads and teen-adults dyads in a mall setting. It was expected that behavioral patterns between teen-teen and teen-adult dyads would differ as a function of age, gender, and racial composition. Participants included 865 teen-teen dyads and 190 teen-adult dyads. Observations were conducted in a large mall over four weeks. Observers recorded behavioral activity, physical proximity/position, emotional expression, conversation, and evidence of shopping. Teen-teen dyads differed from teen-adult dyads on two variables, conversation and shopping evidence. Within teen-teen dyad comparisons yielded several gender and racial differences, but only one age difference. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Adolescent Self-Esteem: Differences by Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Age

PubMed Central

Bachman, Jerald G.; O’Malley, Patrick M.; Freedman-Doan, Peter; Trzesniewski, Kali H.; Donnellan, M. Brent

2012-01-01

Large-scale representative surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students in the United States show high self-esteem scores for all groups. African-American students score highest, Whites score slightly higher than Hispanics, and Asian Americans score lowest. Males score slightly higher than females. Multivariate controls for grades and college plans actually heighten these race/ethnic/gender differences. A truncated scoring method, designed to counter race/ethnic differences in extreme response style, reduced but did not eliminate the subgroup differences. Age differences in self-esteem are modest, with 12th graders reporting the highest scores. The findings are highly consistent across 18 annual surveys from 1991 through 2008, and self-esteem scores show little overall change during that period. PMID:22279425

Evaluative ratings and attention across the life span: emotional arousal and gender.

PubMed

Ferrari, Vera; Bruno, Nicola; Chattat, Rabih; Codispoti, Maurizio

2017-04-01

This study was designed to investigate the evolution of emotional processing over the whole adult life span as a function of stimulus arousal and participants' gender. To this end, self-reported affective evaluation and attentional capture prompted by pleasant and unpleasant pictures varying in arousal were measured in a large sample of participants (n = 211) balanced by gender and equally spread across seven decades from 20 to 90 years. Results showed age differences only for affective evaluation of pleasant stimuli, with opposite patterns depending on stimulus arousal. As age increased, low-arousing pleasant cues (e.g. images of babies) were experienced as more pleasant and arousing by both males and females, whereas high-arousing stimuli (e.g. erotic images) were experienced as less pleasant only by females. In contrast, emotional pictures (both pleasant and unpleasant) were effective at capturing attention in a similar way across participants, regardless of age and gender. Taken together, these findings suggest that specific emotional cues prompt different subjective responses across different age groups, while basic mechanisms involved in attentional engagement towards both pleasant and unpleasant stimuli are preserved in healthy ageing.

Suicidal Ideation of Probationers

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract. Background: Gender is often related to different life stressors and mental health disorders, but a limited amount of research examines risks of suicidal ideation of probationers by gender. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in suicidal ideation of probationers. Method: Using a national sample of 3,014 male and 1,306 female probationers with data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (2009–2011), multivariate regression analysis was conducted. Results: Male and female probationers display similar demographic characteristics although their life circumstances and experiences seem different. Female probationers in the study were more likely to experience financial, psychological, and residential stressors than male probationers were. Female probationers were also more likely to have received medical and/or psychiatric treatments. Female probationers were exposed to more suicidal ideation risks than male probationers were. Additionally, no protective factors to suicidal ideation were found for female probationers. Conclusion: The findings suggest that a gender-specific approach to suicidal ideation of probationers may lessen the prevalence of suicidal ideation of this largely neglected population. PMID:26648230

Tobacco control and gender in south-east Asia. Part II: Singapore and Vietnam.

PubMed

Morrow, Martha; Barraclough, Simon

2003-12-01

In the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region, being born male is the single greatest risk marker for tobacco use. While the literature demonstrates that risks associated with tobacco use may vary according to sex, gender refers to the socially determined roles and responsibilities of men and women, who initiate, continue and quit using tobacco for complex and often different reasons. Cigarette advertising frequently appeals to gender roles. Yet tobacco control policy tends to be gender-blind. Using a broad, gender-sensitivity framework, this contradiction is explored in four Western Pacific countries. Part I of the study presented the rationale, methodology and design of the study, discussed issues surrounding gender and tobacco, and analysed developments in Malaysia and the Philippines (see the previous issue of this journal). Part II deals with Singapore and Vietnam. In all four countries gender was salient for the initiation and maintenance of smoking. Yet, with a few exceptions, gender was largely unrecognized in control policy. Suggestions for overcoming this weakness in order to enhance tobacco control are made.

Tobacco control and gender in Southeast Asia. Part I: Malaysia and the Philippines.

PubMed

Morrow, Martha; Barraclough, Simon

2003-09-01

In the World Health Organization's Western Pacific Region, being born male is the single greatest risk marker for tobacco use. While the literature demonstrates that risks associated with tobacco use may vary according to sex, gender refers to the socially determined roles and responsibilities of men and women, who initiate, continue and quit using tobacco for complex and often different reasons. Cigarette advertising frequently appeals to gender roles. Yet tobacco control policy tends to be gender-blind. Using a broad gender-sensitivity framework, this contradiction is explored in four Western Pacific countries. Part I of the study discusses issues surrounding gender and tobacco, and analyses developments in Malaysia and the Philippines. Part II deals with Singapore and Vietnam. In all four countries, gender was salient for the initiation and maintenance of smoking, and in Malaysia and the Philippines was highly significant in cigarette promotion. Yet, with a few exceptions, gender was largely unrecognized in control policy. Suggestions for overcoming this weakness in order to enhance tobacco control are made in Part II.

Gender differences in the effects of community violence on mental health outcomes in a sample of low-income youth receiving psychiatric care.

PubMed

Javdani, Shabnam; Abdul-Adil, Jaleel; Suarez, Liza; Nichols, Sara R; Farmer, A David

2014-06-01

Previous research suggests that community violence impacts mental health outcomes, but much of this research has not (a) distinguished between different types of community violence, (b) examined gender differences, and (c) focused on youth living in urban poverty. The current study addresses these questions. Participants were 306 youth (23 % girls) and one parent/guardian receiving outpatient psychiatric services for disruptive behavior disorders in a large urban city. Youth and parents reported on youth's experience of different types of community violence (being a direct victim, hearing reports, and witnessing violence), and whether violence was directed toward a stranger or familiar. Outcomes included youth externalizing, internalizing, and posttraumatic stress symptoms assessed via parent and youth reports. Being a direct victim of violence accords risk for all mental health outcomes similarly for both boys and girls. However, gender differences emerged with respect to indirect violence, such that girls who hear reports of violence against people they know are at increased risk for all assessed mental health outcomes, and girls who witness violence against familiars are at increased risk for externalizing mental health symptoms in particular. There are gender differences in violence-related mental health etiology, with implications for intervention assessment and design.

A Multiple Identity Approach to Gender: Identification with Women, Identification with Feminists, and Their Interaction

PubMed Central

van Breen, Jolien A.; Spears, Russell; Kuppens, Toon; de Lemus, Soledad

2017-01-01

Across four studies, we examine multiple identities in the context of gender and propose that women's attitudes toward gender group membership are governed by two largely orthogonal dimensions of gender identity: identification with women and identification with feminists. We argue that identification with women reflects attitudes toward the content society gives to group membership: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of group characteristics, interests and values? Identification with feminists, on the other hand, is a politicized identity dimension reflecting attitudes toward the social position of the group: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of disadvantage, inequality, and relative status? We examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in four studies. Study 1 showed that identification with women reflects attitudes toward group characteristics, such as femininity and self-stereotyping, while identification with feminists reflects attitudes toward the group's social position, such as perceived sexism. The two dimensions are shown to be largely independent, and as such provide support for the multiple identity approach. In Studies 2–4, we examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in predicting qualitative differences in gender attitudes. Results show that specific combinations of identification with women and feminists predicted attitudes toward collective action and gender stereotypes. Higher identification with feminists led to endorsement of radical collective action (Study 2) and critical attitudes toward gender stereotypes (Studies 3–4), especially at lower levels of identification with women. The different combinations of high vs. low identification with women and feminists can be thought of as reflecting four theoretical identity “types.” A woman can be (1) strongly identified with neither women nor feminists (“low identifier”), (2) strongly identified with women but less so with feminists (“traditional identifier”), (3) strongly identified with both women and feminists (“dual identifier”), or (4) strongly identified with feminists but less so with women (“distinctive feminist”). In sum, by considering identification with women and identification with feminists as multiple identities we aim to show how the multiple identity approach predicts distinct attitudes to gender issues and offer a new perspective on gender identity. PMID:28713297

A Multiple Identity Approach to Gender: Identification with Women, Identification with Feminists, and Their Interaction.

PubMed

van Breen, Jolien A; Spears, Russell; Kuppens, Toon; de Lemus, Soledad

2017-01-01

Across four studies, we examine multiple identities in the context of gender and propose that women's attitudes toward gender group membership are governed by two largely orthogonal dimensions of gender identity: identification with women and identification with feminists. We argue that identification with women reflects attitudes toward the content society gives to group membership: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of group characteristics, interests and values? Identification with feminists, on the other hand, is a politicized identity dimension reflecting attitudes toward the social position of the group: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of disadvantage, inequality, and relative status? We examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in four studies. Study 1 showed that identification with women reflects attitudes toward group characteristics, such as femininity and self-stereotyping, while identification with feminists reflects attitudes toward the group's social position, such as perceived sexism. The two dimensions are shown to be largely independent, and as such provide support for the multiple identity approach. In Studies 2-4, we examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in predicting qualitative differences in gender attitudes. Results show that specific combinations of identification with women and feminists predicted attitudes toward collective action and gender stereotypes. Higher identification with feminists led to endorsement of radical collective action (Study 2) and critical attitudes toward gender stereotypes (Studies 3-4), especially at lower levels of identification with women. The different combinations of high vs. low identification with women and feminists can be thought of as reflecting four theoretical identity "types." A woman can be (1) strongly identified with neither women nor feminists ("low identifier"), (2) strongly identified with women but less so with feminists ("traditional identifier"), (3) strongly identified with both women and feminists ("dual identifier"), or (4) strongly identified with feminists but less so with women ("distinctive feminist"). In sum, by considering identification with women and identification with feminists as multiple identities we aim to show how the multiple identity approach predicts distinct attitudes to gender issues and offer a new perspective on gender identity.

Multiple host-plant use may arise from gender-specific fitness effects

PubMed Central

Gibbs, Melanie; Lace, Lesley A.; Jones, Martin J.; Moore, Allen J.

2006-01-01

Ovipositing females are predicted to select host-plants that will maximise offspring survival and fitness. Yet hosts often differ in the component of larval fitness affected so host-selection often involves a trade-off between short development times and large size and high fecundity of offspring. If host-species can directly affect development rates and body size, and if there are gender differences in resource allocation during development, there can be different sex-specific selection pressures associated with different hosts. Using a Madeiran population of the speckled wood butterfly Pararge aegeria (L.) as the model species gender differences in larval development and size were examined in response to the hosts Brachypodium sylvaticum, Holcus lanatus and Poa annua. It was observed that male and female P. aegeria larvae differed, with their responses dependent on the host species. These results would suggest that oviposition behavior is a complex process, and use of multiple hosts may have evolved to balance the conflicting needs of male and female larvae. Co-evolution of host selection and oviposition behaviors may help to balance the differing performance needs of offspring. PMID:19537967

Sex differences in aggression among children of low and high gender inequality backgrounds: a comparison of gender role and sexual selection theories.

PubMed

Nivette, Amy E; Eisner, Manuel; Malti, Tina; Ribeaud, Denis

2014-01-01

It is well understood in aggression research that males tend to exhibit higher levels of physical aggression than females. Yet there are still a number of gaps in our understanding of variation in sex differences in children's aggression, particularly in contexts outside North America. A key assumption of social role theory is that sex differences vary according to gender polarization, whereas sexual selection theory accords variation to the ecological environment that consequently affects male competition [Archer, J. (2009). Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32, 249-311; Kenrick, D., & Griskevicious, V. (2009). More holes in social roles [Comment]. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 32, 283-285]. In the present paper, we explore these contradicting theoretical frameworks by examining data from a longitudinal study of a culturally diverse sample of 863 children at ages 7-13 in Zurich, Switzerland. Making use of the large proportion of children from highly diverse immigrant background we compare the size of the sex difference in aggression between children whose parents were born in countries with low and with high levels of gender inequality. The results show that sex differences in aggression are generally larger among children with parents from high gender inequality backgrounds. However, this effect is small in comparison to the direct effect of a child's biological sex. We discuss implications for future research on sex differences in children's aggression. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Sex-role identification and violent victimization: gender differences in the role of masculinity.

PubMed

Daigle, Leah E; Mummert, Sadie J

2014-01-01

Although sex-role identification has been found to be associated with crime and delinquency, the link between sex-role identification and violent victimization has remained largely unexplored. Using the Add Health data, this study examines sex-role identification and its relationship to violent victimization. The findings suggest that masculinity increases the risk of violent victimization for males, but does not for females. Other differences in risk factors across gender were also found. These findings indicate that masculinity is an important construct in understanding the complexity of why some persons are violently victimized and others are not.

Explaining the Gender Gap: Comparing Undergraduate and Graduate/Faculty Beliefs about Talent Required for Success in Academic Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, Kimberlyn; Nanthakumar, Ampalavanar; Preston, Scott; Ilie, Carolina C.

Recent research has proposed that the gender gap in academia is caused by differing perceptions of how much talent is needed to succeed in various fields. It was found that, across the STEM/non-STEM divide, the more that graduate students and faculty see success in their own field as requiring as requiring talent, the fewer women participate in that field. This research examines whether undergraduate students share these attitudes. If these attitudes trickle down to the undergraduate population to influence students to choose different fields of study, then undergraduate beliefs should reflect those of graduate students and faculty. Using a large survey of undergraduates across the country, this study aims to characterize undergraduate attitudes and to determine variables that explain the differences between the attitudes of these two populations. Our findings suggest that the two populations have similar beliefs, but that undergraduate beliefs are strongly influenced by information about the gender ratio in each field and that this strong influence greatly differs between STEM and non-STEM fields. These findings seek to help direct future research to ask the right questions and propose plausible hypotheses about gender the imbalance in academia.

Sex differences in social focus across the life cycle in humans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Kunal; Ghosh, Asim; Monsivais, Daniel; Dunbar, Robin I. M.; Kaski, Kimmo

2016-04-01

Age and gender are two important factors that play crucial roles in the way organisms allocate their social effort. In this study, we analyse a large mobile phone dataset to explore the way life history influences human sociality and the way social networks are structured. Our results indicate that these aspects of human behaviour are strongly related to age and gender such that younger individuals have more contacts and, among them, males more than females. However, the rate of decrease in the number of contacts with age differs between males and females, such that there is a reversal in the number of contacts around the late 30s. We suggest that this pattern can be attributed to the difference in reproductive investments that are made by the two sexes. We analyse the inequality in social investment patterns and suggest that the age- and gender-related differences we find reflect the constraints imposed by reproduction in a context where time (a form of social capital) is limited.

Human Capital Investment and the Gender Division of Labor in a Brawn-Based Economy

PubMed Central

Pitt, Mark M.; Rosenzweig, Mark R.; Hassan, Nazmul

2013-01-01

We use a model of human capital investment and activity choice to explain facts describing gender differentials in the levels and returns to human capital investments. These include the higher return to and level of schooling, the small effect of healthiness on wages, and the large effect of healthiness on schooling for females relative to males. The model incorporates gender differences in the level and responsiveness of brawn to nutrition in a Roy-economy setting in which activities reward skill and brawn differentially. Empirical evidence from rural Bangladesh provides support for the model and the importance of the distribution of brawn. PMID:25152536

Different Patterns of Student-Faculty Interaction in Research Universities: An Analysis by Student Gender, Race, SES, and First-Generation Status. A Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Project Research Paper. Research & Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.10.07

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Young K.; Sax, Linda J.

2007-01-01

This study examined the conditional effects of student-faculty interaction in a large research university system, based on various student characteristics including gender, race, and socio-economic and first-generation status. The study utilized data from the 2006 University of California Undergraduate Experience Survey (UCUES), a longitudinal…

What Are Reasons for the Large Gender Differences in the Lethality of Suicidal Acts? An Epidemiological Analysis in Four European Countries

PubMed Central

Heinrichs, Katherina; Székely, András; Tóth, Mónika Ditta; Coyne, James; Quintão, Sónia; Arensman, Ella; Coffey, Claire; Maxwell, Margaret; Värnik, Airi; van Audenhove, Chantal; McDaid, David; Sarchiapone, Marco; Schmidtke, Armin; Genz, Axel; Gusmão, Ricardo; Hegerl, Ulrich

2015-01-01

Background In Europe, men have lower rates of attempted suicide compared to women and at the same time a higher rate of completed suicides, indicating major gender differences in lethality of suicidal behaviour. The aim of this study was to analyse the extent to which these gender differences in lethality can be explained by factors such as choice of more lethal methods or lethality differences within the same suicide method or age. In addition, we explored gender differences in the intentionality of suicide attempts. Methods and Findings Methods. Design: Epidemiological study using a combination of self-report and official data. Setting: Mental health care services in four European countries: Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and Portugal. Data basis: Completed suicides derived from official statistics for each country (767 acts, 74.4% male) and assessed suicide attempts excluding habitual intentional self-harm (8,175 acts, 43.2% male). Main Outcome Measures and Data Analysis. We collected data on suicidal acts in eight regions of four European countries participating in the EU-funded “OSPI-Europe”-project (www.ospi-europe.com). We calculated method-specific lethality using the number of completed suicides per method * 100 / (number of completed suicides per method + number of attempted suicides per method). We tested gender differences in the distribution of suicidal acts for significance by using the χ2-test for two-by-two tables. We assessed the effect sizes with phi coefficients (φ). We identified predictors of lethality with a binary logistic regression analysis. Poisson regression analysis examined the contribution of choice of methods and method-specific lethality to gender differences in the lethality of suicidal acts. Findings Main Results Suicidal acts (fatal and non-fatal) were 3.4 times more lethal in men than in women (lethality 13.91% (regarding 4106 suicidal acts) versus 4.05% (regarding 4836 suicidal acts)), the difference being significant for the methods hanging, jumping, moving objects, sharp objects and poisoning by substances other than drugs. Median age at time of suicidal behaviour (35–44 years) did not differ between males and females. The overall gender difference in lethality of suicidal behaviour was explained by males choosing more lethal suicide methods (odds ratio (OR) = 2.03; 95% CI = 1.65 to 2.50; p < 0.000001) and additionally, but to a lesser degree, by a higher lethality of suicidal acts for males even within the same method (OR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.32 to 2.02; p = 0.000005). Results of a regression analysis revealed neither age nor country differences were significant predictors for gender differences in the lethality of suicidal acts. The proportion of serious suicide attempts among all non-fatal suicidal acts with known intentionality (NFSAi) was significantly higher in men (57.1%; 1,207 of 2,115 NFSAi) than in women (48.6%; 1,508 of 3,100 NFSAi) (χ2 = 35.74; p < 0.000001). Main limitations of the study Due to restrictive data security regulations to ensure anonymity in Ireland, specific ages could not be provided because of the relatively low absolute numbers of suicide in the Irish intervention and control region. Therefore, analyses of the interaction between gender and age could only be conducted for three of the four countries. Attempted suicides were assessed for patients presenting to emergency departments or treated in hospitals. An unknown rate of attempted suicides remained undetected. This may have caused an overestimation of the lethality of certain methods. Moreover, the detection of attempted suicides and the registration of completed suicides might have differed across the four countries. Some suicides might be hidden and misclassified as undetermined deaths. Conclusions Men more often used highly lethal methods in suicidal behaviour, but there was also a higher method-specific lethality which together explained the large gender differences in the lethality of suicidal acts. Gender differences in the lethality of suicidal acts were fairly consistent across all four European countries examined. Males and females did not differ in age at time of suicidal behaviour. Suicide attempts by males were rated as being more serious independent of the method used, with the exceptions of attempted hanging, suggesting gender differences in intentionality associated with suicidal behaviour. These findings contribute to understanding of the spectrum of reasons for gender differences in the lethality of suicidal behaviour and should inform the development of gender specific strategies for suicide prevention. PMID:26147965

Psychosocial Concerns of Sexual Minority Youth: Complexity and Caution in Group Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poteat, V. Paul; Aragon, Steven R.; Espelage, Dorothy L.; Koenig, Brian W.

2009-01-01

This investigation tested a large adolescent sample (n = 14,439) for significant group differences on psychosocial concerns on the basis of intersecting identities of sexual orientation (lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning/less certain, heterosexual), race (Whites, racial minorities), and gender (boys, girls). A significant 2-way interaction…

Generation and Gender Differences in Causal Attributions of Parenting Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride, Angela Barron; Austin, Joan Kessner

The social psychology literature largely ignores attribution patterns made by both sexes of differing generations on an activity with salience for both sexes. "Parenting" is an activity with such salience. In estimating parental success for stimulus situations involving parent-child interactions, undergraduates and their parents were virtually…

Beliefs about Romantic Relationships: Gender Differences among Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abowitz, Deborah A.; Knox, David; Zusman, Marty; McNeely, Andrea

2009-01-01

Three-hundred-and-twenty six undergraduates at a large southeastern university completed an anonymous 74-item questionnaire designed to assess beliefs about men, women, and relationships. Significant differences between men's and women's beliefs about romantic relationships were found on eight of 14 items. Men were significantly more likely to…

An interim report on the MCAT Essay Pilot Project.

PubMed

Koenig, J A; Mitchell, K J

1988-01-01

Results from four pilot administrations of the Medical College Admission Test essay question are reported. Analyses focused on (a) the performance characteristics of sample groups differentiated by gender, size of hometown, race/ethnicity, and dominant language; (b) the relationships between essay scores and academic/demographic characteristics; and (c) the reliability of one 45-minute versus two 30-minute essays. No differences were found for examinees grouped by gender and size of home community. Mean differences among the racial/ethnic groups were explained largely by reading level differences. Differences in essay performance by language group were large and unexplained by reading level differences. No relationship was found between the essay score and the academic/demographic characteristics. Reliability estimates for two 30-minute essays were higher than for one 45-minute essay; however, the 30-minute period yielded writing of poorer quality. Test-retest reliabilities for the 45-minute topics will remain the focus of future studies as will performance by examinees for whom English is a second language. The impact of the essay on the selection process will also be assessed.

Gender differences in predicting high-risk drinking among undergraduate students.

PubMed

Wilke, Dina J; Siebert, Darcy Clay; Delva, Jorge; Smith, Michael P; Howell, Richard L

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in college students' high-risk drinking as measured by an estimated blood alcohol concentration (eBAC) based on gender, height, weight, self-reported number of drinks, and hours spent drinking. Using a developmental/contextual framework, high-risk drinking is conceptualized as a function of relevant individual characteristics, interpersonal factors, and contextual factors regularly mentioned in the college drinking literature. Individual characteristics include race, gender, and age; interpersonal characteristics include number of sexual partners and having experienced forced sexual contact. Finally, contextual factors include Greek membership, living off-campus, and perception of peer drinking behavior. This study is a secondary data analysis of 1,422 students at a large university in the Southeast. Data were gathered from a probability sample of students through a mail survey. A three-step hierarchical logistic regression analysis showed gender differences in the pathway for high-risk drinking. For men, high-risk drinking was predicted by a combination of individual characteristics and contextual factors. For women, interpersonal factors, along with individual characteristics and contextual factors, predicted high-risk drinking, highlighting the importance of understanding female sexual relationships and raising questions about women's risk-taking behavior. Implications for prevention and assessment are discussed.

Breakout session: Ethnic and gender differences in diabetic foot management and amputations.

PubMed

Johnson, Anthony E; Lavernia, Carlos

2011-07-01

Although the health status of all Americans has improved substantially in the past century, gender and ethnic disparities still persist. Gender and ethnic disparities in diabetic foot management and amputations are an important but largely ignored issue in musculoskeletal health care. Our purposes were to (1) clarify where we are now, (2) describe ways to get where we need to go, and (3) suggest solutions for how we get there, with respect to gender and ethnic disparities in diabetic foot management and amputations. WHERE ARE WE NOW?: Studies investigating socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and biologic contributing factors on gender and ethnic musculoskeletal healthcare disparities have found no single root cause. Studies into disparities in diabetic foot management and amputation have discordant methodologies and most are retrospective. Effective intervention strategies to eliminate these disparities are nonexistent. WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?: The orthopaedic leadership should lead the movement to create a clearly defined strategy and assist young investigators to gain access to large datasets to study this problem. Orthopaedic specialty society leaders should help to create valid outcome tools, especially on peripheral vascular disease and amputations. HOW DO WE GET THERE?: The working group proposed a three-pronged strategy of education, research, and advocacy to help address this problem.

Personality and the gender gap in self-employment: a multi-nation study.

PubMed

Obschonka, Martin; Schmitt-Rodermund, Eva; Terracciano, Antonio

2014-01-01

What role does personality play in the pervasive gender gap in entrepreneurship across the globe? This two-study analysis focuses on self-employment in the working population and underlying gender differences in personality characteristics, thereby considering both single trait dimensions as well as a holistic, configural personality approach. Applying the five-factor model of personality, Study 1, our main study, investigates mediation models in the prediction of self-employment status utilizing self-reported personality data from large-scaled longitudinal datasets collected in the U.S., Germany, the U.K., and Australia (total N = 28,762). Study 2 analyzes (observer-rated) Big Five data collected in 51 cultures (total N = 12,156) to take a more global perspective and to explore the pancultural universality of gender differences in entrepreneurial personality characteristics. Across the four countries investigated in Study 1, none of the major five dimension of personality turned out as a consistent and robust mediator. In contrast, the holistic, configural approach yielded consistent and robust mediation results. Across the four countries, males scored higher on an entrepreneurship-prone personality profile, which in turn predicted self-employment status. These results suggest that gender differences in the intra-individual configuration of personality traits contribute to the gender gap in entrepreneurship across the globe. With the restriction of limited representativeness, the data from Study 2 suggest that the gender difference in the entrepreneurship-prone personality profile (males score higher) is widespread across many cultures, but may not exist in all. The results are discussed with an emphasis on implications for research and practice, which a particular focus on the need for more complex models that incorporate the role of personality.

Personality and the Gender Gap in Self-Employment: A Multi-Nation Study

PubMed Central

Obschonka, Martin; Schmitt-Rodermund, Eva; Terracciano, Antonio

2014-01-01

What role does personality play in the pervasive gender gap in entrepreneurship across the globe? This two-study analysis focuses on self-employment in the working population and underlying gender differences in personality characteristics, thereby considering both single trait dimensions as well as a holistic, configural personality approach. Applying the five-factor model of personality, Study 1, our main study, investigates mediation models in the prediction of self-employment status utilizing self-reported personality data from large-scaled longitudinal datasets collected in the U.S., Germany, the U.K., and Australia (total N = 28,762). Study 2 analyzes (observer-rated) Big Five data collected in 51 cultures (total N = 12,156) to take a more global perspective and to explore the pancultural universality of gender differences in entrepreneurial personality characteristics. Across the four countries investigated in Study 1, none of the major five dimension of personality turned out as a consistent and robust mediator. In contrast, the holistic, configural approach yielded consistent and robust mediation results. Across the four countries, males scored higher on an entrepreneurship-prone personality profile, which in turn predicted self-employment status. These results suggest that gender differences in the intra-individual configuration of personality traits contribute to the gender gap in entrepreneurship across the globe. With the restriction of limited representativeness, the data from Study 2 suggest that the gender difference in the entrepreneurship-prone personality profile (males score higher) is widespread across many cultures, but may not exist in all. The results are discussed with an emphasis on implications for research and practice, which a particular focus on the need for more complex models that incorporate the role of personality. PMID:25089706

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.

Infant Temperament: Stability by Age, Gender, Birth Order, Term Status, and SES

PubMed Central

Bornstein, Marc H.; Putnick, Diane L.; Gartstein, Maria A.; Hahn, Chun-Shin; Auestad, Nancy; O’Connor, Deborah L.

2015-01-01

Two complementary studies focused on stability of infant temperament across the first year and considered infant age, gender, birth order, term status, and socioeconomic status (SES) as moderators. Study 1 consisted of 73 mothers of firstborn term girls and boys queried at 2, 5, and 13 months of age. Study 2 consisted of 335 mothers of infants of different gender, birth order, term status, and SES queried at 6 and 12 months. Consistent positive and negative affectivity factors emerged at all time-points across both studies. Infant temperament proved stable and robust across gender, birth order, term status, and SES. Stability coefficients for temperament factors and scales were medium to large for shorter (<9 months) inter-assessment intervals and small to medium for longer (>10 months) intervals. PMID:25865034

Gender Differences in the Consequences of Divorce: A Study of Multiple Outcomes.

PubMed

Leopold, Thomas

2018-06-01

In this study, I examined gender differences in the consequences of divorce by tracing annual change in 20 outcome measures covering four domains: economic, housing and domestic, health and well-being, and social. I used data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP) and fixed-effects panel regression models on a sample of N = 18,030 individuals initially observed in a marital union, N = 1,220 of whom divorced across the observation period (1984-2015). Three main findings emerged from the analysis. First, men were more vulnerable to short-term consequences of divorce for subjective measures of well-being, but postdivorce adaptation alleviated gender differences in these outcomes. Second, a medium-term view on multiple outcomes showed more similarity than differences between women and men. The medium-term consequences of divorce were similar in terms of subjective economic well-being; mental health, physical health, and psychological well-being; residential moves, homeownership, and satisfaction with housework; and chances of repartnering, social integration with friends and relatives, and feelings of loneliness. Third, the key domain in which large and persistent gender differences emerged were women's disproportionate losses in household income and associated increases in their risk of poverty and single parenting. Taken together, these findings suggest that men's disproportionate strain of divorce is transient, whereas women's is chronic.

Association between subjective actual sleep duration, subjective sleep need, age, body mass index, and gender in a large sample of young adults.

PubMed

Kalak, Nadeem; Brand, Serge; Beck, Johannes; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Wollmer, M Axel

2015-01-01

Poor sleep is a major health concern, and there is evidence that young adults are at increased risk of suffering from poor sleep. There is also evidence that sleep duration can vary as a function of gender and body mass index (BMI). We sought to replicate these findings in a large sample of young adults, and also tested the hypothesis that a smaller gap between subjective sleep duration and subjective sleep need is associated with a greater feeling of being restored. A total of 2,929 university students (mean age 23.24±3.13 years, 69.1% female) took part in an Internet-based survey. They answered questions related to demographics and subjective sleep patterns. We found no gender differences in subjective sleep duration, subjective sleep need, BMI, age, or feeling of being restored. Nonlinear associations were observed between subjective sleep duration, BMI, and feeling of being restored. Moreover, a larger discrepancy between subjective actual sleep duration and subjective sleep need was associated with a lower feeling of being restored. The present pattern of results from a large sample of young adults suggests that males and females do not differ with respect to subjective sleep duration, BMI, or feeling of being restored. Moreover, nonlinear correlations seemed to provide a more accurate reflection of the relationship between subjective sleep and demographic variables.

Differences in STEM doctoral publication by ethnicity, gender and academic field at a large public research university.

PubMed

Mendoza-Denton, Rodolfo; Patt, Colette; Fisher, Aaron; Eppig, Andrew; Young, Ira; Smith, Andrew; Richards, Mark A

2017-01-01

Two independent surveys of PhD students in STEM fields at the University of California, Berkeley, indicate that underrepresented minorities (URMs) publish at significantly lower rates than non-URM males, placing the former at a significant disadvantage as they compete for postdoctoral and faculty positions. Differences as a function of gender reveal a similar, though less consistent, pattern. A conspicuous exception is Berkeley's College of Chemistry, where publication rates are tightly clustered as a function of ethnicity and gender, and where PhD students experience a highly structured program that includes early and systematic involvement in research, as well as clear expectations for publishing. Social science research supports the hypothesis that this more structured environment hastens the successful induction of diverse groups into the high-performance STEM academic track.

Differences in STEM doctoral publication by ethnicity, gender and academic field at a large public research university

PubMed Central

Patt, Colette; Fisher, Aaron; Eppig, Andrew; Young, Ira; Smith, Andrew; Richards, Mark A.

2017-01-01

Two independent surveys of PhD students in STEM fields at the University of California, Berkeley, indicate that underrepresented minorities (URMs) publish at significantly lower rates than non-URM males, placing the former at a significant disadvantage as they compete for postdoctoral and faculty positions. Differences as a function of gender reveal a similar, though less consistent, pattern. A conspicuous exception is Berkeley’s College of Chemistry, where publication rates are tightly clustered as a function of ethnicity and gender, and where PhD students experience a highly structured program that includes early and systematic involvement in research, as well as clear expectations for publishing. Social science research supports the hypothesis that this more structured environment hastens the successful induction of diverse groups into the high-performance STEM academic track. PMID:28380061

The Role of Gender in the Employment, Career Perception and Research Performance of Recent PhD Graduates from Dutch Universities

PubMed Central

Waaijer, Cathelijn J. F.; Sonneveld, Hans; Buitendijk, Simone E.; van Bochove, Cornelis A.; van der Weijden, Inge C. M.

2016-01-01

Recent decades have seen a sharp increase in the number of female PhD graduates in the Netherlands. Currently, the share of females among newly graduated PhDs is almost on par with that of males. A considerable body of scientific studies has investigated the role of gender in the academic workplace. However, the role of gender in the careers of all PhD graduates, including those outside academia, has been studied less. In this study, we investigate gender differences in type of job, occupation, career perception and research performance of recent PhDs. The study is based on a survey of persons who obtained a PhD from one of five Dutch universities between 2008 and early 2012. We show that gender differences in post-PhD careers are non-existent in some aspects studied, but there are small differences in other aspects, such as sector of employment, type of contract, involvement in teaching and management, and career perception. In contrast, male and female PhDs differ sharply on two factors. The first is field of PhD, females being heavily underrepresented in engineering and the natural sciences. The second is part-time employment, females being much more likely to work part-time than males, especially if they work in the Netherlands. In later career stages, the combination of the small and large differences can be presumed to affect the career progression of female PhDs through cumulative disadvantage. PMID:27736968

The Role of Gender in the Employment, Career Perception and Research Performance of Recent PhD Graduates from Dutch Universities.

PubMed

Waaijer, Cathelijn J F; Sonneveld, Hans; Buitendijk, Simone E; van Bochove, Cornelis A; van der Weijden, Inge C M

2016-01-01

Recent decades have seen a sharp increase in the number of female PhD graduates in the Netherlands. Currently, the share of females among newly graduated PhDs is almost on par with that of males. A considerable body of scientific studies has investigated the role of gender in the academic workplace. However, the role of gender in the careers of all PhD graduates, including those outside academia, has been studied less. In this study, we investigate gender differences in type of job, occupation, career perception and research performance of recent PhDs. The study is based on a survey of persons who obtained a PhD from one of five Dutch universities between 2008 and early 2012. We show that gender differences in post-PhD careers are non-existent in some aspects studied, but there are small differences in other aspects, such as sector of employment, type of contract, involvement in teaching and management, and career perception. In contrast, male and female PhDs differ sharply on two factors. The first is field of PhD, females being heavily underrepresented in engineering and the natural sciences. The second is part-time employment, females being much more likely to work part-time than males, especially if they work in the Netherlands. In later career stages, the combination of the small and large differences can be presumed to affect the career progression of female PhDs through cumulative disadvantage.

Characterization of the human aqueous humour proteome: A comparison of the genders.

PubMed

Perumal, Natarajan; Manicam, Caroline; Steinicke, Matthias; Funke, Sebastian; Pfeiffer, Norbert; Grus, Franz H

2017-01-01

Aqueous humour (AH) is an important biologic fluid that maintains normal intraocular pressure and contains proteins that regulate the homeostasis of ocular tissues. Any alterations in the protein compositions are correlated to the pathogenesis of various ocular disorders. In recent years, gender-based medicine has emerged as an important research focus considering the prevalence of certain diseases, which are higher in a particular sex. Nevertheless, the inter-gender variations in the AH proteome are unknown. Therefore, this study endeavoured to characterize the AH proteome to assess the differences between genders. Thirty AH samples of patients who underwent cataract surgery were categorized according to their gender. Label-free quantitative discovery mass spectrometry-based proteomics strategy was employed to characterize the AH proteome. A total of 147 proteins were identified with a false discovery rate of less than 1% and only the top 10 major AH proteins make up almost 90% of the total identified proteins. A large number of proteins identified were correlated to defence, immune and inflammatory mechanisms, and response to wounding. Four proteins were found to be differentially abundant between the genders, comprising SERPINF1, SERPINA3, SERPING1 and PTGDS. The findings emerging from our study provide the first insight into the gender-based proteome differences in the AH and also highlight the importance in considering potential sex-dependent changes in the proteome of ocular pathologies in future studies employing the AH.

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

Production activities and economic dependency by age and gender in Europe: A cross-country comparison

PubMed Central

Hammer, Bernhard; Prskawetz, Alexia; Freund, Inga

2015-01-01

We compare selected European countries using an economic dependency ratio which emphasizes the role of age-specific levels of production and consumption. Our analysis reveals large differences in the age- and gender-specific level and type of production activities across selected European countries and identifies possible strategies to adjust age-specific economic behaviour to an ageing population. The cross-country differences in economic dependency of children and elderly persons are largely determined by the age at which people enter, respectively exit, the labour market. The ability of the working age population to support children and elderly persons in turn is strongly influenced by the participation of women in paid work. We also provide a measure for the age-specific production and consumption in form of unpaid household work. The inclusion of unpaid household work leads to a decrease of the gender differences in production activities and indicates that the working age population supports children and elderly persons not only through monetary transfers but also through services produced by unpaid work (e.g. childcare, cooking, cleaning…). Given the available data, we cannot distinguish the age profile of consumption by gender and have to assume – in case of unpaid work - that each member of the household consumes the same. Hence, our results have to be regarded as a first approximation only. Our paper aims to argue that a reform of the welfare system needs to take into account not only public transfers but also private transfers, in particular the transfers in form of goods and services produced through unpaid household work. PMID:26110107

Production activities and economic dependency by age and gender in Europe: A cross-country comparison.

PubMed

Hammer, Bernhard; Prskawetz, Alexia; Freund, Inga

2015-04-01

We compare selected European countries using an economic dependency ratio which emphasizes the role of age-specific levels of production and consumption. Our analysis reveals large differences in the age- and gender-specific level and type of production activities across selected European countries and identifies possible strategies to adjust age-specific economic behaviour to an ageing population. The cross-country differences in economic dependency of children and elderly persons are largely determined by the age at which people enter, respectively exit, the labour market. The ability of the working age population to support children and elderly persons in turn is strongly influenced by the participation of women in paid work. We also provide a measure for the age-specific production and consumption in form of unpaid household work. The inclusion of unpaid household work leads to a decrease of the gender differences in production activities and indicates that the working age population supports children and elderly persons not only through monetary transfers but also through services produced by unpaid work (e.g. childcare, cooking, cleaning…). Given the available data, we cannot distinguish the age profile of consumption by gender and have to assume - in case of unpaid work - that each member of the household consumes the same. Hence, our results have to be regarded as a first approximation only. Our paper aims to argue that a reform of the welfare system needs to take into account not only public transfers but also private transfers, in particular the transfers in form of goods and services produced through unpaid household work.

Proceedings of the Working Group Session on Fertility Preservation for Individuals with Gender and Sex Diversity.

PubMed

Finlayson, Courtney; Johnson, Emilie K; Chen, Diane; Dabrowski, Elizabeth; Gosiengfiao, Yasmin; Campo-Engelstein, Lisa; Rosoklija, Ilina; Jacobson, Jill; Shnorhavorian, Margarett; Pavone, Mary Ellen; Moravek, Molly B; Bonifacio, Herbert J; Simons, Lisa; Hudson, Janella; Fechner, Patricia Y; Gomez-Lobo, Veronica; Kadakia, Rachel; Shurba, Angela; Rowell, Erin; Woodruff, Teresa K

2016-01-01

Children and adolescents with gender and sex diversity include (1) gender-nonconforming and transgender individuals for whom gender identity or expression are incongruent with birth-assigned sex (heretofore, transgender) and (2) individuals who have differences in sex development (DSD). Although these are largely disparate groups, there is overlap in the medical expertise necessary to care for individuals with both gender and sex diversity. In addition, both groups face potential infertility or sterility as a result of desired medical and surgical therapies. The Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (Lurie Children's) gender and sex development program (GSDP) provides specialized multidisciplinary care for both transgender and DSD patients. In response to patient concerns that recommended medical treatments have the potential to affect fertility, the Lurie Children's GSDP team partnered with experts from the Oncofertility Consortium at Northwestern University to expand fertility preservation options to gender and sex diverse youth. This article summarizes the results of a meeting of experts across this field at the annual Oncofertility Consortium conference with thoughts on next steps toward a unified protocol for this patient group.

Are Women in Turkey Both Risks and Resources in Disaster Management?

PubMed Central

Işık, Özden; Özer, Naşide; Sayın, Nurdan; Mishal, Afet; Gündoğdu, Oğuz; Özçep, Ferhat

2015-01-01

From a global perspective, the universality of gender-related societal issues is particularly significant. Although gender inequality is considered a sociological problem, the large number of female victims in disasters warrants an assessment of disaster management sciences. In this article, related concepts are discussed based on their relevance sociologically and in disaster management to develop a common terminology and examine this complex topic, which is rooted in different social profiles and anthropological heterogeneity throughout the world. A brief history is discussed, and significant examples are provided from different disasters in Turkey to illustrate why a woman-oriented approach should be adopted when evaluating concepts of gender inequality. Observations of disasters have shown that it is important to apply international standards (humanitarian charter and minimum disaster response standards), especially during periods of response and rehabilitation. Relevant factors related to gender should be included in these standards, such as women’s health and hygiene, which will be discussed in more detail. A woman-based approach is designed in relation to two aspects: risks and resources. Thus, gender-sensitive methods of mitigating and preventing disasters are provided. The main purpose of the article is to contribute to the development of a universal culture that prioritizes gender in disaster management. PMID:26016435

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.

Gender roles in persistent sex differences in health-related quality-of-life outcomes of patients with coronary artery disease.

PubMed

Norris, Colleen M; Murray, Joshua W; Triplett, Leona S; Hegadoren, Kathleen M

2010-08-01

The increased recognition of significant sex/gender differences in health status outcomes, and the implications for clinical practice and service delivery, has led to calls for more gender sensitivity and specificity in research endeavors as well as within clinical practice. Previous investigations by our research group have consistently identified important sex differences in both changes in health status from baseline to 1 year and in health status outcomes of patients treated for coronary artery disease (CAD), with women reporting poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL) compared with men. The objective of this study was to examine whether persistent sex differences in the health status of patients with CAD may be attributed to social factors such as gender roles. Sex differences in baseline clinical and demographic characteristics of patients who completed the 1-year follow-up survey were examined using t tests and χ(2) analyses. Structural equation modeling, an inclusive statistical modeling approach for testing hypotheses about relationships among measured and latent variables (concepts not observed or measured directly), was used to test our theoretical model. HRQoL data were collected on 2403 patients 1 year after index catheterization. The results indicated that the model fit was substantially improved by the addition of the conceptualized gender-role variable. Furthermore, there was a significant effect of gender role on QoL (-0.106; P < 0.05). Age, coronary anatomy, ejection fraction, physical limitation, anginal frequency, and gender role variables in this model were able to explain 51% of the variance in HRQoL. In particular, reported physical limitations, anginal frequency, and gender role had large statistically significant direct effects on HRQoL. Advances in the treatment of CAD have led to significant decreases in mortality rates. Our current challenge is to minimize the long-term impact of CAD on HRQoL outcomes. While a substantial body of literature has examined the correlations between gender-role attributes and a wide variety of both positive and negative outcomes, this area has not been explored in patients with cardiovascular disease. These findings suggest that further study of the influence of gender role (using a gender-role measurement) on HRQoL is needed. Copyright © 2010 Excerpta Medica Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in teachers' perceptions of students' temperament, educational competence, and teachability.

PubMed

Mullola, Sari; Ravaja, Niklas; Lipsanen, Jari; Alatupa, Saija; Hintsanen, Mirka; Jokela, Markus; Keltikangas-Järvinen, Liisa

2012-06-01

Student's temperament plays a significant role in teacher's perception of the student's learning style, educational competence (EC), and teachability. Hence, temperament contributes to student's academic achievement and teacher's subjective ratings of school grades. However, little is known about the effect of gender and teacher's age on this association. We examined the effect of teacher's and student's gender and teacher's age on teacher-perceived temperament, EC, and teachability, and whether there is significant same gender or different gender association between teachers and students in this relationship. The participants were population-based sample of 3,212 Finnish adolescents (M= 15.1 years) and 221 subject teachers. Temperament was assessed with Temperament Assessment Battery for Children - Revised and Revised Dimensions of Temperament Survey batteries and EC with three subscales covering Cognitive ability, Motivation, and Maturity. Data were analyzed with multi-level modelling. Teachers perceived boys' temperament and EC more negatively than girls'. However, the differences between boys and girls were not as large when perceived by male teachers, as they were when perceived by female teachers. Males perceived boys more positively and more capable in EC and teachability than females. They were also stricter regarding their perceptions of girls' traits. With increasing age, males perceived boys' inhibition as higher and mood lower. Generally, the older the teacher, the more mature he/she perceived the student. Teachers' ratings varied systematically by their gender and age, and by students' gender. This bias may have an effect on school grades and needs be taken into consideration in teacher education. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

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.

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.

State-level women's status and psychiatric disorders among US women.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Katie A; Xuan, Ziming; Subramanian, S V; Koenen, Karestan C

2011-11-01

Although greater gender equality at the state-level is associated with fewer depressive symptoms in women after controlling for individual-level confounders, the extent to which state-level women's status is related to psychiatric disorders in women and gender differences in psychopathology has never been examined. We examined these associations in the current report. We used data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (n=34,653), a national probability sample of US adults. Respondents completed structured diagnostic assessments of DSM-IV psychiatric disorders. We used generalized estimating equations to examine associations between four state-level indicators of women's status (political participation, employment/earnings, social/economic autonomy, and reproductive rights) and odds of 12-month mood and anxiety disorders among women. We also tested whether women's status predicted the magnitude of gender differences in psychiatric disorders. State-level political participation, employment/earnings, and social/economic autonomy were unrelated to odds of 12-month mood and anxiety disorders among women. However, the prevalence of major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder was lower in states where women have greater reproductive rights (OR 0.93-0.95), controlling for individual-level risk factors. None of the women's status indicators predicted gender differences in mood and anxiety disorder prevalence. State-level women's status was largely unrelated to mood and anxiety disorders in women or to gender differences in these disorders. Investigation of social factors that play a role in shaping the distribution of individual-level risk factors that are associated with gender disparities in psychiatric disorders represents an important avenue for future research.

Examining gender difference in adult-onset psychosis in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Hui, Christy L-M; Leung, Chung-Ming; Chang, Wing-Chung; Chan, Sherry K-W; Lee, Edwin H-M; Chen, Eric Y-H

2016-08-01

Gender-specific treatment strategies for psychosis have been suggested in recent years. Data on gender difference were largely consistent regarding premorbid functioning, age of onset and negative symptoms; however, results regarding neurocognitive function and duration of untreated psychosis were mixed and inconclusive. In this study, we aimed at a thorough examination on the gender differences in 360 Chinese patients with first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong. From June 2009 to August 2011, participants were consecutively recruited from a population-based territory-wide study of early psychosis targeting first-episode psychosis in Hong Kong. Comprehensive data on basic demographics, premorbid functioning and schizoid and schizotypal traits, clinical, functioning, medication side effects and a battery of neurocognitive measures were collected upon entry into the service. In 360 patients with first-episode psychosis aged between 26 and 55 years, 43.6% (n = 157) were male and 56.4% (n = 203) were female. Males had poorer premorbid functioning and adjustment, earlier age of onset, more negative symptoms and poorer functioning in terms of work productivity, independent living and immediate social network relationships at presentation of first-episode psychosis. Interestingly, our data indicate that males tend to be more educated, and also characterized by higher IQ, better neurocognitive performance on visual domain compared with females. Duration of untreated psychosis was not different between the two genders. Data from this homogeneous cohort of Chinese populations enabled tailored and culturally sensitive recommendation on gender-specific treatment strategies, hence improving patients' care and facilitate better diagnostic and interventional decisions for patients with psychosis. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

"Brave Men" and "Emotional Women": A Theory-Guided Literature Review on Gender Bias in Health Care and Gendered Norms towards Patients with Chronic Pain.

PubMed

Samulowitz, Anke; Gremyr, Ida; Eriksson, Erik; Hensing, Gunnel

2018-01-01

Despite the large body of research on sex differences in pain, there is a lack of knowledge about the influence of gender in the patient-provider encounter. The purpose of this study was to review literature on gendered norms about men and women with pain and gender bias in the treatment of pain. The second aim was to analyze the results guided by the theoretical concepts of hegemonic masculinity and andronormativity. A literature search of databases was conducted. A total of 77 articles met the inclusion criteria. The included articles were analyzed qualitatively, with an integrative approach. The included studies demonstrated a variety of gendered norms about men's and women's experience and expression of pain, their identity, lifestyle, and coping style. Gender bias in pain treatment was identified, as part of the patient-provider encounter and the professional's treatment decisions. It was discussed how gendered norms are consolidated by hegemonic masculinity and andronormativity. Awareness about gendered norms is important, both in research and clinical practice, in order to counteract gender bias in health care and to support health-care professionals in providing more equitable care that is more capable to meet the need of all patients, men and women.

“Brave Men” and “Emotional Women”: A Theory-Guided Literature Review on Gender Bias in Health Care and Gendered Norms towards Patients with Chronic Pain

PubMed Central

Gremyr, Ida; Eriksson, Erik; Hensing, Gunnel

2018-01-01

Background Despite the large body of research on sex differences in pain, there is a lack of knowledge about the influence of gender in the patient-provider encounter. The purpose of this study was to review literature on gendered norms about men and women with pain and gender bias in the treatment of pain. The second aim was to analyze the results guided by the theoretical concepts of hegemonic masculinity and andronormativity. Methods A literature search of databases was conducted. A total of 77 articles met the inclusion criteria. The included articles were analyzed qualitatively, with an integrative approach. Results The included studies demonstrated a variety of gendered norms about men's and women's experience and expression of pain, their identity, lifestyle, and coping style. Gender bias in pain treatment was identified, as part of the patient-provider encounter and the professional's treatment decisions. It was discussed how gendered norms are consolidated by hegemonic masculinity and andronormativity. Conclusions Awareness about gendered norms is important, both in research and clinical practice, in order to counteract gender bias in health care and to support health-care professionals in providing more equitable care that is more capable to meet the need of all patients, men and women. PMID:29682130

Cystic echinococcosis in children - the seventeen-year experience of two large medical centers in Serbia.

PubMed

Djuricic, Slavisa M; Grebeldinger, Slobodan; Kafka, Dejan I; Djan, Igor; Vukadin, Miroslav; Vasiljevic, Zorica V

2010-06-01

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a public health problem in countries having such endemic areas. Epidemiological studies of CE, especially pediatric, are rare. The aim of this study was to evaluate epidemiological and clinical characteristics of CE in children in Serbia. Data were obtained retrospectively from the case records of patients under the age of 18 years admitted for surgical treatment of CE at two large pediatric medical institutions in the period 1990-2006. Patients' age, number of cysts and their anatomic location were evaluated in relation to differences by patients' gender and socio-geographic status (urban or rural origin). The study included 149 children with 272 hydatid cysts. The mean age of patients was 10.1+/-3.8 years. There were no significant differences in the number of patients in relation to gender and urban:rural origin. There were no significant differences in patients' age at the time of surgery or the number of cysts per patient when patients' gender or socio-geographic status was evaluated. The anatomic location of cysts was as follows: liver (N=165; 60.7%), lungs (N=82; 30.1%), and other locations (N=25; 9.2%). Multiple cysts, and combined liver/lung involvement were identified in 34.2% (N=51), and 6.0% (N=9) of patients, respectively. Hepatic cysts were significantly more common in girls than in boys. There were no significant differences in anatomic location of cysts between socio-geographic groups. The large number of infected children during a long period of investigation indicates an active transmission of disease and a lack of program for control and prevention of CE in Serbia.

Gender differences in psychotropic use across Europe: Results from a large cross-sectional, population-based study.

PubMed

Boyd, A; Van de Velde, S; Pivette, M; Ten Have, M; Florescu, S; O'Neill, S; Caldas-de-Almeida, J-M; Vilagut, G; Haro, J M; Alonso, J; Kovess-Masféty, V

2015-09-01

In many epidemiological studies, women have been observed to consume psychotropic medication more often than men. However, the consistency of this relationship across Europe, with differences in mental health care (MHC) resources and reimbursement policies, is unknown. Questions on 12-month psychotropic use (antidepressants, benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers) were asked to 34,204 respondents from 10 European countries of the EU-World Mental Health surveys. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria were used to determine 12-month prevalence of mood/anxiety disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (v3.0). For all participating countries, women were significantly more likely than men to use psychotropic medication within the previous 12 months (overall-OR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.81-2.31). This relationship remained significant after adjusting for common sociodemographic factors (age, income level, employment status, education, marital status) and country-level indicators (MHC provision, private household out-of-pocket expenditure, and Gender Gap Index). In multivariable gender-stratified risk-factor analysis, both women and men were more likely to have taken psychotropic medication with increasing age, decreasing income level, and mental health care use within the past 12 months, with no significant differences between genders. When only including participants with a mental disorder, gender differences overall were still significant with any 12-month mood disorder but not with any 12-month anxiety disorder, remaining so after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and country-level indicators. Women use psychotropic medication consistently more often than men, yet reasons for their use are similar between genders. These differences also appear to be contingent on the specific mental disorder. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Similarities and differences in dream content at the cross-cultural, gender, and individual levels.

PubMed

William Domhoff, G; Schneider, Adam

2008-12-01

The similarities and differences in dream content at the cross-cultural, gender, and individual levels provide one starting point for carrying out studies that attempt to discover correspondences between dream content and various types of waking cognition. Hobson and Kahn's (Hobson, J. A., & Kahn, D. (2007). Dream content: Individual and generic aspects. Consciousness and Cognition, 16, 850-858.) conclusion that dream content may be more generic than most researchers realize, and that individual differences are less salient than usually thought, provides the occasion for a review of findings based on the Hall and Van de Castle (Hall, C., & Van de Castle, R. (1966). The content analysis of dreams. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.) coding system for the study of dream content. Then new findings based on a computationally intensive randomization strategy are presented to show the minimum sample sizes needed to detect gender and individual differences in dream content. Generally speaking, sample sizes of 100-125 dream reports are needed because most dream elements appear in less than 50% of dream reports and the magnitude of the differences usually is not large.

5C.08: AGE AND GENDER SPECIFIC CARDIO-METABOLIC RISKS AND THEIR RELATIONS TO LIFE STYLE DISORDER IN THE GENERAL POPULATION: THE WATARI STUDY.

PubMed

Munakata, M; Hattori, T; Konno, S

2015-06-01

In developed countries, systolic blood pressure is known to increase with age. Metabolic risks may generally worse with increasing age. But this trend may be modified by environmental factors which are different between gender and generation. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between age and gender-related difference in cardio-metabolic risks and life style factors in the Japanese general population. We studied 3628 inhabitants of Watari (mean age 63.9 yrs, 42.5% men), Miyagi prefecture, who participated in a health check-up in 2009. Anthropometry, sitting blood pressures, fasting blood samples were examined. Unhealthy dietary behaviors (night meal, late dinner, fast eating, skipping breakfast, smoking, heavy drinking, lack of regular exercise) were evaluated by standard questionnaire. Presence or absence of each behavior was scored 0 or 1 and total score was calculated as healthy life style score (range 0 to 7, higher the better). Gender difference in age-related changes in blood pressures, BMI, lipid and glucose metabolism were examined by two way ANOVA. Systolic blood pressure was continuously increased from age 30 s to 70 s in both genders. Systolic blood pressure was significantly higher in men than in women in age 30 s (122.0 ± 13.9 vs. 113.3 ± 12.8 mmHg, p < 0.001) but the difference decreased with an increase in age. Similar gender interaction was observed for diastolic blood pressure, BMI, triglyceride and high density lipoprotein (all p < 0.001) but was not for HbA1c. The healthy life style score was lowest in men age 30 s (5.1 ± 1.5) and it increased with an increase in age. Women demonstrated significantly higher healthy life style score than men in all generations. The gender difference in the score was largest in age 30 s and decreased with an increase in age. Cardio-metabolic risks are worse in men than in women in young generation but this gender difference diminishes with age. The gender difference in the young may be largely attributable to life style factors. Glucose metabolism may be less affected by life style than blood pressure or lipid.

Determinants of Aggression Toward Sexual Minorities in a Community Sample

PubMed Central

Parrott, Dominic J.; Peterson, John L.; Bakeman, Roger

2011-01-01

Objective Sexual prejudice and masculine gender role stress were examined as mediators of the associations between adherence to different male gender norms and aggression toward sexual minorities. This study also sought to extend past research to a community sample and employ multiple methods to assess aggression. Method Participants were 199 heterosexual men between the ages of 18–30 who were recruited from a large southeastern United States city. Participants completed measures of adherence to male gender role norms, sexual prejudice, masculine gender role stress, and aggression toward sexual minorities. Results Associations between adherence to the status and antifemininity norms and aggression toward sexual minorities were mediated by sexual prejudice, but not masculine gender role stress. The portion of unique association between adherence to the antifemininity norm and aggression toward sexual minorities was about three times larger than the portion mediated by sexual prejudice and masculine gender role stress. Conclusions Findings provide the first multivariate evidence from a community-based sample for determinants of aggression toward sexual minorities motivated by gender role enforcement. These data support intervention programming and preventative intervention studies aimed at reducing sexual prejudice and facilitating less stereotypic attitudes about the male gender role, particularly surrounding the antifemininity norm. PMID:21479161

Gender Differences in the Efficacy and Safety of Chronic Nightly Zolpidem

PubMed Central

Roehrs, Timothy A.; Roth, Thomas

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Studies have shown pharmacokinetic differences for hypnotics in women compared to men, but few studies have assessed either short-or long-term differences in efficacy and safety. Methods: To evaluate gender differences in the efficacy and safety of chronic nightly zolpidem (10 mg), we did a post hoc assessment of a large clinical trial. In the trial, participants with primary insomnia (n = 89), ages 23–70, meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for primary insomnia were randomized, double blind, to nightly zolpidem, 10 mg (n = 47) or placebo (n = 42) 30 minutes before bedtime nightly for 12 months. Polysomnographic sleep on 2 nights in months 1 and 8 and likelihood of next-day sleepiness, rebound insomnia, and dose escalation were evaluated in months 1, 4, and 12. Results: Relative to placebo, zolpidem significantly increased sleep efficiency and reduced sleep latency and wake after sleep onset assessed at months 1 and 8, with no differences in efficacy between women and men and no diminution of efficacy over months. On a next-day multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), no residual sedation was observed for either women or men. No rebound insomnia or dose escalation was seen with no gender differences in either. Conclusions: In adults with primary insomnia, nightly zolpidem administration showed no gender differences in acute or chronic efficacy or in next-day sleepiness. Zolpidem remained efficacious and safe across 12 months. Clincial Trials Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01006525; Trial Name: Safety and Efficacy of Chronic Hypnotic Use; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01006525. Citation: Roehrs TA, Roth T. Gender differences in the efficacy and safety of chronic nightly zolpidem. J Clin Sleep Med 2016;12(3):319–325. PMID:26446253

Students' Understandings of Human Organs and Organ Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiss, Michael J.; Tunnicliffe, Sue Dale

2001-01-01

Discusses students' understandings of their own internal structure. Analysis shows the extent to which student understanding increases with age and the degree to which students know more about some organs and organ systems than others. Gender differences in the drawings were generally not large and there were some intriguing differences in the…

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.

Age and Gender Differences in the Associations of Self-Compassion and Emotional Well-being in A Large Adolescent Sample.

PubMed

Bluth, Karen; Campo, Rebecca A; Futch, William S; Gaylord, Susan A

2017-04-01

Adolescence is a challenging developmental period marked with declines in emotional well-being; however, self-compassion has been suggested as a protective factor. This cross-sectional survey study (N = 765, grades 7th to 12th; 53 % female; 4 % Hispanic ethnicity; 64 % White and 21 % Black) examined whether adolescents' self-compassion differed by age and gender, and secondly, whether its associations with emotional well-being (perceived stress, life satisfaction, distress intolerance, depressive symptoms, and anxiety) also differed by age and gender. The findings indicated that older females had the lowest self-compassion levels compared to younger females or all-age males. Self-compassion was associated with all emotional well-being measures, and gender and/or age moderated the associations with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Among older adolescents, self-compassion had a greater protective effect on anxiety for boys than for girls. Additionally, older adolescents with low and average self-compassion had greater levels of depressive symptoms than those with high self-compassion. These results may inform for whom and at what age self-compassion interventions may be implemented to protect adolescents from further declines in emotional well-being.

A systematic analysis of UK cancer research funding by gender of primary investigator

PubMed Central

Zhou, Charlie D; Head, Michael G; Gilbert, Barnabas J; El-Harasis, Majd A; Raine, Rosalind; O’Connor, Henrietta

2018-01-01

Objectives To categorically describe cancer research funding in the UK by gender of primary investigator (PIs). Design Systematic analysis of all open-access data. Methods Data about public and philanthropic cancer research funding awarded to UK institutions between 2000 and 2013 were obtained from several sources. Fold differences were used to compare total investment, award number, mean and median award value between male and female PIs. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to determine statistically significant associations between PI gender and median grant value. Results Of the studies included in our analysis, 2890 (69%) grants with a total value of £1.82 billion (78%) were awarded to male PIs compared with 1296 (31%) grants with a total value of £512 million (22%) awarded to female PIs. Male PIs received 1.3 times the median award value of their female counterparts (P<0.001). These apparent absolute and relative differences largely persisted regardless of subanalyses. Conclusions We demonstrate substantial differences in cancer research investment awarded by gender. Female PIs clearly and consistently receive less funding than their male counterparts in terms of total investment, the number of funded awards, mean funding awarded and median funding awarded. PMID:29712689

Age and Gender Differences in the Associations of Self-Compassion and Emotional Well-being in A Large Adolescent Sample

PubMed Central

Bluth, Karen; Campo, Rebecca A.; Futch, William S.; Gaylord, Susan A.

2016-01-01

Adolescence is a challenging developmental period marked with declines in emotional well-being; however, self-compassion has been suggested as a protective factor. This cross-sectional survey study (N=765, grades 7th to 12th; 53% female; 4% Hispanic ethnicity; 64% White and 21% Black) examined whether adolescents’ self-compassion differed by age and gender, and secondly, whether its associations with emotional well-being (perceived stress, life satisfaction, distress intolerance, depressive symptoms, and anxiety) also differed by age and gender. The findings indicated that older females had the lowest self-compassion levels compared to younger females or all-age males. Self-compassion was associated with all emotional well-being measures, and gender and/or age moderated the associations with anxiety and depressive symptoms. Among older adolescents, self-compassion had a greater protective effect on anxiety for boys than for girls. Additionally, older adolescents with low and average self-compassion had greater levels of depressive symptoms than those with high self-compassion. These results may inform for whom and at what age self-compassion interventions may be implemented to protect adolescents from further declines in emotional well-being. PMID:27632177

Isogenic mice exhibit sexually-dimorphic DNA methylation patterns across multiple tissues.

PubMed

McCormick, Helen; Young, Paul E; Hur, Suzy S J; Booher, Keith; Chung, Hunter; Cropley, Jennifer E; Giannoulatou, Eleni; Suter, Catherine M

2017-12-13

Cytosine methylation is a stable epigenetic modification of DNA that plays an important role in both normal physiology and disease. Most diseases exhibit some degree of sexual dimorphism, but the extent to which epigenetic states are influenced by sex is understudied and poorly understood. To address this deficit we studied DNA methylation patterns across multiple reduced representation bisulphite sequencing datasets (from liver, heart, brain, muscle and spleen) derived from isogenic male and female mice. DNA methylation patterns varied significantly from tissue to tissue, as expected, but they also varied between the sexes, with thousands of sexually dimorphic loci identified. The loci affected were largely autonomous to each tissue, even within tissues derived from the same germ layer. At most loci, differences between genders were driven by females exhibiting hypermethylation relative to males; a proportion of these differences were independent of the presence of testosterone in males. Loci harbouring gender differences were clustered in ontologies related to tissue function. Our findings suggest that gender is underwritten in the epigenome in a tissue-specific and potentially sex hormone-independent manner. Gender-specific epigenetic states are likely to have important implications for understanding sexually dimorphic phenotypes in health and disease.

You Should Be the Specialist! Weak Mental Rotation Performance in Aviation Security Screeners - Reduced Performance Level in Aviation Security with No Gender Effect.

PubMed

Krüger, Jenny K; Suchan, Boris

2016-01-01

Aviation security screeners analyze a large number of X-ray images per day and seem to be experts in mentally rotating diverse kinds of visual objects. A robust gender-effect that men outperform women in the Vandenberg & Kuse mental rotation task has been well documented over the last years. In addition it has been shown that training can positively influence the overall task-performance. Considering this, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether security screeners show better performance in the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) independently of gender. Forty-seven security screeners of both sexes from two German airports were examined with a computer based MRT. Their performance was compared to a large sample of control subjects. The well-known gender-effect favoring men on mental rotation was significant within the control group. However, the security screeners did not show any sex differences suggesting an effect of training and professional performance. Surprisingly this specialized group showed a lower level of overall MRT performance than the control participants. Possible aviation related influences such as secondary effects of work-shift or expertise which can cumulatively cause this result are discussed.

Trajectories of dating violence: Differences by sexual minority status and gender.

PubMed

Martin-Storey, Alexa; Fromme, Kim

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how sexual minority status (as assessed using both identity and behavior) was associated with trajectories of dating violence. University students from a large Southwestern university completed questions on their sexual minority identity, the gender of their sexual partners, and about experiences of dating violence for six consecutive semesters (N = 1942). Latent growth curve modeling indicated that generally, trajectories of dating violence were stable across study participation. Sexual minority identity was associated with higher initial levels of dating violence at baseline, but also with greater decreases in dating violence across time. These differences were mediated by number of sexual partners. Having same and other-sex sexual partners was associated with higher levels of dating violence at baseline, and persisted in being associated with higher levels over time. No significant gender difference was observed regarding trajectories of dating violence. Copyright © 2016 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Workplace bullying, perceived job stressors, and psychological distress: Gender and race differences in the stress process.

PubMed

Attell, Brandon K; Kummerow Brown, Kiersten; Treiber, Linda A

2017-07-01

A large body of empirical research documents the adverse mental health consequences of workplace bullying. However, less is known about gender and race differences in the processes that link workplace bullying and poor mental health. In the current study, we use structural equation modeling of survey data from the 2010 Health and Retirement Study (N = 2292) and draw on stress process theory to examine coworker support as a buffering mechanism against workplace bullying, and gender and race differences in the relationships between bullying and psychological distress. The results of the analysis indicate that coworker support serves as a protective buffer against workplace bullying, although the buffering effect is relatively small. We also find that the effects of workplace bullying more heavily impact women and persons of color. Specifically, women and African American individuals in our sample were less protected from the buffering mechanism of co-worker social support. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender-inclusive science teaching: A feminist-constructivist approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roychoudhury, Anita; Tippins, Debora J.; Nichols, Sharon E.

The underrepresentation of women in science is an extensively studied yet persistent concern of our society. Researchers have identified numerous educational and social factors thought to be responsible for this underrepresentation (Kahle, 1990a; Kelly, 1987). One of the dominant explanations, used by many researchers for years to discuss gender differences in science and mathematics achievement as well as interest, has been the differences in the cognitive abilities of men and women. This explanation, however, has been discarded in recent years (Linn & Hyde, 1989; Linn 1990). On the basis of their meta-analyses of various studies. Linn and Hyde (1989) concluded that gender differences in cognitive skills have declined and those that remain are largely explained by experiential differences. Women may not have different cognitive abilities, but they may have a different way of learning rooted in their role in society. The epistemic differences between men and women stemming from their standpoint in life can help us understand their differential interaction with the nature of science, and hence their participation in the field. In the following section, we will briefly discuss the feminist critique of science and extend the implication to science education.Received: 28 July 1993; Revised: 19 August 1994;

COX-2 regulation and TUNEL-positive cell death differ between genders in the secondary inflammatory response following experimental penetrating focal brain injury in rats.

PubMed

Günther, Mattias; Plantman, Stefan; Davidsson, Johan; Angéria, Maria; Mathiesen, Tiit; Risling, Mårten

2015-04-01

Traumatic brain injury is followed by secondary neuronal degeneration, largely dependent on an inflammatory response. This response is probably gender specific, since females are better protected than males in experimental models. The reasons are not fully known. We examined aspects of the inflammatory response following experimental TBI in male and female rats to explore possible gender differences at 24 h and 72 h after trauma, times of peak histological inflammation and neuronal degeneration. A penetrating brain injury model was used to produce penetrating focal TBI in 20 Sprague-Dawley rats, 5 males and 5 females for each time point. After 24 and 72 h the brains were removed and subjected to in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analyses for COX-2, iNOS, osteopontin, glial fibrillary acidic protein, 3-nitrotyrosine, TUNEL and Fluoro-Jade. COX-2 mRNA and protein levels were increased in the perilesional area compared to the uninjured contralateral side and significantly higher in males at 24 h and 72 h (p < 0.05). iNOS mRNA was significantly increased in females at 24 h (p < 0.05) although protein was not. TUNEL was increased in male rats after 24 h (p < 0.05). Glial fibrillary acidic protein, osteopontin, 3-nitrotyrosine and Fluoro-Jade stained degenerating neurons were increased in the perilesional area, showing no difference between genders. COX-2 regulation differed between genders after TBI. The increased COX-2 expression in male rats correlated with increased apoptotic cell death detected by increased TUNEL staining at 24 h, but not with neuronal necrosis measured by Flouro-Jade. Astrogliosis and microgliosis did not differ, confirming a comparable level of trauma. The gender-specific trait of the secondary inflammatory response may be connected to prostaglandin regulation, which may partially explain gender variances in outcome after TBI.

From Gender Bias to Gender Awareness in Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Verdonk, Petra; Benschop, Yvonne W. M.; de Haes, Hanneke C. J. M.; Lagro-Janssen, Toine L. M.

2009-01-01

Gender is an essential determinant of health and illness. Gender awareness in doctors contributes to equity and equality in health and aims towards better health for men and women. Nevertheless, gender has largely been ignored in medicine. First, it is stated that medicine was "gender blind" by not considering gender whenever relevant. Secondly,…

Respirator fit of a medium mask on a group of South Africans: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background In South Africa, respiratory protective equipment is often the primary control method used to protect workers. This preliminary study investigated how well a common disposable P2 respirator fitted persons with a range of facial dimensions. Methods Quantitative respirator fit tests were performed on 29 volunteers from different racial, gender and face size groups. Two facial dimensions width (bizygomatic) and length (menton-sellion) were measured for all participants. Results In this study 13.8% of the participants demonstrated a successful fit with the medium sized mask. These included participants from three different racial and both gender groups. The large percentage of failed fit tests (86%) indicates that reliance on off-the-shelf respirators could be problematic in South Africa. Conclusions The limitations of this preliminary study notwithstanding, respirator fit appear to be associated with individual facial characteristics and are not specific to racial/ethnic or gender characteristics. PMID:21406106

From genius inverts to gendered intelligence: Lewis Terman and the power of the norm.

PubMed

Hegarty, Peter

2007-05-01

The histories of "intelligence" and "sexuality" have largely been narrated separately. In Lewis Terman's work on individual differences, they intersect. Influenced by G. Stanley Hall, Terman initially described atypically accelerated development as problematic. Borrowing from Galton, Terman later positioned gifted children as nonaverage but ideal. Attention to the gifted effeminate subjects used to exemplify giftedness and gender nonconformity in Terman's work shows the selective instantiation of nonaverageness as pathological a propos of effeminacy, and as ideal a propos of high intelligence. Throughout, high intelligence is conflated with health, masculinity, and heterosexuality. Terman's research located marital sexual problems in women's bodies, further undoing possibilities for evaluating heterosexual men's practices as different from a normative position. Terman's research modernized Galton's imperialist vision of a society lead by a male cognitive elite. Psychologists continue to traffic in his logic that values and inculcates intelligence only in the service of sexual and gender conformity.

Talking about depression: an analogue study of physician gender and communication style on patient disclosures.

PubMed

Roter, Debra L; Erby, Lori H; Adams, Ann; Buckingham, Christopher D; Vail, Laura; Realpe, Alba; Larson, Susan; Hall, Judith A

2014-09-01

To disentangle the effects of physician gender and patient-centered communication style on patients' oral engagement in depression care. Physician gender, physician race and communication style (high patient-centered (HPC) and low patient-centered (LPC)) were manipulated and presented as videotaped actors within a computer simulated medical visit to assess effects on analogue patient (AP) verbal responsiveness and care ratings. 307 APs (56% female; 70% African American) were randomly assigned to conditions and instructed to verbally respond to depression-related questions and indicate willingness to continue care. Disclosures were coded using Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). Both male and female APs talked more overall and conveyed more psychosocial and emotional talk to HPC gender discordant doctors (all p<.05). APs were more willing to continue treatment with gender-discordant HPC physicians (p<.05). No effects were evident in the LPC condition. Findings highlight a role for physician gender when considering active patient engagement in patient-centered depression care. This pattern suggests that there may be largely under-appreciated and consequential effects associated with patient expectations in regard to physician gender that these differ by patient gender. High patient-centeredness increases active patient engagement in depression care especially in gender discordant dyads. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

European multicentre database of healthy controls for [123I]FP-CIT SPECT (ENC-DAT): age-related effects, gender differences and evaluation of different methods of analysis.

PubMed

Varrone, Andrea; Dickson, John C; Tossici-Bolt, Livia; Sera, Terez; Asenbaum, Susanne; Booij, Jan; Kapucu, Ozlem L; Kluge, Andreas; Knudsen, Gitte M; Koulibaly, Pierre Malick; Nobili, Flavio; Pagani, Marco; Sabri, Osama; Vander Borght, Thierry; Van Laere, Koen; Tatsch, Klaus

2013-01-01

Dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging with [(123)I]FP-CIT (DaTSCAN) is an established diagnostic tool in parkinsonism and dementia. Although qualitative assessment criteria are available, DAT quantification is important for research and for completion of a diagnostic evaluation. One critical aspect of quantification is the availability of normative data, considering possible age and gender effects on DAT availability. The aim of the European Normal Control Database of DaTSCAN (ENC-DAT) study was to generate a large database of [(123)I]FP-CIT SPECT scans in healthy controls. SPECT data from 139 healthy controls (74 men, 65 women; age range 20-83 years, mean 53 years) acquired in 13 different centres were included. Images were reconstructed using the ordered-subset expectation-maximization algorithm without correction (NOACSC), with attenuation correction (AC), and with both attenuation and scatter correction using the triple-energy window method (ACSC). Region-of-interest analysis was performed using the BRASS software (caudate and putamen), and the Southampton method (striatum). The outcome measure was the specific binding ratio (SBR). A significant effect of age on SBR was found for all data. Gender had a significant effect on SBR in the caudate and putamen for the NOACSC and AC data, and only in the left caudate for the ACSC data (BRASS method). Significant effects of age and gender on striatal SBR were observed for all data analysed with the Southampton method. Overall, there was a significant age-related decline in SBR of between 4 % and 6.7 % per decade. This study provides a large database of [(123)I]FP-CIT SPECT scans in healthy controls across a wide age range and with balanced gender representation. Higher DAT availability was found in women than in men. An average age-related decline in DAT availability of 5.5 % per decade was found for both genders, in agreement with previous reports. The data collected in this study may serve as a reference database for nuclear medicine centres and for clinical trials using [(123)I]FP-CIT SPECT as the imaging marker.

A gender discrepancy analysis of heterosexual sexual behaviors in two university samples.

PubMed

Jozkowski, Kristen N; Satinsky, Sonya A

2013-12-01

The current study aimed to (1) offer a large-scale enumeration of college students' lifetime sexual behaviors and sexual behaviors at last event, and (2) apply a gender discrepancy lens to college students' sexual behaviors in order to examine potential gender differences in heterosexual college students' experiences. Nine-hundred and seventy college students between the ages of 18 and 27 from two large universities in the United States participated in the current study. Participants filled out a paper-pencil questionnaire during the last 30 min of class. Measures of lifetime sexual behaviors and engagement in behaviors at last sexual event were replicated from the National Survey of Sexual Health Behavior. Most college students engaged in some form of sexual behavior (manual, oral, vaginal-penile, anal). Men more frequently reported engaging in receptive sexual behaviors (e.g., receiving oral sex) where as women were more likely to engage in performative sexual behaviors (e.g., performing oral sex). At most recent sexual event, men were more likely than women to report being the sexual initiator. Findings highlight gender differences in sexual behavior and provide a foundation for social norms interventions. Holistic sexual health promotion for young adults includes acknowledging and discouraging sites of disparity in equity and pleasure. Therefore, college-level sexual health educators should pay attention to the potential pleasure gap between men and women in heterosexual encounters, and to see pleasure as an important part of sexual health that should be included in social norms campaigns.

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.

Women and Men in Sport Performance: The Gender Gap has not Evolved since 1983.

PubMed

Thibault, Valérie; Guillaume, Marion; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Helou, Nour El; Schaal, Karine; Quinquis, Laurent; Nassif, Hala; Tafflet, Muriel; Escolano, Sylvie; Hermine, Olivier; Toussaint, Jean-François

2010-01-01

Sex is a major factor influencing best performances and world records. Here the evolution of the difference between men and women's best performances is characterized through the analysis of 82 quantifiable events since the beginning of the Olympic era. For each event in swimming, athletics, track cycling, weightlifting and speed skating the gender gap is fitted to compare male and female records. It is also studied through the best performance of the top 10 performers in each gender for swimming and athletics. A stabilization of the gender gap in world records is observed after 1983, at a mean difference of 10.0% ± 2.94 between men and women for all events. The gender gap ranges from 5.5% (800-m freestyle, swimming) to 18.8% (long jump). The mean gap is 10.7% for running performances, 17.5% for jumps, 8.9% for swimming races, 7.0% for speed skating and 8.7% in cycling. The top ten performers' analysis reveals a similar gender gap trend with a stabilization in 1982 at 11.7%, despite the large growth in participation of women from eastern and western countries, that coincided with later- published evidence of state-institutionalized or individual doping. These results suggest that women will not run, jump, swim or ride as fast as men. Key pointsSex is a major factor influencing best performances and world records.A stabilization of the gender gap in world records is observed after 1983, at a mean difference of 10.0% ± 2.94 between men and women for all events.The gender gap ranges from 5.5% (800-m freestyle, swimming) to 36.8% (weight lifting).The top ten performers' analysis reveals a similar gender gap trend with a stabilization in 1982 at 11.7%.Results suggest that women will not run, jump, swim or ride as fast as men.

Women and Men in Sport Performance: The Gender Gap has not Evolved since 1983

PubMed Central

Thibault, Valérie; Guillaume, Marion; Berthelot, Geoffroy; Helou, Nour El; Schaal, Karine; Quinquis, Laurent; Nassif, Hala; Tafflet, Muriel; Escolano, Sylvie; Hermine, Olivier; Toussaint, Jean-François.

2010-01-01

Sex is a major factor influencing best performances and world records. Here the evolution of the difference between men and women’s best performances is characterized through the analysis of 82 quantifiable events since the beginning of the Olympic era. For each event in swimming, athletics, track cycling, weightlifting and speed skating the gender gap is fitted to compare male and female records. It is also studied through the best performance of the top 10 performers in each gender for swimming and athletics. A stabilization of the gender gap in world records is observed after 1983, at a mean difference of 10.0% ± 2.94 between men and women for all events. The gender gap ranges from 5.5% (800-m freestyle, swimming) to 18.8% (long jump). The mean gap is 10.7% for running performances, 17.5% for jumps, 8.9% for swimming races, 7.0% for speed skating and 8.7% in cycling. The top ten performers’ analysis reveals a similar gender gap trend with a stabilization in 1982 at 11.7%, despite the large growth in participation of women from eastern and western countries, that coincided with later- published evidence of state-institutionalized or individual doping. These results suggest that women will not run, jump, swim or ride as fast as men. Key points Sex is a major factor influencing best performances and world records. A stabilization of the gender gap in world records is observed after 1983, at a mean difference of 10.0% ± 2.94 between men and women for all events. The gender gap ranges from 5.5% (800-m freestyle, swimming) to 36.8% (weight lifting). The top ten performers’ analysis reveals a similar gender gap trend with a stabilization in 1982 at 11.7%. Results suggest that women will not run, jump, swim or ride as fast as men. PMID:24149688

An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population.

PubMed

Keller, Andreas; Hempstead, Margaret; Gomez, Iran A; Gilbert, Avery N; Vosshall, Leslie B

2012-10-10

Human perception of the odour environment is highly variable. People vary both in their general olfactory acuity as well as in if and how they perceive specific odours. In recent years, it has been shown that genetic differences contribute to variability in both general olfactory acuity and the perception of specific odours. Odour perception also depends on other factors such as age and gender. Here we investigate the influence of these factors on both general olfactory acuity and on the perception of 66 structurally and perceptually different odours in a diverse subject population. We carried out a large human olfactory psychophysics study of 391 adult subjects in metropolitan New York City, an ethnically and culturally diverse North American metropolis. 210 of the subjects were women and the median age was 34.6 years (range 19-75). We recorded ~2,300 data points per subject to obtain a comprehensive perceptual phenotype, comprising multiple perceptual measures of 66 diverse odours. We show that general olfactory acuity correlates with gender, age, race, smoking habits, and body type. Young, female, non-smoking subjects had the highest average olfactory acuity. Deviations from normal body type in either direction were associated with decreased olfactory acuity. Beyond these factors we also show that, surprisingly, there are many odour-specific influences of race, age, and gender on olfactory perception. We show over 100 instances in which the intensity or pleasantness perception of an odour is significantly different between two demographic groups. These data provide a comprehensive snapshot of the olfactory sense of a diverse population. Olfactory acuity in the population is most strongly influenced by age, followed by gender. We also show a large number of diverse correlations between demographic factors and the perception of individual odours that may reflect genetic differences as well as different prior experiences with these odours between demographic groups.

An olfactory demography of a diverse metropolitan population

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Human perception of the odour environment is highly variable. People vary both in their general olfactory acuity as well as in if and how they perceive specific odours. In recent years, it has been shown that genetic differences contribute to variability in both general olfactory acuity and the perception of specific odours. Odour perception also depends on other factors such as age and gender. Here we investigate the influence of these factors on both general olfactory acuity and on the perception of 66 structurally and perceptually different odours in a diverse subject population. Results We carried out a large human olfactory psychophysics study of 391 adult subjects in metropolitan New York City, an ethnically and culturally diverse North American metropolis. 210 of the subjects were women and the median age was 34.6 years (range 19–75). We recorded ~2,300 data points per subject to obtain a comprehensive perceptual phenotype, comprising multiple perceptual measures of 66 diverse odours. We show that general olfactory acuity correlates with gender, age, race, smoking habits, and body type. Young, female, non-smoking subjects had the highest average olfactory acuity. Deviations from normal body type in either direction were associated with decreased olfactory acuity. Beyond these factors we also show that, surprisingly, there are many odour-specific influences of race, age, and gender on olfactory perception. We show over 100 instances in which the intensity or pleasantness perception of an odour is significantly different between two demographic groups. Conclusions These data provide a comprehensive snapshot of the olfactory sense of a diverse population. Olfactory acuity in the population is most strongly influenced by age, followed by gender. We also show a large number of diverse correlations between demographic factors and the perception of individual odours that may reflect genetic differences as well as different prior experiences with these odours between demographic groups. PMID:23046643

Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters: gender differences in factors associated with parent-child communication about sexual topics.

PubMed

Wilson, Ellen K; Koo, Helen P

2010-12-14

In the United States, nearly half of high school students are sexually active, and adolescents experience high rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Parents can have an important influence on their children's sexual behaviour, but many parents do not talk with their children about sexual topics. Research has shown significant differences in parent-child communication about sexual topics depending on the gender of both the parent and the child. Little is known, however, about the reasons for these gender differences. The purpose of this paper is to describe how factors associated with parent-child communication about sexual topics differ by gender. Data are from a nationwide online survey with 829 fathers and 1,113 mothers of children aged 10 to 14. For each of the four gender groups (fathers of sons, fathers of daughters, mothers of sons, mothers of daughters), we calculated the distribution of responses to questions assessing (1) parent-child communication about sex-related topics, and (2) factors associated with that communication. We used chi-square tests to determine whether the distributions differed and the false discovery rate control to reduce the likelihood of type I errors. With both sons and daughters, fathers communicated less about sexual topics than mothers did. Fathers also had lower levels of many characteristics that facilitate communication about sex (e.g., lower self-efficacy and lower expectations that talking to their children about sex would have positive outcomes). Compared with parents of sons, parents of daughters (both mothers and fathers) talked more about sexual topics, were more concerned about potential harmful consequences of sexual activity, and were more disapproving of their child having sex at an early age. Using a large national sample, this study confirms findings from previous studies showing gender differences in parent-child communication about sexual topics and identifies gender differences in factors that may influence parent-child communication about sexual topics. Interventions designed to support parent-child communication about sexual topics should emphasize to both mothers and fathers the importance of talking to sons as well as daughters. Fathers need particular support to overcome the barriers to communication they encounter.

Gender and regional differences in perceived job stress across Europe.

PubMed

de Smet, P; Sans, S; Dramaix, M; Boulenguez, C; de Backer, G; Ferrario, M; Cesana, G; Houtman, I; Isacsson, S O; Kittel, F; Ostergren, P O; Peres, I; Pelfrene, E; Romon, M; Rosengren, A; Wilhelmsen, L; Kornitzer, M

2005-10-01

Over the last 20 years stress at work has been found to be predictive of several conditions such as coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and non-specific sick leave. The Karasek demand/control/strain concept has been the most widely used in prospective epidemiological studies. To describe distribution in Karasek's demand/control (DC) dimensions as well as prevalence of strain in samples from different parts of Europe grouped into three regions (South, Middle, Sweden), adjusting for occupation. To describe gender differences in Karasek's DC dimensions along with strain prevalence and assess the regional stability of those differences in different occupational groups. The Job stress, Absenteeism and Coronary heart disease in Europe (JACE) study, a Concerted Action (Biomed I) of the European Union, is a multicentre prospective cohort epidemiological study: 38,019 subjects at work aged 35-59 years were surveyed at baseline. Standardised techniques were used for occupation coding (International Standardised Classification of Occupations) and for the DC model (Karasek scale): five items for the psychological demand and nine items for the control or decision latitude dimensions, respectively. A total of 34,972 subjects had a complete data set. There were important regional differences in the Karasek scales and in prevalence of strain even after adjustment for occupational class. Mean demand and control were higher in the Swedish centres when compared to two centres in Milano and Barcelona (Southern region) and values observed in four centres (Ghent, Brussels, Lille and Hoofddorp) in Middle Europe were closer to those observed in the Southern cities than to those obtained in the Swedish cities. Clerks (ISCO 4) and, more specifically, office clerks (ISCO 41) exhibited the smallest regional variation. In a multivariate model, the factor 'region' explained a small fraction of total variance. In the two Southern centres as well as in the four Middle European centres, men perceived marginally less job-demand as compared to women whereas the reverse was observed in the two Swedish centres. Differences were larger for control: men appeared to perceive more control at work than did women. In a multivariate model, gender explained a small fraction whereas occupational level explained a large fraction of the variance. In this standardised multicentre European study Karasek's DC model showed large gender and occupational differences whereas geographic region explained a small fraction of the total DC variance, notwithstanding large differences in labour market and working conditions as pointed out by the European Commission as recently as 2000.

TFOS DEWS II Sex, Gender, and Hormones Report.

PubMed

Sullivan, David A; Rocha, Eduardo M; Aragona, Pasquale; Clayton, Janine A; Ding, Juan; Golebiowski, Blanka; Hampel, Ulrike; McDermott, Alison M; Schaumberg, Debra A; Srinivasan, Sruthi; Versura, Piera; Willcox, Mark D P

2017-07-01

One of the most compelling features of dry eye disease (DED) is that it occurs more frequently in women than men. In fact, the female sex is a significant risk factor for the development of DED. This sex-related difference in DED prevalence is attributed in large part to the effects of sex steroids (e.g. androgens, estrogens), hypothalamic-pituitary hormones, glucocorticoids, insulin, insulin-like growth factor 1 and thyroid hormones, as well as to the sex chromosome complement, sex-specific autosomal factors and epigenetics (e.g. microRNAs). In addition to sex, gender also appears to be a risk factor for DED. "Gender" and "sex" are words that are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. "Gender" refers to a person's self-representation as a man or woman, whereas "sex" distinguishes males and females based on their biological characteristics. Both gender and sex affect DED risk, presentation of the disease, immune responses, pain, care-seeking behaviors, service utilization, and myriad other facets of eye health. Overall, sex, gender and hormones play a major role in the regulation of ocular surface and adnexal tissues, and in the difference in DED prevalence between women and men. The purpose of this Subcommittee report is to review and critique the nature of this role, as well as to recommend areas for future research to advance our understanding of the interrelationships between sex, gender, hormones and DED. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in Publication Productivity, Academic Position, Career Duration and Funding Among U.S. Academic Radiation Oncology Faculty

PubMed Central

Holliday, Emma B.; Jagsi, Reshma; Wilson, Lynn D.; Choi, Mehee; Thomas, Charles R.; Fuller, Clifton. D.

2015-01-01

Purpose There has been much recent interest in promoting gender equality in academic medicine. This study aims to analyze gender differences in rank, career duration, publication productivity and research funding among radiation oncologists at U.S. academic institutions. Methods For 82 domestic academic radiation oncology departments, the authors identified current faculty and recorded their academic rank, degree and gender. The authors recorded bibliographic metrics for physician faculty from a commercially available database (SCOPUS, Elsevier BV, Amsterdam, NL), including numbers of publications and h-indices. The authors then concatenated this data with National Institute of Health funding for each individual per Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (REPORTer). The authors performed descriptive and correlative analyses, stratifying by gender and rank. Results Of 1031 faculty, 293 (28%) women and 738 (72%) men, men had a higher median h-index (8 (0-59) versus 5 (0-39); P<.05) and publication number (26 (0-591) versus 13 (0-306); P<.05) overall, and were more likely to be senior faculty and receive NIH funding. However, after stratifying for rank, these differences were largely non-significant. On multivariate analysis, there were significant correlations between gender, career duration and academic position, and h-index (P<.01). Conclusions The determinants of a successful career in academic medicine are certainly multi-factorial, particularly in traditionally male-dominated fields. However, data from radiation oncologists show a systematic gender association withfewer women achieving senior faculty rank. However, women who achieve senior status have productivity metrics comparable to their male counterparts. This suggests early career development and mentorship of female faculty may narrow productivity disparities. PMID:24667510

Gender Scripts and Age at Marriage in India

PubMed Central

DESAI, SONALDE; ANDRIST, LESTER

2010-01-01

Research on marriage in developing countries has been somewhat narrow in scope because of both conceptual and data limitations. While the feminist literature recognizes marriage as a key institutional site for the production and reproduction of gender hierarchies, little is known about the processes through which this relationship operates. This article uses data from the newly collected India Human Development Survey 2005 for 27,365 ever-married women aged 25–49 to explore ways in which different dimensions of gender in Indian society shape the decisions regarding age at marriage. We explore the impact of three dimensions of gender: (1) economic factors, such as availability of wage employment, dowry expectations, and wedding expenses; (2) indicators of familial empowerment, such as women’s role in household decision making and access to and control over resources; and (3) markers of gender performance, such as observance of purdah and male-female separation in the household. Results from hierarchical linear models confirm the importance of markers of gender performance but fail to demonstrate a large role for economic factors and familial empowerment. PMID:20879683

Gender scripts and age at marriage in India.

PubMed

Desai, Sonalde; Andrist, Lester

2010-08-01

Research on marriage in developing countries has been somewhat narrow in scope because of both conceptual and data limitations. While the feminist literature recognizes marriage as a key institutional site for the production and reproduction of gender hierarchies, little is known about the processes through which this relationship operates. This article uses data from the newly collected India Human Development Survey 2005 for 27,365 ever-married women aged 25-49 to explore ways in which different dimensions of gender in Indian society shape the decisions regarding age at marriage. We explore the impact of three dimensions of gender: (1) economic factors, such as availability of wage employment, dowry expectations, and wedding expenses; (2) indicators offamilial empowerment, such as women s role in household decision making and access to and control over resources; and (3) markers of gender performance, such as observance of purdah and male-female separation in the household. Results from hierarchical linear models confirm the importance of markers of gender performance but fail to demonstrate a large role for economic factors and familial empowerment.

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.

Parents' and children's beliefs about science and science careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telfer, Jo Ann

Science has become an essential part of our cultural, social and technological lives. Around the world economic policies are giving high priority to the production of new knowledge generated by scientists. Unfortunately, gender equality in science-related careers has not been achieved. Women who possess high intellectual and personal abilities are succeeding in many occupational areas previously closed to all but the most impervious women, but females are still largely underrepresented in physical science and mathematics related careers. The purpose of the current study was to examine the reasons for this underrepresentation of women in science-related careers. Participants included a subset of mothers (n = 174), fathers (n = 132) and children (n = 186) from a larger study at the University of Calgary entitled Gender Differences in Student Participation and Achievement in the Sciences: Choice or Chance ? Telephone interview and survey questionnaire data were examined for gender and achievement level differences, focusing on high achieving girls who are most likely to succeed in science-related careers. Relationships between parents' and children's responses were also examined using the theoretical construct of Eccles' Model of Achievement Related Choices. Gathered data were studied using factor analysis, multivariate analysis of variance, analysis of variance as well as categorical analysis of qualitative results. Girls and boys achieved similar grades on all academic measures except the Alberta Science Achievement Test, where boys scored significantly higher than girls. Mothers, fathers, and children indicated positive attitudes towards science, no gender stereotyping about science and science careers, and gender neutral beliefs about science achievement. Gender differences were found in expressed possibility of future career choice. Science/Professional Careers were viewed as male occupations by mothers and children, but as gender neutral occupations by fathers. There were no significant differences between high-achieving girls and other gender/achievement groups. Results supported Eccles' Model of Achievement Related Choices (1994) where parents, as socializers, influenced the attitudes, stereotypes, beliefs and future career goals of their children. This study suggested that, while many gender inequities have lessened or disappeared, mothers' stereotypic view of science-related careers may contribute to women's continued underrepresentation in this important occupational area.

Educational Aspirations among UK Young Teenagers: Exploring the Role of Gender, Class and Ethnicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berrington, Ann; Roberts, Steven; Tammes, Peter

2016-01-01

Large socio-economic differences in educational attainment and participation in Higher Education (HE) are seen in the United Kingdom (UK). Furthermore, improvements in attainment and in rates of progression to university have been much faster for most ethnic minority groups than for White children. Political rhetoric explains these differences in…

Sex and Age Differences in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms and Diagnoses: Implications for DSM-V and ICD-11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramtekkar, Ujjwal P.; Reiersen, Angela M.; Todorov, Alexandre A.; Todd, Richard D.

2010-01-01

Objective: To examine gender and age differences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom endorsement in a large community-based sample. Method: Families with four or more full siblings ascertained from Missouri birth records completed telephone interviews regarding lifetime DSM-IV ADHD symptoms and the Strengths and Weaknesses…

The Impact of Gender, Perceived Female Isolation and Beliefs in Traditional Roles for Women on Job Satisfaction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barclay, Lizabeth A.; And Others

Past research has detailed conflicting results in investigations of sex differences and job satisfaction. To explain sex differences and job satisfaction within the framework of subtle treatment discrimination (a situation variable) and beliefs about roles for women (a person variable), 1578 employees of a large corporation completed demographic…

Gender differences in Latin-American patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Barragán-Martínez, Carolina; Amaya-Amaya, Jenny; Pineda-Tamayo, Ricardo; Mantilla, Rubén D; Castellanos-de la Hoz, Juan; Bernal-Macías, Santiago; Rojas-Villarraga, Adriana; Anaya, Juan-Manuel

2012-12-01

Data on the effect of gender in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in non-Caucasian populations is scarce. Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is a large population with unique characteristics, including high admixture. Our aim was to examine the effect of gender in patients with RA in LAC. This was a 2-phase study. First we conducted a cross-sectional and analytical study in which 1128 consecutive Colombian patients with RA were assessed. Second, a systematic review of the literature was done to evaluate the effect of gender in LAC patients with RA. Our results show a high prevalence of RA in LAC women with a ratio of 5.2 women per man. Colombian women with RA are more at risk of having an early age at onset and developing polyautoimmunity and abdominal obesity, and they perform more household duties than their male counterparts. However, male gender was associated with the presence of extra-articular manifestations. Of a total of 641 potentially relevant articles, 38 were considered for final analysis, in which several factors and outcomes related to gender were identified. RA in LAC women is not only more common but presents with some clinical characteristics that differ from RA presentation in men. Some of those characteristics could explain the high rates of disability and worse prognosis observed in women with RA in LAC. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

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.

Sex and Gender Differences in Risk, Pathophysiology and Complications of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Kautzky-Willer, Alexandra; Harreiter, Jürgen; Pacini, Giovanni

2016-06-01

The steep rise of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated complications go along with mounting evidence of clinically important sex and gender differences. T2DM is more frequently diagnosed at lower age and body mass index in men; however, the most prominent risk factor, which is obesity, is more common in women. Generally, large sex-ratio differences across countries are observed. Diversities in biology, culture, lifestyle, environment, and socioeconomic status impact differences between males and females in predisposition, development, and clinical presentation. Genetic effects and epigenetic mechanisms, nutritional factors and sedentary lifestyle affect risk and complications differently in both sexes. Furthermore, sex hormones have a great impact on energy metabolism, body composition, vascular function, and inflammatory responses. Thus, endocrine imbalances relate to unfavorable cardiometabolic traits, observable in women with androgen excess or men with hypogonadism. Both biological and psychosocial factors are responsible for sex and gender differences in diabetes risk and outcome. Overall, psychosocial stress appears to have greater impact on women rather than on men. In addition, women have greater increases of cardiovascular risk, myocardial infarction, and stroke mortality than men, compared with nondiabetic subjects. However, when dialysis therapy is initiated, mortality is comparable in both males and females. Diabetes appears to attenuate the protective effect of the female sex in the development of cardiac diseases and nephropathy. Endocrine and behavioral factors are involved in gender inequalities and affect the outcome. More research regarding sex-dimorphic pathophysiological mechanisms of T2DM and its complications could contribute to more personalized diabetes care in the future and would thus promote more awareness in terms of sex- and gender-specific risk factors.

Sex and Gender Differences in Risk, Pathophysiology and Complications of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Harreiter, Jürgen; Pacini, Giovanni

2016-01-01

The steep rise of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and associated complications go along with mounting evidence of clinically important sex and gender differences. T2DM is more frequently diagnosed at lower age and body mass index in men; however, the most prominent risk factor, which is obesity, is more common in women. Generally, large sex-ratio differences across countries are observed. Diversities in biology, culture, lifestyle, environment, and socioeconomic status impact differences between males and females in predisposition, development, and clinical presentation. Genetic effects and epigenetic mechanisms, nutritional factors and sedentary lifestyle affect risk and complications differently in both sexes. Furthermore, sex hormones have a great impact on energy metabolism, body composition, vascular function, and inflammatory responses. Thus, endocrine imbalances relate to unfavorable cardiometabolic traits, observable in women with androgen excess or men with hypogonadism. Both biological and psychosocial factors are responsible for sex and gender differences in diabetes risk and outcome. Overall, psychosocial stress appears to have greater impact on women rather than on men. In addition, women have greater increases of cardiovascular risk, myocardial infarction, and stroke mortality than men, compared with nondiabetic subjects. However, when dialysis therapy is initiated, mortality is comparable in both males and females. Diabetes appears to attenuate the protective effect of the female sex in the development of cardiac diseases and nephropathy. Endocrine and behavioral factors are involved in gender inequalities and affect the outcome. More research regarding sex-dimorphic pathophysiological mechanisms of T2DM and its complications could contribute to more personalized diabetes care in the future and would thus promote more awareness in terms of sex- and gender-specific risk factors. PMID:27159875

Gender differences in healthy aging and Alzheimer's Dementia: A 18 F-FDG-PET study of brain and cognitive reserve.

PubMed

Malpetti, Maura; Ballarini, Tommaso; Presotto, Luca; Garibotto, Valentina; Tettamanti, Marco; Perani, Daniela

2017-08-01

Cognitive reserve (CR) and brain reserve (BR) are protective factors against age-associated cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders. Very limited evidence exists about gender effects on brain aging and on the effect of CR on brain modulation in healthy aging and Alzheimer's Dementia (AD). We investigated gender differences in brain metabolic activity and resting-state network connectivity, as measured by 18 F-FDG-PET, in healthy aging and AD, also considering the effects of education and occupation. The clinical and imaging data were retrieved from large datasets of healthy elderly subjects (HE) (225) and AD patients (282). In HE, males showed more extended age-related reduction of brain metabolism than females in frontal medial cortex. We also found differences in brain modulation as metabolic increases induced by education and occupation, namely in posterior associative cortices in HE males and in the anterior limbic-affective and executive networks in HE females. In AD patients, the correlations between education and occupation levels and brain hypometabolism showed gender differences, namely a posterior temporo-parietal association in males and a frontal and limbic association in females, indicating the involvement of different networks. Finally, the metabolic connectivity in both HE and AD aligned with these results, suggesting greater efficiency in the posterior default mode network for males, and in the anterior frontal executive network for females. The basis of these brain gender differences in both aging and AD, obtained exploring cerebral metabolism, metabolic connectivity and the effects of education and occupation, is likely at the intersection between biological and sociodemographic factors. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4212-4227, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physician gender effects in medical communication: a meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Roter, Debra L; Hall, Judith A; Aoki, Yutaka

2002-08-14

Physician gender has been viewed as a possible source of variation in the interpersonal aspects of medical practice, with speculation that female physicians facilitate more open and equal exchange and a different therapeutic milieu from that of male physicians. However, studies in this area are generally based on small samples, with conflicting results. To systematically review and quantify the effect of physician gender on communication during medical visits. Online database searches of English-language abstracts for the years 1967 to 2001 (MEDLINE, AIDSLINE, PsycINFO, and Bioethics); a hand search was conducted of reprint files and the reference sections of review articles and other publications. Studies using a communication data source, such as audiotape, videotape, or direct observation, and large national or regional studies in which physician report was used to establish length of visit, were identified through bibliographic and computerized searches. Twenty-three observational studies and 3 large physician-report studies reported in 29 publications met inclusion criteria and were rated. The Cohen d was computed based on 2 reviewers' (J.A.H. and Y.A.) independent extraction of quantitative information from the publications. Study heterogeneity was tested using Q statistics and pooled effect sizes were computed using the appropriate effects model. The characteristics of the study populations were also extracted. Female physicians engage in significantly more active partnership behaviors, positive talk, psychosocial counseling, psychosocial question asking, and emotionally focused talk. There were no gender differences evident in the amount, quality, or manner of biomedical information giving or social conversation. Medical visits with female physicians are, on average, 2 minutes (10%) longer than those with male physicians. Obstetrics and gynecology may present a different pattern than that of primary care, with male physicians demonstrating higher levels of emotionally focused talk than their female colleagues. Female primary care physicians engage in more communication that can be considered patient centered and have longer visits than their male colleagues. Limited studies exist outside of primary care, and gender-related practice patterns in some subspecialties may differ from those evident in primary care.

Differences in gender performance on competitive physics selection tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, Kate; Low, David; Verdon, Matthew; Verdon, Alix

2016-12-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Gender in Physics.] We have investigated gender differences in performance over the past eight years on the Australian Science Olympiad Exam (ASOE) for physics, which is taken by nearly 1000 high school students each year. The ASOE, run by Australian Science Innovations (ASI), is the initial stage of the process of selection of teams to represent Australia at the Asian and International Physics Olympiads. Students taking the exam are generally in their penultimate year of school and selected by teachers as being high performing in physics. Together with the overall differences in facility, we have investigated how the content and presentation of multiple-choice questions (MCQs) affects the particular answers selected by male and female students. Differences in the patterns of responses by male and female students indicate that males and females might be modeling situations in different ways. Some strong patterns were found in the gender gaps when the questions were categorized in five broad dimensions: content, process required, difficulty, presentation, and context. Almost all questions saw male students performing better, although gender differences were relatively small for questions with a more abstract context. Male students performed significantly better on most questions with a concrete context, although notable exceptions were found, including two such questions where female students performed better. Other categories that showed consistently large gaps favoring male students include questions with projectile motion and other two-dimensional motion or forces content, and processes involving interpreting diagrams. Our results have important implications, suggesting that we should be able to reduce the gender gaps in performance on MCQ tests by changing the way information is presented and setting questions in contexts that are less likely to favor males over females. This is important as MCQ tests are frequently used as diagnostic tests and aptitude tests as well as to assess learning.

Exploration–exploitation trade-off features a saltatory search behaviour

PubMed Central

Volchenkov, Dimitri; Helbach, Jonathan; Tscherepanow, Marko; Kühnel, Sina

2013-01-01

Searching experiments conducted in different virtual environments over a gender-balanced group of people revealed a gender irrelevant scale-free spread of searching activity on large spatio-temporal scales. We have suggested and solved analytically a simple statistical model of the coherent-noise type describing the exploration–exploitation trade-off in humans (‘should I stay’ or ‘should I go’). The model exhibits a variety of saltatory behaviours, ranging from Lévy flights occurring under uncertainty to Brownian walks performed by a treasure hunter confident of the eventual success. PMID:23782535

Gender differences in publication productivity, academic position, career duration, and funding among U.S. academic radiation oncology faculty.

PubMed

Holliday, Emma B; Jagsi, Reshma; Wilson, Lynn D; Choi, Mehee; Thomas, Charles R; Fuller, Clifton D

2014-05-01

This study aimed to analyze gender differences in rank, career duration, publication productivity, and research funding among radiation oncologists at U.S. academic institutions. For 82 domestic academic radiation oncology departments, the authors identified current faculty and recorded their academic rank, degree, and gender. The authors recorded bibliographic metrics for physician faculty from a commercially available database (Scopus, Elsevier BV), including numbers of publications from 1996 to 2012 and h-indices. The authors then concatenated these data with National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding per Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools. The authors performed descriptive and correlative analyses, stratifying by gender and rank. Of 1,031 faculty, 293 (28%) women and 738 (72%) men, men had a higher median m-index, 0.58 (range 0-3.23) versus 0.47 (0-2.5) (P < .05); h-index, 8 (0-59) versus 5 (0-39) (P < .05); and publication number, 26 (0-591) versus 13 (0-306) (P < .05). Men were more likely to be senior faculty and receive NIH funding. After stratifying for rank, these differences were largely nonsignificant. On multivariate analysis, there were correlations between gender, career duration and academic position, and h-index (P < .01). Determinants of a successful career in academic medicine are multifactorial. Data from radiation oncologists show a systematic gender association, with fewer women achieving senior faculty rank. However, women achieving seniority have productivity metrics comparable to those of male counterparts. This suggests that early career development and mentorship of female faculty may narrow productivity disparities.

Infant temperament: stability by age, gender, birth order, term status, and socioeconomic status.

PubMed

Bornstein, Marc H; Putnick, Diane L; Gartstein, Maria A; Hahn, Chun-Shin; Auestad, Nancy; O'Connor, Deborah L

2015-01-01

Two complementary studies focused on stability of infant temperament across the 1st year and considered infant age, gender, birth order, term status, and socioeconomic status (SES) as moderators. Study 1 consisted of 73 mothers of firstborn term girls and boys queried at 2, 5, and 13 months of age. Study 2 consisted of 335 mothers of infants of different gender, birth order, term status, and SES queried at 6 and 12 months. Consistent positive and negative affectivity factors emerged at all time points across both studies. Infant temperament proved stable and robust across gender, birth order, term status, and SES. Stability coefficients for temperament factors and scales were medium to large for shorter (< 9 months) interassessment intervals and small to medium for longer (> 10 months) intervals. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Why are men more likely to support group-based dominance than women? The mediating role of gender identification.

PubMed

Dambrun, Michaël; Duarte, Sandra; Guimond, Serge

2004-06-01

Arguing from a sociobiological perspective, Sidanius and Pratto (1999) have shown that the male/female difference in social dominance orientation (SDO) is largely invariant across cultural, situational and contextual boundaries. The main objective of this study was to test the validity of Social Dominance Theory (SDT) by contrasting it with a model derived from Social Identity Theory (SIT). More specifically, while SIT predicts that gender identification mediates the effect of gender on SDO, SDT predicts the reverse. According to SDT, the degree to which men and women endorse status legitimizing ideology should determine to what extent they identify with their gender group. Using structural equation modelling, the results provide strong support for the SIT model and no support for SDT predictions. Implications of these results for social dominance theory and its sociobiologically based invariance hypothesis are discussed.

Genetic and environmental influences on female sexual orientation, childhood gender typicality and adult gender identity.

PubMed

Burri, Andrea; Cherkas, Lynn; Spector, Timothy; Rahman, Qazi

2011-01-01

Human sexual orientation is influenced by genetic and non-shared environmental factors as are two important psychological correlates--childhood gender typicality (CGT) and adult gender identity (AGI). However, researchers have been unable to resolve the genetic and non-genetic components that contribute to the covariation between these traits, particularly in women. Here we performed a multivariate genetic analysis in a large sample of British female twins (N = 4,426) who completed a questionnaire assessing sexual attraction, CGT and AGI. Univariate genetic models indicated modest genetic influences on sexual attraction (25%), AGI (11%) and CGT (31%). For the multivariate analyses, a common pathway model best fitted the data. This indicated that a single latent variable influenced by a genetic component and common non-shared environmental component explained the association between the three traits but there was substantial measurement error. These findings highlight common developmental factors affecting differences in sexual orientation.

Gender Dysphoria in Adults.

PubMed

Zucker, Kenneth J; Lawrence, Anne A; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P C

2016-01-01

Gender dysphoria (GD), a term that denotes persistent discomfort with one's biologic sex or assigned gender, replaced the diagnosis of gender identity disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013. Subtypes of GD in adults, defined by sexual orientation and age of onset, have been described; these display different developmental trajectories and prognoses. Prevalence studies conclude that fewer than 1 in 10,000 adult natal males and 1 in 30,000 adult natal females experience GD, but such estimates vary widely. GD in adults is associated with an elevated prevalence of comorbid psychopathology, especially mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and suicidality. Causal mechanisms in GD are incompletely understood, but genetic, neurodevelopmental, and psychosocial factors probably all contribute. Treatment of GD in adults, although largely standardized, is likely to evolve in response to the increasing diversity of persons seeking treatment, demands for greater client autonomy, and improved understanding of the benefits and limitations of current treatment modalities.

Factor structure of the CES-D and measurement invariance across gender in Mainland Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Wang, Mengcheng; Armour, Cherie; Wu, Yan; Ren, Fen; Zhu, Xiongzhao; Yao, Shuqiao

2013-09-01

The primary aim was to examine the depressive symptom structure of Mainland China adolescents using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were simultaneously conducted to determine the structure of the CES-D in a large scale, representative adolescent samples recruited from Mainland China. Multigroup CFA (N = 5059, 48% boys, mean = 16.55±1.06) was utilized to test the factorial invariance of the depressive symptom structure, which was generated by EFA and confirmed by CFA across gender. The CES-D can be interpreted in terms of 3 symptom dimensions. Additionally, factorial invariance of the new proposed model across gender was supported at all assuming different degrees of invariance. Mainland Chinese adolescents have specific depressive symptom structure, which is consistent across gender. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Effect of age and gender on the surface electromyogram during various levels of isometric contraction.

PubMed

Arjunan, Sridhar; Kumar, Dinesh; Kalra, Chandan; Burne, John; Bastos, Teodiano

2011-01-01

This study reports the effects of age and gender on the surface electromyogram while performing isometric contraction. Experiments were conducted with two age groups--Young (Age: 20-29) and Old (Age: 60-69) where they performed sustained isometric contractions at various force levels (50%, 75%, 100% of maximum voluntary contraction). Traditional features such as root mean square (RMS) and median frequency (MDF) were computed from the recorded sEMG. The result indicates that the MDF of sEMG was not significantly affected by age, but was impacted by gender in both age groups. Also there was a significant change in the RMS of sEMG with age and gender at all levels of contraction. The results also indicate a large inter-subject variation. This study will provide an understanding of the underlying physiological effects of muscle contraction and muscle fatigue in different cohorts.

HIV risk behaviors in the U.S. transgender population: prevalence and predictors in a large internet sample.

PubMed

Feldman, Jamie; Romine, Rebecca Swinburne; Bockting, Walter O

2014-01-01

To study the influence of gender on HIV risk, a sample of the U.S. transgender population (N = 1,229) was recruited via the Internet. HIV risk and prevalence were lower than reported in prior studies of localized, urban samples but higher than the overall U.S. population. Findings suggest that gender nonconformity alone does not itself result in markedly higher HIV risk. Sex with nontransgender men emerged as the strongest independent predictor of unsafe sex for both male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM) participants. These sexual relationships constitute a process that may either affirm or problematize gender identity and sexual orientation, with different emphases for MtFs and FtMs, respectively.

Gender gaps in achievement and participation in multiple introductory biology classrooms.

PubMed

Eddy, Sarah L; Brownell, Sara E; Wenderoth, Mary Pat

2014-01-01

Although gender gaps have been a major concern in male-dominated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines such as physics and engineering, the numerical dominance of female students in biology has supported the assumption that gender disparities do not exist at the undergraduate level in life sciences. Using data from 23 large introductory biology classes for majors, we examine two measures of gender disparity in biology: academic achievement and participation in whole-class discussions. We found that females consistently underperform on exams compared with males with similar overall college grade point averages. In addition, although females on average represent 60% of the students in these courses, their voices make up less than 40% of those heard responding to instructor-posed questions to the class, one of the most common ways of engaging students in large lectures. Based on these data, we propose that, despite numerical dominance of females, gender disparities remain an issue in introductory biology classrooms. For student retention and achievement in biology to be truly merit based, we need to develop strategies to equalize the opportunities for students of different genders to practice the skills they need to excel. © 2014 S. L. Eddy et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2014 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

A large-scale analysis of sex differences in facial expressions

PubMed Central

Kodra, Evan; el Kaliouby, Rana; LaFrance, Marianne

2017-01-01

There exists a stereotype that women are more expressive than men; however, research has almost exclusively focused on a single facial behavior, smiling. A large-scale study examines whether women are consistently more expressive than men or whether the effects are dependent on the emotion expressed. Studies of gender differences in expressivity have been somewhat restricted to data collected in lab settings or which required labor-intensive manual coding. In the present study, we analyze gender differences in facial behaviors as over 2,000 viewers watch a set of video advertisements in their home environments. The facial responses were recorded using participants’ own webcams. Using a new automated facial coding technology we coded facial activity. We find that women are not universally more expressive across all facial actions. Nor are they more expressive in all positive valence actions and less expressive in all negative valence actions. It appears that generally women express actions more frequently than men, and in particular express more positive valence actions. However, expressiveness is not greater in women for all negative valence actions and is dependent on the discrete emotional state. PMID:28422963

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

Outpatient Tinnitus Clinic, Self-Help Web Platform, or Mobile Application to Recruit Tinnitus Study Samples?

PubMed Central

Probst, Thomas; Pryss, Rüdiger C.; Langguth, Berthold; Spiliopoulou, Myra; Landgrebe, Michael; Vesala, Markku; Harrison, Stephen; Schobel, Johannes; Reichert, Manfred; Stach, Michael; Schlee, Winfried

2017-01-01

For understanding the heterogeneity of tinnitus, large samples are required. However, investigations on how samples recruited by different methods differ from each other are lacking. In the present study, three large samples each recruited by different means were compared: N = 5017 individuals registered at a self-help web platform for tinnitus (crowdsourcing platform Tinnitus Talk), N = 867 users of a smart mobile application for tinnitus (crowdsensing platform TrackYourTinnitus), and N = 3786 patients contacting an outpatient tinnitus clinic (Tinnitus Center of the University Hospital Regensburg). The three samples were compared regarding age, gender, and duration of tinnitus (month or years perceiving tinnitus; subjective report) using chi-squared tests. The three samples significantly differed from each other in age, gender and tinnitus duration (p < 0.05). Users of the TrackYourTinnitus crowdsensing platform were younger, users of the Tinnitus Talk crowdsourcing platform had more often female gender, and users of both newer technologies (crowdsourcing and crowdsensing) had more frequently acute/subacute tinnitus (<3 months and 4–6 months) as well as a very long tinnitus duration (>20 years). The implications of these findings for clinical research are that newer technologies such as crowdsourcing and crowdsensing platforms offer the possibility to reach individuals hard to get in contact with at an outpatient tinnitus clinic. Depending on the aims and the inclusion/exclusion criteria of a given study, different recruiting strategies (clinic and/or newer technologies) offer different advantages and disadvantages. In general, the representativeness of study results might be increased when tinnitus study samples are recruited in the clinic as well as via crowdsourcing and crowdsensing. PMID:28484389

Outpatient Tinnitus Clinic, Self-Help Web Platform, or Mobile Application to Recruit Tinnitus Study Samples?

PubMed

Probst, Thomas; Pryss, Rüdiger C; Langguth, Berthold; Spiliopoulou, Myra; Landgrebe, Michael; Vesala, Markku; Harrison, Stephen; Schobel, Johannes; Reichert, Manfred; Stach, Michael; Schlee, Winfried

2017-01-01

For understanding the heterogeneity of tinnitus, large samples are required. However, investigations on how samples recruited by different methods differ from each other are lacking. In the present study, three large samples each recruited by different means were compared: N = 5017 individuals registered at a self-help web platform for tinnitus (crowdsourcing platform Tinnitus Talk), N = 867 users of a smart mobile application for tinnitus (crowdsensing platform TrackYourTinnitus), and N = 3786 patients contacting an outpatient tinnitus clinic (Tinnitus Center of the University Hospital Regensburg). The three samples were compared regarding age, gender, and duration of tinnitus (month or years perceiving tinnitus; subjective report) using chi-squared tests. The three samples significantly differed from each other in age, gender and tinnitus duration ( p < 0.05). Users of the TrackYourTinnitus crowdsensing platform were younger, users of the Tinnitus Talk crowdsourcing platform had more often female gender, and users of both newer technologies (crowdsourcing and crowdsensing) had more frequently acute/subacute tinnitus (<3 months and 4-6 months) as well as a very long tinnitus duration (>20 years). The implications of these findings for clinical research are that newer technologies such as crowdsourcing and crowdsensing platforms offer the possibility to reach individuals hard to get in contact with at an outpatient tinnitus clinic. Depending on the aims and the inclusion/exclusion criteria of a given study, different recruiting strategies (clinic and/or newer technologies) offer different advantages and disadvantages. In general, the representativeness of study results might be increased when tinnitus study samples are recruited in the clinic as well as via crowdsourcing and crowdsensing.

Understanding and Overcoming Implicit Gender Bias in Plastic Surgery.

PubMed

Phillips, Nicole A; Tannan, Shruti C; Kalliainen, Loree K

2016-11-01

Although explicit sex-based discrimination has largely been deemed unacceptable in professional settings, implicit gender bias persists and results in a significant lack of parity in plastic surgery and beyond. Implicit gender bias is the result of a complex interplay of cultural and societal expectations, learned behaviors, and standardized associations. As such, both male and female surgeons are subject to its influence. A review of the literature was conducted, examining theories of gender bias, current manifestations of gender bias in plastic surgery and other fields, and interventions designed to address gender bias. Multiple studies demonstrate persistent gender bias that impacts female physicians at all levels of training. Several institutions have enacted successful interventions to identify and address gender bias. Explicit gender bias has largely disappeared, yet unconscious or implicit gender bias persists. A wide-scale commitment to addressing implicit gender bias in plastic surgery is necessary and overdue. Recommendations include immediate actions that can be undertaken on an individual basis, and changes that should be implemented at a national and international level by leaders in the field.

Equally able, but unequally accepted: Gender differentials and experiences of community health volunteers promoting maternal, newborn, and child health in Morogoro Region, Tanzania.

PubMed

Feldhaus, Isabelle; Silverman, Marissa; LeFevre, Amnesty E; Mpembeni, Rose; Mosha, Idda; Chitama, Dereck; Mohan, Diwakar; Chebet, Joy J; Urassa, David; Kilewo, Charles; Plotkin, Marya; Besana, Giulia; Semu, Helen; Baqui, Abdullah H; Winch, Peter J; Killewo, Japhet; George, Asha S

2015-08-25

Despite emerging qualitative evidence of gendered community health worker (CHW) experience, few quantitative studies examine CHW gender differentials. The launch of a maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) CHW cadre in Morogoro Region, Tanzania enlisting both males and females as CHWs, provides an opportunity to examine potential gender differences in CHW knowledge, health promotion activities and client acceptability. All CHWs who received training from the Integrated MNCH Program between December 2012 and July 2013 in five districts were surveyed and information on health promotion activities undertaken drawn from their registers. CHW socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, and health promotion activities were analyzed through bi- and multivariate analyses. Composite scores generated across ten knowledge domains were used in ordered logistic regression models to estimate relationships between knowledge scores and predictor variables. Thematic analysis was also undertaken on 60 purposively sampled semi-structured interviews with CHWs, their supervisors, community leaders, and health committee members in 12 villages from three districts. Of all CHWs trained, 97% were interviewed (n = 228): 55% male and 45% female. No significant differences were observed in knowledge by gender after controlling for age, education, date of training, marital status, and assets. Differences in number of home visits and community health education meetings were also not significant by gender. With regards to acceptability, women were more likely to disclose pregnancies earlier to female CHWs, than male CHWs. Men were more comfortable discussing sexual and reproductive concerns with male, than female CHWs. In some cases, CHW home visits were viewed as potentially being for ulterior or adulterous motives, so trust by families had to be built. Respondents reported that working as female-male pairs helped to address some of these dynamics. Male and female CHWs in this study have largely similar knowledge and health promotion outputs, but challenges in acceptance of CHW counseling for reproductive health and home visits by unaccompanied CHWs varied by gender. Programs that pair male and female CHWs may potentially overcome gender issues in CHW acceptance, especially if they change gender norms rather than solely accommodate gender preferences.

Narratives of Girls and Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Gender Differences in Narrative Competence and Internal State Language.

PubMed

Kauschke, Christina; van der Beek, Bettina; Kamp-Becker, Inge

2016-03-01

Since gender differences in the symptomatology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not well understood, the current study examines the communicative skills of males and females with ASD. Narrative competence and internal state language (ISL) was investigated using narrations elicited by a wordless picture book. 11 girls and 11 boys with ASD and 11 typically developing girls were individually matched. Although results demonstrate largely comparable narrative skills across groups, the groups differed with respect to the size and use of ISL: Girls with ASD verbalized and motivated internal states more often than boys, and both groups with ASD fell behind typically developing children in production of affective words. Implications for the clinical presentation of males and females with ASD are discussed.

How did women count? A note on gender-specific age heaping differences in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries.

PubMed

Földvári, Peter; Van Leeuwen, Bas; Van Leeuwen-Li, Jieli

2012-01-01

The role of human capital in economic growth is now largely uncontested. One indicator of human capital frequently used for the pre-1900 period is age heaping, which has been increasingly used to measure gender-specific differences. In this note, we find that in some historical samples, married women heap significantly less than unmarried women. This is still true after correcting for possible selection effects. A possible explanation is that a percentage of women adapted their ages to that of their husbands, hence biasing the Whipple index. We find the same effect to a lesser extent for men. Since this bias differs over time and across countries, a consistent comparison of female age heaping should be made by focusing on unmarried women.

Gender-Related and Age-Related Differences in Implantable Defibrillator Recipients: Results From the Pacemaker and Implantable Defibrillator Leads Survival Study ("PAIDLESS").

PubMed

Feldman, Alyssa M; Kersten, Daniel J; Chung, Jessica A; Asheld, Wilbur J; Germano, Joseph; Islam, Shahidul; Cohen, Todd J

2015-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of gender and age on defibrillator lead failure and patient mortality. The specific influences of gender and age on defibrillator lead failure have not previously been investigated. This study analyzed the differences in gender and age in relation to defibrillator lead failure and mortality of patients in the Pacemaker and Implantable Defibrillator Leads Survival Study ("PAIDLESS"). PAIDLESS includes all patients at Winthrop University Hospital who underwent defibrillator lead implantation between February 1, 1996 and December 31, 2011. Male and female patients were compared within each age decile, beginning at 15 years old, to analyze lead failure and patient mortality. Statistical analyses were performed using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, Fisher's exact test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and multivariable Cox regression models. P<.05 was considered statistically significant. No correction for multiple comparisons was performed for the subgroup analyses. A total of 3802 patients (2812 men and 990 women) were included in the analysis. The mean age was 70 ± 13 years (range, 15-94 years). Kaplan-Meier analysis found that between 45 and 54 years of age, leads implanted in women failed significantly faster than in men (P=.03). Multivariable Cox regression models were built to validate this finding, and they confirmed that male gender was an independent protective factor of lead failure in the 45 to 54 years group (for male gender: HR, 0.37; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.96; P=.04). Lead survival time for women in this age group was 13.4 years (standard error, 0.6), while leads implanted in men of this age group survived 14.7 years (standard error, 0.3). Although there were significant differences in lead failure, no differences in mortality between the genders were found for any ages or within each decile. This study is the first to compare defibrillator lead failure and patient mortality in relation to gender and age deciles at a single large implanting center. Within the 45 to 54 years group, leads implanted in women failed faster than in men. Male gender was found to be an independent protective factor in lead survival. This study emphasizes the complex interplay between gender and age with respect to implantable defibrillator lead failure and mortality.

Revisiting gender, race, and ear differences in peripheral auditory function

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boothalingam, Sriram; Klyn, Niall A. M.; Stiepan, Samantha M.; Wilson, Uzma S.; Lee, Jungwha; Siegel, Jonathan H.; Dhar, Sumitrajit

2018-05-01

Various measures of auditory function are reported to be superior in females as compared to males, in African American compared to Caucasian individuals, and in right compared to left ears. We re-examined the influence of these subject variables on hearing thresholds and otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) in a sample of 887 human participants between 10 and 68 years of age. Even though the variables of interest here have been examined before, previous attempts have largely been limited to frequencies up to 8 kHz. We used state-of-the-art signal delivery and recording techniques that compensated for individual differences in ear canal acoustics, allowing us to measure hearing thresholds and OAEs up to 20 kHz. The use of these modern calibration and recording techniques provided the motivation for re-examining these commonly studied variables. While controlling for age, noise exposure history, and general health history, we attempted to isolate the effects of gender, race, and ear (left versus right) on hearing thresholds and OAEs. Our results challenge the notion of a right ear advantage and question the existence of a significant gender and race differences in both hearing thresholds and OAE levels. These results suggest that ear canal anatomy and acoustics should be important considerations when evaluating the influence of gender, race, and ear on peripheral auditory function.

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.

Aging changes and gender differences in response to median nerve stimulation measured with MEG.

PubMed

Stephen, Julia M; Ranken, Doug; Best, Elaine; Adair, John; Knoefel, Janice; Kovacevic, Sanja; Padilla, Denise; Hart, Blaine; Aine, Cheryl J

2006-01-01

The current study uses magnetoencephalography (MEG) to characterize age-related changes and gender differences in the amplitudes and timing of cortical sources evoked by median nerve stimulation. Thirty-four healthy subjects from two age groups: 20-29 and >64 years of age were examined. After measuring the MEG responses, we modeled the data using a spatio-temporal multi-dipole modeling approach to determine the source locations and their associated timecourses. We found early, large amplitude responses in the elderly in primary somatosensory (approximately 20 ms) and pre-central sulcus timecourses (approximately 22 ms) and lower amplitude responses in the elderly later in primary somatosensory (approximately 32 ms) and contralateral secondary somatosensory timecourses (approximately 90 ms). In addition, females had larger peak amplitude responses than males in the contralateral secondary somatosensory timecourse (approximately 28 and 51 ms). These results show that the median nerve stimulation paradigm provides considerable sensitivity to age- and gender-related differences. The results are consistent with the theory that increased amplitudes identified in the elderly may be associated with decreased inhibition. The results emphasize that an examination of two discrete age groups, collapsed across gender, cannot provide a complete understanding of the fundamental changes that occur in the brain across the lifetime.

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.

Gambling Type, Substance Abuse, Health and Psychosocial Correlates of Male and Female Problem Gamblers in a Nationally Representative French Sample.

PubMed

Bonnaire, C; Kovess-Masfety, V; Guignard, R; Richard, J B; du Roscoät, E; Beck, F

2017-06-01

Many studies carried out on treatment-seeking problem gamblers (PG) have reported high levels of comorbid substance use disorders, and mental and physical health problems. Nevertheless, general population studies are still sparse, most of them have been carried out in the United States or Canada, and gender differences have not always been considered. Thus, the aim of this study was to describe the type of games, and psychological and physical correlates in male and female PG in a nationally representative French sample. The total sample studied involved 25,647 subjects aged 15-85 years, including 333 PG and 25,314 non-problem gamblers (NPG). Data were extracted from a large survey of a representative sample of the French general population. They were evaluated for sociodemographic variables, gambling behavior, type of gambling activity, substance use, psychological distress, body mass index, chronic disease, and lack of sleep. Overall, there were significant differences between PG and NPG in gender, age, education, employment and marital status, substance use disorders (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine and heroin), psychological distress, obesity, lack of sleep and type of gambling activity. Although male and female PG had different profiles, the gambling type, especially strategic games, appeared as an important variable in the relationship between gender and problem gambling. This research underlines the importance of considering gender differences and gambling type in the study of gambling disorders. Identifying specific factors in the relationship between gender, gambling type and gambling problems may help improve clinical interventions and health promotion strategies.

Gender Differences in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Help Seeking in the U.S. Army.

PubMed

Hourani, Laurel; Williams, Jason; Bray, Robert M; Wilk, Joshua E; Hoge, Charles W

2016-01-01

Inconsistent findings between studies of gender differences in mental health outcomes in military samples have left open questions of differential prevalence in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among all United States Army soldiers and in differential psychosocial and comorbid risk and protective factor profiles and their association with receipt of treatment. This study assesses the prevalence and risk factors of screening positive for PTSD for men and women based on two large, population-based Army samples obtained as part of the 2005 and 2008 U.S. Department of Defense Surveys of Health Related Behaviors among Active Duty Military Personnel. The study showed that overall rates of PTSD, as measured by several cutoffs of the PTSD Checklist, are similar between active duty men and women, with rates increasing in both men and women between the two study time points. Depression and problem alcohol use were strongly associated with a positive PTSD screen in both genders, and combat exposure was significantly associated with a positive PTSD screen in men. Overall, active duty men and women who met criteria for PTSD were equally likely to receive mental health counseling or treatment, though gender differences in treatment receipt varied by age, race, social support (presence of spouse at duty station), history of sexual abuse, illness, depression, alcohol use, and combat exposure. The study demonstrates that the prevalence of PTSD as well as the overall utilization of mental health services is similar for active duty men compared with women. However, there are significant gender differences in predictors of positive PTSD screens and receipt of PTSD treatment.

Strain of ascending aorta on cardiac magnetic resonance in 1027 patients: Relation with age, gender, and cardiovascular disease.

PubMed

Scarabello, Marco; Codari, Marina; Secchi, Francesco; Cannaò, Paola M; Alì, Marco; Di Leo, Giovanni; Sardanelli, Francesco

2018-02-01

To evaluate ascending aortic strain (AAS) with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in a large consecutive series of patients with different types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Two-dimensional phase-contrast gradient-echo sequences of the ascending aorta were retrospectively reviewed in 1027 patients (726 males, 301 females). Aortic lumen area was segmented using a semi-automatic approach to calculate AAS values. Subgroup analysis was performed for patients with normal CMR, tetralogy of Fallot (ToF), and ischemic heart disease (IHD). Multivariate and post-hoc analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of age, gender, and CVD on AAS values. Shapiro-Wilk, three- and two-way ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, and Spearman correlation statistics were used. Multivariate analysis showed significant differences in AAS among decades of age (p<0.001), genders (p=0.006) and CVD subgroups (p<0.001) without interaction among these factors. A gender-related difference (higher AAS in females) was significant in ToF (p=0.008), while an AAS reduction during aging was observed in all CVD subgroups. Post-hoc analysis showed a significantly lower AAS in ToF and IHD patients compared to subjects with normal CMR (p<0.001). Differences in age, gender, and CVD independently affect AAS. The lower AAS observed in ToF fosters its assessment during follow-up in adulthood. Future studies on causes and clinical implications of a higher AAS in females affected by ToF are warranted. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developmental Trajectories of Aggression from Late Childhood through Adolescence: Similarities and Differences across Gender

PubMed Central

Xie, Hongling; Drabick, Deborah A. G.; Chen, Diane

2015-01-01

Although numerous investigations of overt aggressive and antisocial trajectories have been undertaken, there is a dearth of literature examining gender differences and similarities in trajectory patterns and their correlates. To address these gaps, we investigated gender differences in the prevalence rates, predictive validity during transition to adulthood, childhood risk factors, and adolescent correlates of different trajectories of teacher-reported overt aggression (i.e., fights, argues, gets in trouble) among 220 participants (116 girls and 104 boys) evaluated annually from grade 4 to grade 12. Four patterns of trajectories were identified: low, increasing (i.e., adolescent-onset), decreasing (i.e., childhood-limited), and high (i.e., childhood-onset). majority large proportion of youth, particularly girls, displayed low levels of aggression over time. A small proportion followed the childhood-onset trajectory. Across gender, the childhood-onset trajectory was associated with the highest rates of maladjustment during the transition to adulthood, the highest number of childhood risk factors, and multiple problems during adolescence. The adolescent-onset trajectory was associated with few childhood risk factors, but with high levels of independent status during adolescence. In contrast, the childhood-limited trajectory was associated with several childhood risk factors, but high levels of parental monitoring and school engagement during adolescence. Romantic involvement differentiated the adolescent-onset and childhood-limited trajectories among girls. PMID:21748751

Developmental trajectories of aggression from late childhood through adolescence: similarities and differences across gender.

PubMed

Xie, Hongling; Drabick, Deborah A G; Chen, Diane

2011-01-01

Although numerous investigations of overt aggressive and antisocial trajectories have been undertaken, there is a dearth of literature examining gender differences and similarities in trajectory patterns and their correlates. To address these gaps, we investigated gender differences in the prevalence rates, predictive validity during transition to adulthood, childhood risk factors, and adolescent correlates of different trajectories of teacher-reported overt aggression (i.e., fights, argues, gets in trouble) among 220 participants (116 girls and 104 boys) evaluated annually from grade 4 to grade 12. Four patterns of trajectories were identified: low, increasing (i.e., adolescent-onset), decreasing (i.e., childhood-limited), and high (i.e., childhood-onset). A large proportion of youth, particularly girls, displayed low levels of aggression over time. A small proportion followed the childhood-onset trajectory. Across gender, the childhood-onset trajectory was associated with the highest rates of maladjustment during the transition to adulthood, the highest number of childhood risk factors, and multiple problems during adolescence. The adolescent-onset trajectory was associated with few childhood risk factors, but with high levels of independent status during adolescence. In contrast, the childhood-limited trajectory was associated with several childhood risk factors, but high levels of parental monitoring and school engagement during adolescence. Romantic involvement differentiated the adolescent-onset and childhood-limited trajectories among girls. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Labour Market Segregation and Gender Differences in Sickness Absence: Trends in 2005-2013 in Finland.

PubMed

Leinonen, Taina; Viikari-Juntura, Eira; Husgafvel-Pursiainen, Kirsti; Virta, Lauri J; Laaksonen, Mikko; Autti-Rämö, Ilona; Solovieva, Svetlana

2018-04-18

Women have higher sickness absence rate than men, but less is known of changes in this difference over time. We examined gender differences in sickness absence trends focusing on gender segregation in the labour market. We used large nationwide register data on Finnish wage earners aged 25-59 and generalized estimation equations based on repeated logistic regression to estimate the annual risk of sickness absence lasting at least 2 weeks. Between 2005 and 2013, the age-adjusted proportion (%) of employees with all-cause sickness absence decreased from the initial levels of 10.6 among men and 15.1 among women by 16.7 and 13.6%, respectively. Among both genders, the largest decrease in sickness absence coincided with the peak of the economic recession in 2009. In sickness absence due to all causes and musculoskeletal diseases, also the excess decrease among men mainly occurred in 2009, and in sickness absence due to mental disorders 2 years later. In sickness absence due to all causes and musculoskeletal diseases, the increasing gender difference was mainly attributable to a larger decrease in sickness absence at the time of the recession in male-dominated groups, such as in manual and manufacturing work, than in other sectors and occupational classes. In mental disorders, the increasing gender difference was partly attributable to a later smaller decrease in sickness absence among female-dominated lower non-manual and lower income employment groups. The increasing gender differences did not result from differential distributional changes in employment or sociodemographic factors among the employed male and female populations. In fact, widening of the gender gap in sickness absence due to all causes and musculoskeletal diseases would have been even larger without faster increase among women in the educational level and in non-manual employment. Sickness absence decreased especially in male-dominated employment groups, resulting in a larger decrease in absences among men compared with women. More research is needed to ascertain whether these differential changes are attributable, for example, to reduced willingness to seek medical advice or increased presenteeism in male-dominated groups, or to increased work pressures in female-dominated groups. Selection mechanisms, i.e. men's increased ill-health-related exit from work through other routes than sickness absence, also cannot be ruled out.

Physician gender and patient centered communication: the moderating effect of psychosocial and biomedical case characteristics.

PubMed

Shin, Dong Wook; Roter, Debra L; Roh, Yong Kyun; Hahm, Sang Keun; Cho, BeLong; Park, Hoon-Ki

2015-01-01

Female physicians have a more patient-centered communication style than their male counterparts; however, few studies have investigated how the biomedical or psychosocial nature of a patient diagnosis might moderate this relationship. Seventy six 3rd year residents (50 male and 26 females) seeking board certification from the Korean Academy of Family Medicine participated in the 2013 Clinical Practice Examination by conducting two simulated patient (SP) interviews, one presenting a largely psychosocial case and the other largely biomedical. The interview recordings were coded with the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). Female physicians and their SPs engaged in more dialog than male physicians in both cases. Female physicians were more patient-centered than males for the psychosocial case (t = -3.24, P < 0.05), however, their scores did not differ for the biomedical case. In multivariate analysis, a significant interaction between physician gender and case (z = -3.90, P < 0.001) similarly demonstrated greater female patient-centeredness only for the predominantly psychosocial case. Case characteristics moderated the association between physician gender and patient-centeredness. Case characteristics need to be considered in future research on the association of physician gender and the patient-centered communication, as well as in the tailoring of physician communication training. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

You Should Be the Specialist! Weak Mental Rotation Performance in Aviation Security Screeners – Reduced Performance Level in Aviation Security with No Gender Effect

PubMed Central

Krüger, Jenny K.; Suchan, Boris

2016-01-01

Aviation security screeners analyze a large number of X-ray images per day and seem to be experts in mentally rotating diverse kinds of visual objects. A robust gender-effect that men outperform women in the Vandenberg & Kuse mental rotation task has been well documented over the last years. In addition it has been shown that training can positively influence the overall task-performance. Considering this, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether security screeners show better performance in the Mental Rotation Test (MRT) independently of gender. Forty-seven security screeners of both sexes from two German airports were examined with a computer based MRT. Their performance was compared to a large sample of control subjects. The well-known gender-effect favoring men on mental rotation was significant within the control group. However, the security screeners did not show any sex differences suggesting an effect of training and professional performance. Surprisingly this specialized group showed a lower level of overall MRT performance than the control participants. Possible aviation related influences such as secondary effects of work-shift or expertise which can cumulatively cause this result are discussed. PMID:27014142

Differential Pathways to Violence and Self-Injurious Behavior: African American and White Girls in the Juvenile Justice System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holsinger, Kristi; Holsinger, Alexander M.

2005-01-01

Since the early 1990s, research, largely from a feminist perspective, has been devoted to identifying the "gender-specific needs" of delinquent girls. This article explores racial differences between girls and how these differences may affect the commission of violent behavior and self-injurious behavior. Self-report data were collected…

The Impact of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on Preadolescent Adjustment May Be Greater for Girls than for Boys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elkins, Irene J.; Malone, Steve; Keyes, Margaret; Iacono, William G.; McGue, Matt

2011-01-01

Whether gender differences exist in the impairment associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is still largely unknown, because most samples have few affected girls or include only one sex. The current study evaluated whether ADHD affects adjustment differently for girls than boys in a population-based cohort of 11-year-olds…

What Types of Pornography Do People Find Arousing and Do They Cluster? Assessing Types and Categories of Pornography in a Large-Scale Online Sample.

PubMed

Hald, Gert Martin; Štulhofer, Aleksandar

2016-09-01

Previous research on exposure to different types of pornography has primarily relied on analyses of millions of search terms and histories or on user exposure patterns within a given time period rather than the self-reported frequency of consumption. Further, previous research has almost exclusively relied on theoretical or ad hoc overarching categorizations of different types of pornography, when investigating patterns of pornography exposure, rather than latent structure analyses of these exposure patterns. In contrast, using a large sample of 18- to 40-year-old heterosexual and nonheterosexual Croatian men and women, this study investigated the self-reported frequency of using 27 different types of pornography and statistically explored their latent structures. The results showed substantial differences in consumption patterns across gender and sexual orientation. However, latent structure analyses of the 27 different types of pornography assessed suggested that although several categories of consumption were gender and sexual orientation specific, common categories across the different types of pornography could be established. Based on this finding, a five-item scale was proposed to indicate the use of nonmainstream (paraphilic) pornographic content, as this type of pornography has often been targeted in previous research. To the best of our knowledge, no similar measurement tool has been proposed before.

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.

Longitudinal assessment of gender differences in the development of PTSD among US military personnel deployed in support of the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

PubMed

Jacobson, Isabel G; Donoho, Carrie J; Crum-Cianflone, Nancy F; Maguen, Shira

2015-09-01

Divergent findings from previous research examining gender differences in the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among US military members deployed to the operations in Iraq or Afghanistan (recent operations) prompted this study utilizing a matching approach to examine whether risk for new-onset PTSD and PTSD severity scores differed by gender. US military members from the Millennium Cohort Study deployed in support of the recent operations were followed for approximately 7 years from baseline through 2 follow-up periods between 2001 and 2008. Propensity score matching was used to match 1 male to each female using demographic, military, and behavioral factors including baseline sexual assault. Analyses were stratified by combat experience defined as reporting at least one of five exposures during follow-up. Outcome measures included a positive screen for PTSD and severity scores measured by the PTSD Patient Checklist-Civilian Version. Discrete-time survival analysis quantified the association between gender and incident PTSD. Among 4684 matched subjects (2342 women and men), 6.7% of women and 6.1% of men developed PTSD during follow-up. Results showed no significant gender differences for the likelihood of developing PTSD or for PTSD severity scores among women and men who reported combat experience and among those who did not. This study is the first of its kind to match a large population of male and female service members on important baseline characteristics including sexual assault. Findings suggest that while combat deployed personnel develop PTSD, women do not have a significantly different risk for developing PTSD than men after experiencing combat. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Sexing development and relocating gender: an organisational case study.

PubMed

Magar, V; Storer, G

2009-01-01

While gender has become increasingly mainstreamed in international development, it has lost its sharpness as an analytical tool and operational means to women's liberation. Sexuality, while it intersects with gender as a social construct, has been largely ignored within development contexts. This paper draws on findings that emerged from the gains and struggles experienced by project staff in a large international development agency engaging communities on issues related to sexual and women's rights. In so doing, it illustrates how a sexuality lens can move beyond gender equity and sexual health programmes focused on women's vulnerability (largely framed around protecting women and promoting access to services and contraceptive or condom use) to richer understandings of the range of social and cultural factors shaping sexual meanings and gender roles. Reshaping understandings of gender and sexuality requires a change from the conventional development discourse based on biomedical and moral-based sensibilities that associates sex with risk and danger, towards one that also recognises pleasure and agency. Sexuality is a vital aspect of development and sexual rights are a precondition not only for HIV/AIDS prevention, reproductive health or rights, but also for gender equality and social inclusion more widely. While personal and organisational transformation is fundamental, broader social, cultural and political forces, from community groups to governments and donors at large, must lie at the heart of change.

The critical role of culture and environment as determinants of women's participation in computer science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frieze, Carol

This thesis proposes the need for, and illustrates, a new approach to how we think about, and act on, issues relating to women's participation, or lack of participation, in computer science (CS). This approach is based on a cultural perspective arguing that many of the reasons for women entering---or not entering---CS programs have little to do with gender and a lot to do with environment and culture. Evidence for this approach comes primarily from a qualitative, research study, which shows the effects of changes in the micro-culture on CS undergraduates at Carnegie Mellon, and from studies of other cultural contexts that illustrate a "Women-CS fit". We also discuss the interventions that have been crucial to the evolution of this specific micro-culture. Our argument goes against the grain of many gender and CS studies which conclude that the reasons for women's low participation in CS are based in gender --and particularly in gender differences in how men and women relate to the field. Such studies tend to focus on gender differences and recommend accommodating (what are perceived to be) women's different ways of relating to CS. This is often interpreted as contextualizing the curriculum to make it "female-friendly". The CS curriculum at Carnegie Mellon was not contextualized to be "female-friendly". Nevertheless, over the past few years, the school has attracted and graduated well above the US national average for women in undergraduate CS programs. We argue that this is due in large part to changes in the culture and environment of the department. As the environment has shifted from an unbalanced to a more balanced environment (balanced in terms of gender, breadth of student personalities, and professional support for women) the way has been opened for a range of students, including a significant number of women, to participate, and be successful, in the CS major. Our research shows that as men and women inhabit, and participate in, a more balanced environment, perceived gender differences start to dissolve and we see men and women displaying many gender similarities in how they relate to CS.

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.

Emotional Stroop interference for threatening words is related to reduced EEG δ-β coupling and low attentional control.

PubMed

Putman, Peter; Arias-Garcia, Elsa; Pantazi, Ioanna; van Schie, Charlotte

2012-05-01

Previously, electroencephalographic (EEG) delta-beta coupling (positive correlation between power in the fast beta and slow delta frequency bands) has been related to affective processing. For instance, differences in delta-beta coupling have been observed between people in a psychological stress condition and controls. We previously reported relationships between attentional threat processing and delta-beta coupling and individual differences in attentional control. The present study extended and replicated these findings in a large mixed gender sample (N=80). Results demonstrated that emotional Stroop task interference for threatening words was related to self-reported attentional inhibition capacity and frontal delta-beta coupling. There was no clear gender difference for delta-beta coupling (only a non-significant trend) and the relationship between delta-beta coupling and attentional threat-processing was not affected by gender. These results replicate and extend an earlier finding concerning delta-beta coupling and cognitive affect regulation and further clarify relationships between delta-beta coupling, attentional control, and threat-processing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Women have farther to fall: gender differences between normal elderly and Alzheimer's disease in verbal memory engender better detection of Alzheimer's disease in women.

PubMed

Chapman, Robert M; Mapstone, Mark; Gardner, Margaret N; Sandoval, Tiffany C; McCrary, John W; Guillily, Maria D; Reilly, Lindsey A; DeGrush, Elizabeth

2011-07-01

We analyzed verbal episodic memory learning and recall using the Logical Memory (LM) subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale-III to determine how gender differences in AD compare to those seen in normal elderly and whether or not these differences impact assessment of AD. We administered the LM to both an AD and a Control group, each comprised of 21 men and 21 women, and found a large drop in performance from normal elders to AD. Of interest was a gender interaction whereby the women's scores dropped 1.6 times more than the men's did. Control women on average outperformed Control men on every aspect of the test, including immediate recall, delayed recall, and learning. Conversely, AD women tended to perform worse than AD men. Additionally, the LM achieved perfect diagnostic accuracy in discriminant analysis of AD versus Control women, a statistically significantly higher result than for men. The results indicate the LM is a more powerful and reliable tool in detecting AD in women than in men.

Gender differences in college leisure time physical activity: application of the theory of planned behavior and integrated behavioral model.

PubMed

Beville, Jill M; Meyer, M Renée Umstattd; Usdan, Stuart L; Turner, Lori W; Jackson, John C; Lian, Brad E

2014-01-01

National data consistently report that males participate in leisure time physical activity (LTPA) at higher rates than females. This study expanded previous research to examine gender differences in LTPA of college students using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by including 2 additional constructs, descriptive norm and self-efficacy, from the integrated behavioral model. Participants were college students (N = 621) from a large public university in the southeastern United States. A self-report, classroom-based assessment with validated and reliable measures of LTPA, TPB constructs, descriptive norm, self-efficacy, and demographics was conducted in fall 2009. Regression analyses revealed attitude (β = .119), intention (β = .438), self-efficacy (β = .166), body mass index (BMI) (β = -.084), and sports participation (β = .081) as significantly associated with LTPA for females (R (2) = .425, p < .001), whereas intention (β = .371) was significant for males (R (2) = .202, p < .001). Practitioners should consider tailoring promotional materials to address these gender differences in efforts to increase LTPA participation among college students.

Gender-related traits of heterosexual and homosexual men and women.

PubMed

Lippa, Richard A

2002-02-01

Two studies investigated the relation between sexual orientation and gender-related traits. Analyzing data from an Internet survey, Study 1 found that gay men and lesbians differed from same-sex heterosexuals most strongly on gender diagnosticity (GD) measures, which assess male- versus female-typicality of occupational preferences (effect sizes were 1.14 for men and 0.53 for women) and least strongly on instrumentality (I) and expressiveness (E). Study 2 found that GD measures showed large differences between 289 gay and 200 heterosexual men (d = 0.95) and between 296 lesbian and 435 heterosexual women (d = 1.32), whereas I and E showed much smaller differences. In Study 2 homosexual-heterosexual diagnosticity measures, computed from men's and women's occupational preferences, correlated very strongly with GD measures (r = 0.88 for men and 0.89 for women), indicating that occupational preference items that distinguished men from women also tended to distinguish heterosexual from homosexual individuals. LISREL 8 analyses showed that self-ascribed masculinity-femininity did not mediate the strong relation between sexual orientation and GD for men or for women.

Sickness absence in female- and male-dominated occupations and workplaces.

PubMed

Mastekaasa, Arne

2005-05-01

Previous research suggests that both men's and women's level of sickness absence may be systematically related to the gender composition of their workplace as well as of their occupational category. The number of studies is, however, low and the composition of the occupational category has often been used as a proxy for the composition of the workplace. This paper employs a large data set broadly representative of the employed population of Norway. The data make it possible to take workplace and occupation simultaneously into account. Thus, the relationship between the gender composition of the workplace and sickness absence is estimated with detailed control for differences between occupational categories. Likewise, the importance of the gender composition of the occupation is assessed with control for between workplace variation. Men's sickness absence turns out to be largely unrelated to the gender composition of the workplace. For women the level of sickness absence tends to be higher in female-dominated workplaces, but the relationship is weak. These findings provide evidence against theories suggesting that the minority sex in the workplace faces special problems and is therefore more absent. They are to some extent consistent with the idea that female-dominated workplaces develop norms that are more tolerant towards sickness absence. The relationship of sickness absence to the gender composition of the occupational category is similar to the U-shaped pattern found in several previous studies (highest sickness absence both in strongly male-dominated and strongly female-dominated occupations), but again the relationship is weak.

Gender Differences in the Efficacy and Safety of Chronic Nightly Zolpidem.

PubMed

Roehrs, Timothy A; Roth, Thomas

2016-03-01

Studies have shown pharmacokinetic differences for hypnotics in women compared to men, but few studies have assessed either short-or long-term differences in efficacy and safety. To evaluate gender differences in the efficacy and safety of chronic nightly zolpidem (10 mg), we did a post hoc assessment of a large clinical trial. In the trial, participants with primary insomnia (n = 89), ages 23-70, meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for primary insomnia were randomized, double blind, to nightly zolpidem, 10 mg (n = 47) or placebo (n = 42) 30 minutes before bedtime nightly for 12 months. Polysomnographic sleep on 2 nights in months 1 and 8 and likelihood of next-day sleepiness, rebound insomnia, and dose escalation were evaluated in months 1, 4, and 12. Relative to placebo, zolpidem significantly increased sleep efficiency and reduced sleep latency and wake after sleep onset assessed at months 1 and 8, with no differences in efficacy between women and men and no diminution of efficacy over months. On a next-day multiple sleep latency test (MSLT), no residual sedation was observed for either women or men. No rebound insomnia or dose escalation was seen with no gender differences in either. In adults with primary insomnia, nightly zolpidem administration showed no gender differences in acute or chronic efficacy or in next-day sleepiness. Zolpidem remained efficacious and safe across 12 months. CLINCIAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01006525; Trial Name: Safety and Efficacy of Chronic Hypnotic Use; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01006525. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

Can We Make Our Students Smarter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dweck, Carol S.

2009-01-01

The debate over whether intelligence is largely fixed or malleable is not over. What is most exciting, however, is the research from social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, and neuroscience that is highlighting just how malleable intelligence is. Differences in achievement among racial, ethnic, or gender groups have…

Closing the Gender Gap: Act Now

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing (NJ3), 2012

2012-01-01

Gender gaps are pervasive in all walks of economic life and imply large losses in terms of foregone productivity and living standards to the individuals concerned and the economy. This new OECD report focuses on how best to close these gender gaps under four broad headings: (1) Gender equality, social norms and public policies; and gender equality…

Gender Identity, Ethnicity, Acculturation, and Drug Use: Exploring Differences among Adolescents in the Southwest

PubMed Central

Kulis, Stephen; Marsiglia, Flavio Francisco; Hurdle, Donna

2011-01-01

This article presents the findings of a survey completed by 1351 predominantly Mexican American middle school students residing in a large urban center in the U.S. Southwest. The study explores possible associations between drug use attitudes and behaviors and gender (biological sex), gender identity, ethnicity, and acculturation status. Based on the concepts of “machismo” and “marianismo” that have been used to describe Mexican populations, four dimensions of gender identity were measured: aggressive masculinity, assertive masculinity, affective femininity, and submissive femininity. In explaining a variety of indicators of drug use behaviors and anti-drug norms, gender alone had limited explanatory power, while gender identity—often regardless of gender—was a better predictor. Aggressive masculinity was generally associated with higher risk of drug use, while the other three gender identity measures had selected protective effects. However, the impact of gender identity was strongly mediated by acculturation. Less acculturated Mexican American students reported lower aggressive masculinity scores than non-Latinos. Less acculturated Mexican American girls reported both the lowest aggressive masculinity scores and the highest submissive femininity scores. More acculturated Mexican American students, along with the less acculturated Mexican American boys, did not appear to be following a polarized approach to gender identity (machismo and marianismo) as was expected. The findings suggest that some aspects of culturally prescribed gender roles can have a protective effect against drug use behaviors and attitudes, possibly for both girls and boys. PMID:21359134

Gender-specific hip fracture risk in community-dwelling and institutionalized seniors age 65 years and older.

PubMed

Finsterwald, M; Sidelnikov, E; Orav, E J; Dawson-Hughes, B; Theiler, R; Egli, A; Platz, A; Simmen, H P; Meier, C; Grob, D; Beck, S; Stähelin, H B; Bischoff-Ferrari, H A

2014-01-01

In this study of acute hip fracture patients, we show that hip fracture rates differ by gender between community-dwelling seniors and seniors residing in nursing homes. While women have a significantly higher rate of hip fracture among the community-dwelling seniors, men have a significantly higher rate among nursing home residents. Differences in gender-specific hip fracture risk between community-dwelling and institutionalized seniors have not been well established, and seasonality of hip fracture risk has been controversial. We analyzed detailed data from 1,084 hip fracture patients age 65 years and older admitted to one large hospital center in Zurich, Switzerland. In a sensitivity analysis, we extend to de-personalized data from 1,265 hip fracture patients from the other two large hospital centers in Zurich within the same time frame (total n = 2,349). The denominators were person-times accumulated by the Zurich population in the corresponding age/gender/type of dwelling stratum in each calendar season for the period of the study. In the primary analysis of 1,084 hip fracture patients (mean age 85.1 years; 78% women): Among community-dwelling seniors, the risk of hip fracture was twofold higher among women compared with men (RR = 2.16; 95% CI, 1.74-2.69) independent of age, season, number of comorbidities, and cognitive function; among institutionalized seniors, the risk of hip fracture was 26% lower among women compared with men (RR = 0.77; 95% CI: 0.63-0.95) adjusting for the same confounders. In the sensitivity analysis of 2,349 hip fracture patients (mean age 85.0 years, 76% women), this pattern remained largely unchanged. There is no seasonal swing in hip fracture incidence. We confirm for seniors living in the community that women have a higher risk of hip fracture than men. However, among institutionalized seniors, men are at higher risk for hip fracture.

Gender and the Association between Long-Term Prescription Opioid Use and New-Onset Depression.

PubMed

Salas, Joanne; Scherrer, Jeffrey F; Ahmedani, Brian K; Copeland, Laurel A; Bucholz, Kathleen K; Sullivan, Mark D; Burroughs, Thomas; Schneider, F David; Lustman, Patrick J

2018-01-01

Women have a higher prevalence of chronic noncancer pain conditions and report more severe pain, yet, it is not known if the association between long-term opioid analgesic use (OAU) and risk of a new depression episode (NDE) differs according to gender. We analyzed patient data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA; 2000-2012; n = 70,997) and a large private-sector health care organization (2003-2012; n = 22,981) to determine whether long-term OAU and risk of NDE differed according to gender. Patients were free of depression and OAU for 2 years before baseline. OAU duration was defined as 1 to 30, 31 to 90 and more than 90 days, and NDE was defined according to International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Gender-stratified Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs). Propensity scores and subsequent inverse probability of treatment weighting controlled for confounding. In the VHA, more than 90 compared with 1- to 30-day OAU was more strongly associated with NDE among female than male patients (female: HR = 1.79 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.45-2.22] vs male HR = 1.25 [95% CI, 1.16-1.34], P = .002). In private sector patients, there was no gender difference in the association between more than 90-day OAU and NDE (female HR = 1.97 [95% CI, 1.64-2.37] vs male HR = 1.99 [95% CI, 1.44-2.74]). Risk of NDE after long-term OAU is similar in men and women in private sector patients but may differ for VHA patients. Future prospective studies are needed to identify mechanisms for the association between longer OAU and NDE. Existing research is mixed regarding gender differences in outcomes after long-term prescription opioid use. This study found both genders have increased risk of an NDE after more than 90 days of opioid use. Women and men may benefit from closer monitoring of mood associated with chronic opioid use. Copyright © 2017 The American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Skiing economy and efficiency in recreational and elite cross-country skiers.

PubMed

Ainegren, Mats; Carlsson, Peter; Tinnsten, Mats; Laaksonen, Marko S

2013-05-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare skiing economy and gross efficiency in cross-country skiers of different performance levels, ages and genders; male recreational skiers and elite senior and junior cross-country skiers of both genders. The skiers performed tests involving roller skiing on a treadmill using the gear 3 and diagonal stride techniques. The elite cross-country skiers were found to have better skiing economy and higher gross efficiency (5-18%) compared with the recreational skiers (p < 0.05) and the senior elite had better economy and higher efficiency (4-5%) than their junior counterparts (p < 0.05), whereas no differences could be found between the genders. Also, large ranges in economy and gross efficiency were found in all groups. It was concluded that, in addition to V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak, skiing economy and gross efficiency have a great influence on the differences in performance times between recreational and junior and senior elite cross-country skiers, as well as between individual skiers within the different categories. Thus, we recommend cross-country skiers at all performance levels to test not only V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak, but also skiing economy and efficiency.

Gender differences in the associations of gambling activities and suicidal behaviors with problem gambling in a nationally representative French sample.

PubMed

Husky, Mathilde M; Michel, Grégory; Richard, Jean-Baptiste; Guignard, Romain; Beck, François

2015-06-01

The objectives of the present study are to describe gender differences in factors associated with moderate risk and problem gambling. Data were extracted from the 2010 Health Barometer, a large survey on a representative sample of the general population aged 15-85 years living in France (n=27,653), carried out by the National Institute for Health Promotion and Health Education. Data were collected between October 2009 and July 2010. A computer-assisted telephone interview system was used. The findings indicate that men are three times more likely to experience problems with gambling. Men and women have different patterns of gambling activities. Men were more involved with Rapido, internet gambling, sports and racetrack betting, poker, and casino tables, whereas women gambled more often on scratch games. Both men and women engaging in immediate reward games were significantly more likely to experience difficulties with gambling. This association, however, was stronger in women. Furthermore, suicidal ideation and behaviors were more likely to be associated with gambling problems in women as compared to men. The study underscores the importance of considering gender-related differences in the study of gambling behaviors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

HIV Risk Behaviors in the U.S. Transgender Population: Prevalence and Predictors in a Large Internet Sample

PubMed Central

Feldman, Jamie; Romine, Rebecca Swinburne; Bockting, Walter O.

2014-01-01

To study the influence of gender on HIV risk, a sample of the U.S. transgender population (N = 1,229) was recruited via the Internet. HIV risk and prevalence were lower than reported in prior studies of localized, urban samples, but higher than the overall U.S. population. Findings suggest that gender nonconformity alone does not itself result in markedly higher HIV risk. Sex with nontransgender men emerged as the strongest independent predictor of unsafe sex for both male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM) participants. These sexual relationships constitute a process that may either affirm or problematize gender identity and sexual orientation, with different emphases for MtFs and FtMs, respectively. PMID:25022491

'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.

Gender differences in adverse outcomes after contemporary percutaneous coronary intervention: an analysis from the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium (BMC2) percutaneous coronary intervention registry.

PubMed

Duvernoy, Claire S; Smith, Dean E; Manohar, Prerana; Schaefer, Ann; Kline-Rogers, Eva; Share, David; McNamara, Richard; Gurm, Hitinder S; Moscucci, Mauro

2010-04-01

Prior studies have shown a relationship between female gender and adverse outcomes after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs). Whether this relationship still exists with contemporary PCI remains to be determined. We evaluated gender differences in clinical outcomes in a large registry of contemporary PCI. Data were prospectively collected from 22,725 consecutive PCIs in a multicenter regional consortium (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Cardiovascular Consortium) between January 2002 and December 2003. The primary end point was in-hospital all-cause mortality; other clinical outcomes evaluated included in-hospital death, vascular complications, transfusion, postprocedure myocardial infarction, stroke, and a combined major cardiovascular adverse event (MACE) end point including myocardial infarction, death, stroke, emergency coronary artery bypass grafting, and repeated PCI at the same site. Independent predictors of adverse outcomes were identified using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Compared with men, women were older, had a higher prevalence of comorbidities, and had a significantly higher frequency of adverse outcomes after PCI. After adjustment for baseline demographics, comorbidities, clinical presentation, and lesion characteristics, female gender was associated with an increased risk of in-hospital death, vascular complication, blood transfusion, stroke, and MACE. The relationship between female gender and increased risk of death and MACE was no longer present after further adjustment for kidney function and low body surface area. Differences in mortality rates between men and women no longer exist after PCI. However, our data suggest that technological advancements have not completely offset the relationship between gender and adverse outcomes after PCI. Copyright 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in academic surgery, work-life balance, and satisfaction.

PubMed

Baptiste, Dadrie; Fecher, Alison M; Dolejs, Scott C; Yoder, Joseph; Schmidt, C Maximillian; Couch, Marion E; Ceppa, DuyKhanh P

2017-10-01

An increasing number of women are pursuing a career in surgery. Concurrently, the percentage of surgeons in dual-profession partnerships is increasing. We sought to evaluate the gender differences in professional advancement, work-life balance, and satisfaction at a large academic center. All surgical trainees and faculty at a single academic medical center were surveyed. Collected variables included gender, academic rank, marital status, family size, division of household responsibilities, and career satisfaction. Student t-test, Fisher's exact test, and chi-square test were used to compare results. There were 127 faculty and 116 trainee respondents (>80% response rate). Respondents were mostly male (77% of faculty, 58% of trainees). Women were more likely than men to be married to a professional (90% versus 37%, for faculty; 82% versus 41% for trainees, P < 0.001 for both) who was working full time (P < 0.001) and were less likely to be on tenure track (P = 0.002). Women faculty were more likely to be primarily responsible for childcare planning (P < 0.001), meal planning (P < 0.001), grocery shopping (P < 0.001), and vacation planning (P = 0.003). Gender-neutral responsibilities included financial planning (P = 0.04) and monthly bill payment (P = 0.03). Gender differences in division of household responsibilities were similar in surgical trainees except for childcare planning, which was a shared responsibility. Women surgeons are more likely to be partnered with a full-time working spouse and to be primarily responsible for managing their households. Additional consideration for improvement in recruitment and retention strategies for surgeons might address barriers to equalizing these gender disparities. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A longitudinal study of facial growth of Southern Chinese in Hong Kong: Comprehensive photogrammetric analyses.

PubMed

Wen, Yi Feng; Wong, Hai Ming; McGrath, Colman Patrick

2017-01-01

Existing studies on facial growth were mostly cross-sectional in nature and only a limited number of facial measurements were investigated. The purposes of this study were to longitudinally investigate facial growth of Chinese in Hong Kong from 12 through 15 to 18 years of age and to compare the magnitude of growth changes between genders. Standardized frontal and lateral facial photographs were taken from 266 (149 females and 117 males) and 265 (145 females and 120 males) participants, respectively, at all three age levels. Linear and angular measurements, profile inclinations, and proportion indices were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate growth changes of facial features. Comparisons were made between genders in terms of the magnitude of growth changes from ages 12 to 15, 15 to 18, and 12 to 18 years. For the overall face, all linear measurements increased significantly (p < 0.05) except for height of the lower profile in females (p = 0.069) and width of the face in males (p = 0.648). In both genders, the increase in height of eye fissure was around 10% (p < 0.001). There was significant decrease in nasofrontal angle (p < 0.001) and increase in nasofacial angle (p < 0.001) in both genders and these changes were larger in males. Vermilion-total upper lip height index remained stable in females (p = 0.770) but increased in males (p = 0.020). Nasofrontal angle (effect size: 0.55) and lower vermilion contour index (effect size: 0.59) demonstrated large magnitude of gender difference in the amount of growth changes from 12 to 18 years. Growth changes of facial features and gender differences in the magnitude of facial growth were determined. The findings may benefit different clinical specialties and other nonclinical fields where facial growth are of interest.

A scoping review of female disadvantage in health care use among very young children of immigrant families.

PubMed

Pulver, Ariel; Ramraj, Chantel; Ray, Joel G; O'Campo, Patricia; Urquia, Marcelo L

2016-03-01

Preference for sons culminates in higher mortality and inadequate immunizations and health care visits for girls compared to boys in several countries. It is unknown if the negative consequences of son-preference persist among those who immigrate to Western, high-income countries. To review the literature regarding gender inequities in health care use among children of parents who migrate to Western, high-income countries, we completed a scoping literature review using Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Scopus databases. We identified studies reporting gender-specific health care use by children aged 5 years and younger whose parents had migrated to a Western country. Two independent reviewers conducted data extraction and a quality assessment tool was applied to each included study. We retrieved 1547 titles, of which 103 were reviewed in detail and 12 met our inclusion criteria. Studies originated from the United States and Europe, using cross-sectional or registry-based designs. Five studies examined gender differences in health care use within immigrant groups, and only one study explored the female health disadvantage hypothesis. No consistent gender differences were observed for routine primary care visits however immunizations and prescriptions were elevated for boys. Greater use of acute health services, namely emergency department visits and hospitalizations, was observed for boys over girls in several studies. Studies did not formally complete gender-based analyses or assess for acculturation factors. Health care use among children in immigrant families may differ between boys and girls, but the reasons for why this is so are largely unexplored. Further gender-based research with attention paid to the diversity of immigrant populations may help health care providers identify children with unmet health care needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sex and gender differences in pain and analgesia.

PubMed

Mogil, Jeffrey S; Bailey, Andrea L

2010-01-01

It is a clinical reality that women make up the large majority of chronic pain patients, and there is now consensus from laboratory experiments that when differences are seen, women are more sensitive to pain than men. Research in this field has now begun to concentrate on finding explanations for this sex difference. Although sex differences in sociocultural, psychological, and experiential factors likely play important roles, evidence largely from animal studies has revealed surprisingly robust and often qualitative sex differences at low levels of the neuraxis. Although not yet able to affect clinical practice, the continued study of sex differences in pain may have important implications for the development of new analgesic strategies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age- and gender-related difference of vocal fold vibration and glottal configuration in normal speakers: analysis with glottal area waveform.

PubMed

Yamauchi, Akihito; Yokonishi, Hisayuki; Imagawa, Hiroshi; Sakakibara, Ken-Ichi; Nito, Takaharu; Tayama, Niro; Yamasoba, Tatsuya

2014-09-01

Glottal area waveform (GAW) analysis is widely used in the assessment of vocal fold vibration by high-speed digital imaging (HSDI). Because normative GAW data obtained from a large number of subjects have not been reported, we conducted a prospective study to obtain normative results for GAW analysis of HSDI findings and clarify normal variations associated with gender and age. Vocally healthy adults were divided into a young group (aged ≤ 35 years) and an elderly group (aged ≥ 65 years). The configuration and size of the glottal area were assessed at different phases of the glottal cycle, and gender- and age-related differences were evaluated. A total of 26 young subjects (nine men and 17 women; mean age: 27 years) and 20 elderly subjects (eight men and 12 women; mean age: 73 years) were investigated. The glottal area at different points of the glottal cycle showed a negative correlation with frequency. Although the GAW parameters of young women appeared to be different from those of the other subgroups, the differences were not statistically significant. Young women predominantly had a triangular- or vase-shaped glottal configuration at all frequencies, whereas the other subgroups showed various glottal shapes. The present study clarified gender- and age-related differences of GAW parameters obtained with HSDI. Young women were likely to show different glottal configurations and different responses to frequency changes from those of young men, elderly men, and elderly women. Phonosurgeons should pay attention to the normal variations detected in the present study. Copyright © 2014 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters: gender differences in factors associated with parent-child communication about sexual topics

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In the United States, nearly half of high school students are sexually active, and adolescents experience high rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Parents can have an important influence on their children's sexual behaviour, but many parents do not talk with their children about sexual topics. Research has shown significant differences in parent-child communication about sexual topics depending on the gender of both the parent and the child. Little is known, however, about the reasons for these gender differences. The purpose of this paper is to describe how factors associated with parent-child communication about sexual topics differ by gender. Methods Data are from a nationwide online survey with 829 fathers and 1,113 mothers of children aged 10 to 14. For each of the four gender groups (fathers of sons, fathers of daughters, mothers of sons, mothers of daughters), we calculated the distribution of responses to questions assessing (1) parent-child communication about sex-related topics, and (2) factors associated with that communication. We used chi-square tests to determine whether the distributions differed and the false discovery rate control to reduce the likelihood of type I errors. Results With both sons and daughters, fathers communicated less about sexual topics than mothers did. Fathers also had lower levels of many characteristics that facilitate communication about sex (e.g., lower self-efficacy and lower expectations that talking to their children about sex would have positive outcomes). Compared with parents of sons, parents of daughters (both mothers and fathers) talked more about sexual topics, were more concerned about potential harmful consequences of sexual activity, and were more disapproving of their child having sex at an early age. Conclusions Using a large national sample, this study confirms findings from previous studies showing gender differences in parent-child communication about sexual topics and identifies gender differences in factors that may influence parent-child communication about sexual topics. Interventions designed to support parent-child communication about sexual topics should emphasize to both mothers and fathers the importance of talking to sons as well as daughters. Fathers need particular support to overcome the barriers to communication they encounter. PMID:21156057

Gender equity and tobacco control: bringing masculinity into focus.

PubMed

Morrow, Martha; Barraclough, Simon

2010-03-01

Gender is a key but often overlooked--determinant of tobacco use, especially in Asia, where sex-linked differences in prevalence rates are very large. In this article we draw upon existing data to consider the implications of these patterns for gender equity and propose approaches to redress inequity through gender-sensitive tobacco control activities. International evidence demonstrates that, in many societies, risk behaviours (including tobacco use) are practised substantially more by men and boys, and are also viewed as expressions of masculine identity. While gender equity focuses almost exclusively on the relative disadvantage of girls and women that exists in most societies, disproportionate male use of tobacco has profound negative consequences for men (as users) and for women (nonusers). Surprisingly, health promotion and tobacco control literature rarely focus on the role of gender in health risks among boys and men. However, tobacco industry marketing has masterfully incorporated gender norms, and also other important cultural values, to ensure its symbols are context-specific. By addressing gender-specific risks within the local cultural context--as countries are enjoined to do within the Framework Convention's Guiding Principles--it may be possible to accelerate the impact of mechanisms such as tobacco pricing, restrictions on marketing, smoking bans and provision of accurate information. It is essential that we construct a new research-to-policy framework for gender-sensitive tobacco control. Successful control of tobacco can only be strengthened by bringing males, and the concept of gender as social construction, back into our research and discussion on health and gender equity.

Determinants related to gender differences in general practice utilization: Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Cohort.

PubMed

Jørgensen, Jeanette Therming; Andersen, John Sahl; Tjønneland, Anne; Andersen, Zorana Jovanovic

2016-09-01

This study aims to describe the determinants related to gender differences in the GP utilization in Danish population aged 50-65 years. Cohort-based cross-sectional study. Danish general practice. Totally, 54,849 participants of the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health cohort (50-65 years). The sum of cohort members' face-to-face consultations with general practitioner (GP) at the cohort baseline year (1993-1997). We obtained data on GP visits from the Danish National Health Service Register at the cohort baseline (1993-1997), when information on lifestyle (smoking, body mass index (BMI), alcohol use, physical activity), medical conditions (somatic and mental), employment, education, gravidity, and hormone therapy (HT) use was collected by questionnaire. Women had on average 4.1 and men 2.8 consultations per year. In a crude model, women had 47% higher rate of GP visits than men (incidence rate ratio: 1.47; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.45-1.50), which remained unchanged after adjustment for lifestyle, socio-demographic and medical factors, but attenuated to 18% (1.18; 1.13-1.24) after adjustment for female factors (gravidity and post-menopausal HT. In a fully adjusted model, subjects with hypertension (1.63; 1.59-1.67), mental illness (1.63; 1.61-1.66), diabetes (1.56; 1.47-1.65), angina pectoris (1.28; 1.21-1.34), and unemployed persons (1.19; 1.18-1.21) had highest rates of GP visits. Gravidity and HT use explain a large proportion, but not all of the gender difference in GP utilization. Medical conditions (somatic and mental) and unemployment are the main determinants of GP utilization in men and women, while lifestyle has minor effect. Key points Female gender remained a dominant determinant of GP utilization, after adjustment for lifestyle, socio-demography, medical and gender specific factors, with females consulting their GP 18% more often than males. Female reproductive factors (use of postmenopausal hormone therapy and gravidity) explained a large proportion of the gender variation in use of GP. Strongest determinants for GP use among Danish adults aged 50-65 years were the presence of medical conditions (somatic and mental) and unemployment, while lifestyle factors (e.g., body mass index, alcohol consumption and smoking) had minor effect.

Faculty Agency: Departmental Contexts that Matter in Faculty Careers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Corbin M.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the organizational factors that influence faculty sense of agency in their professional lives and whether the relationship between organizational factors and faculty agency manifests differently by gender. Past literature on faculty has largely taken an approach that was termed a "narrative of…

Vocational Training in Europe: Individual and Institutional Determinants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Steven

1999-01-01

Data from the European Labour Force Survey for France, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and the United Kingdom identified the following determinants of whether workers receive training and its duration: age, gender, tenure, full-time status, and organization size. Patterns differed in each country and were largely determined by the…

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.

Victimization by Bullying and Harassment in High School: Findings from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in a Southwestern State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bauman, Sheri

2008-01-01

This study analyzed data on victimization by bullying and harassment on school property in a large, diverse, random sample of high school students in Arizona using data from the 2005 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. No gender differences in frequency of victimization were detected, but differences by grade, Body Mass Index category, academic…

Gender nonconforming youth: current perspectives

PubMed Central

Ehrensaft, Diane

2017-01-01

Beginning with a case vignette, a discussion follows of the reformulation of theories of gender development taking into consideration the recent upsurge of gender nonconforming and transgender youth presenting for gender services and also in the culture at large. The three predominant models of pediatric gender care are reviewed and critiqued, along with a presentation of the recently developed interdisciplinary model of gender care optimal in the treatment of gender nonconforming youth seeking either puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones. PMID:28579848

Trends in Global Gender Inequality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorius, Shawn F.; Firebaugh, Glenn

2010-01-01

This study investigates trends in gender inequality throughout the world. Using data encompassing a large majority of the world's population, we examine trends in recent decades for key indicators of gender inequality in education, mortality, political representation and economic activity. We find that gender inequality is declining in virtually…

Understanding the Influence of Mental Health Diagnosis and Gender on Placement Decisions for Justice-Involved Youth.

PubMed

Kempker, Samantha M; Schmidt, Adam T; Espinosa, Erin M

2017-07-01

Justice-involved youth have high rates of psychiatric diagnoses, and these youth are often placed out-of-home, although evidence identifies several negative implications of juvenile confinement, especially for youth with psychopathology. Furthermore, youth in the justice system may be processed differently based on gender. As males and females tend to manifest symptoms differently, the psychopathology of youth may act to moderate the relationship between gender and placement in the juvenile justice system. The present study used a large, diverse sample (n = 9 851, 19.8 % female) to examine whether youth placed in various types of out-of-home facilities differed in terms of externalizing, internalizing, substance use, or comorbid disorders, and to determine the predictive value of mental health diagnoses in placement decisions. The moderation effect of psychopathology and substance use on the relationship between gender and placement also was explored. The results indicated that each type of disorder differed across placements, with internalizing being most prevalent in non-secure, and externalizing, comorbid, and substance use being most prevalent in secure settings. Mental health diagnoses improved the prediction of placement in each out-of-home placement beyond legal and demographic factors such that externalizing and substance use disorders decreased the likelihood of placement in non-secure settings, and internalizing, externalizing, and substance use disorders increased the likelihood of placement in secure and state-secure facilities. The relationship between internalizing pathology and placement in more secure facilities was moderated by externalizing pathology. The relationship between gender and placement was significantly moderated by mental health such that females with mental health diagnoses receive less secure placements. Implications for policymakers and practitioners are discussed, as well as implications for reforming juvenile justice within a developmental approach.

Gender moderates the relationship between childhood abuse and internalizing and substance use disorders later in life: a cross-sectional analysis.

PubMed

Meng, Xiangfei; D'Arcy, Carl

2016-11-15

Although some studies examined the moderating role of gender in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental disorders later in life, a number of them examined the effects of only one or two types of maltreatment on an individual mental disorder, for instance, depression, substance use. It is of considerable clinical and theoretical importance to have in-depth understanding what roles of different types of childhood abuse play out in a wide range of mental disorders among women and men using well accepted instruments measuring abuse and mental disorders. The present study aimed to examine this issue using a large nationally representative population sample to explore the gender effect of different types of childhood abuse in mental disorders, and assess the moderating role of gender in the abuse-mental disorder relationship. Using data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 2012: Mental Health we sought to answer this question. Respondents with information on childhood maltreatment prior to age 16 were selected (N = 23, 395). We found: i) strong associations between childhood abuse frequency and gender; ii) significant differences between men and women in terms of mental disorders; iii) strong associations between childhood abuse and mental disorders; and, iv) gender moderated the role of childhood abuse history on adulthood mental disorders. Females with a history of sexual abuse and/or exposure to interpersonal violence were at a greater risk of alcohol abuse or dependence later in life. Intervention should occur as early as possible, and should help female victims of childhood sexual abuse and/or exposure to interpersonal violence, and their families to build more constructive ways to effectively reduce the negative affects of these experiences. Recognition of the moderating role of gender on the relationship between childhood abuse history and mental disorders later in life may aid clinicians and researchers in providing optimal health services.

Pedestrians' vulnerability in floodwaters: sensitivity to gender and age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrighi, Chiara; Castelli, Fabio

2017-04-01

Among the causes of fatalities during floods, the loss of stability is an aspect which has been usually investigated with conceptual models and laboratory experiments. The human body geometry has been often simplified to derive mechanical equilibrium conditions for toppling and sliding due to weight and hydrodynamic actions. Experimental activity produced water depth versus velocity diagrams showing the critical conditions for people partly immersed in floodwaters, whose scatter reflects the large variability of tested subjects (i.e. children, men and women with different physical characteristics). Nevertheless, the proposed hazard criteria based on the product number HV are not capable of distinguishing between different subjects. A dimensionless approach with a limited number of parameters and 3D numerical simulations highlight the significance of subject height and quantify the drag forces different subjects are able to withstand. From the mechanical point of view, this approach significantly reduces the experimental scatter. Differences in subjects' height are already an evidence of gender differences; however, many other parameters such as age and skeletal muscle mass may play a significant role in individual responses to floodwater actions, which can be responsible of the residual unexplained variance. In this work, a sensitivity analysis of critical instability conditions with respect to gender/age-related parameters is carried out and results and implications for flood risk management are discussed.

Adding muscle where you need it: non-uniform hypertrophy patterns in elite sprinters.

PubMed

Handsfield, G G; Knaus, K R; Fiorentino, N M; Meyer, C H; Hart, J M; Blemker, S S

2017-10-01

Sprint runners achieve much higher gait velocities and accelerations than average humans, due in part to large forces generated by their lower limb muscles. Various factors have been explored in the past to understand sprint biomechanics, but the distribution of muscle volumes in the lower limb has not been investigated in elite sprinters. In this study, we used non-Cartesian MRI to determine muscle sizes in vivo in a group of 15 NCAA Division I sprinters. Normalizing muscle sizes by body size, we compared sprinter muscles to non-sprinter muscles, calculated Z-scores to determine non-uniformly large muscles in sprinters, assessed bilateral symmetry, and assessed gender differences in sprinters' muscles. While limb musculature per height-mass was 22% greater in sprinters than in non-sprinters, individual muscles were not all uniformly larger. Hip- and knee-crossing muscles were significantly larger among sprinters (mean difference: 30%, range: 19-54%) but only one ankle-crossing muscle was significantly larger (tibialis posterior, 28%). Population-wide asymmetry was not significant in the sprint population but individual muscle asymmetries exceeded 15%. Gender differences in normalized muscle sizes were not significant. The results of this study suggest that non-uniform hypertrophy patterns, particularly large hip and knee flexors and extensors, are advantageous for fast sprinting. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of socioeconomic status, wealth and financial empowerment on gender differences in health and healthcare utilization in later life: evidence from India.

PubMed

Roy, Kakoli; Chaudhuri, Anoshua

2008-05-01

Empirical studies from developed countries observe that women report worse health and higher healthcare utilization than men, but the health disadvantage diminishes with age; gender differences in self-rated health often vanish or are reversed in older ages. Comparable assessments of health during later life from developing countries are limited because of the lack of large-scale surveys that include older women. Our study attempts to address the shortage of developing country studies by examining gender differences in health and healthcare utilization among older adults in India. Both ordered and binary logit specifications were used to assess significant gender differences in subjective and objective health, and healthcare utilization after controlling for demographics, medical conditions, traditional indicators of socioeconomic status like education and income, and additional wealth indicators. The wealth indicators, measured by property ownership and economic independence, are regarded as financially empowering older adults to exercise greater control over their health and well-being. Data are drawn from a nationally representative decennial socioeconomic and health survey of 120,942 Indian households conducted during 1995-1996. The study sample comprises 34,086 older men and women aged >or= 60 years. Our results indicate that older women report worse self-rated health, higher prevalence of disabilities, marginally lower chronic conditions, and lower healthcare utilization than men. The health disadvantage and lower utilization among women cannot be explained by demographics and the differential distribution of medical conditions. While successive controls for education, income, and property ownership narrows the gender gap in both health and healthcare utilization, significant differentials still persist. Upon controlling for economic independence, gender differentials disappear or are reversed, with older women having equal or better health than otherwise similar men. Financial empowerment might confer older women the health advantage reflected in developed societies by enhancing a woman's ability to undertake primary and secondary prevention during the life course.

Professional, generational, and gender differences in perception of organisational values among Israeli physicians and nurses: Implications for retention.

PubMed

Warshawski, Sigalit; Barnoy, Sivia; Kagan, Ilya

2017-11-01

The global health workforce today is more age diverse than ever before and spans three generations: baby boomers, X and Y generations. Each generation has a distinct set of characteristics, values, and beliefs. This diversity can lead to increased creativity and a greater richness of values and skills, but at the same time it can also lead to value clashes, disrespect, and conflicts. This study aimed to examine professional, generational, and gender differences in the perception of the importance of organisational values among nurses and physicians working in both hospitals and outpatient clinics in Israel. Data were collected from a large sample of nurses and physicians (N = 603) from 11 hospitals and community services across Israel. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire rating the perceived importance of 20 organisational values, such as leadership, risk-taking, competition, power, and collaboration. The five values ranked most important were performance quality, cooperation, commitment, effectiveness, and efficiency. The five values ranked least important were competition, marketing, power, risk-taking, and assertiveness. Significant value differences were found by profession, generation, and gender. Nurses scored efficiency, assertiveness, risk-taking, power, and marketing higher than physicians did. The Y generation scored power higher and marketing lower than the two older generations. Women ranked the values of cooperation, commitment, innovativeness, vision, and marketing significantly higher than men did. Understanding differences between professions, generations, and gender is a useful first step in improving employees' job satisfaction, productivity, and retention.

Genetic and Environmental Influences on Female Sexual Orientation, Childhood Gender Typicality and Adult Gender Identity

PubMed Central

Burri, Andrea; Cherkas, Lynn; Spector, Timothy; Rahman, Qazi

2011-01-01

Background Human sexual orientation is influenced by genetic and non-shared environmental factors as are two important psychological correlates – childhood gender typicality (CGT) and adult gender identity (AGI). However, researchers have been unable to resolve the genetic and non-genetic components that contribute to the covariation between these traits, particularly in women. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we performed a multivariate genetic analysis in a large sample of British female twins (N = 4,426) who completed a questionnaire assessing sexual attraction, CGT and AGI. Univariate genetic models indicated modest genetic influences on sexual attraction (25%), AGI (11%) and CGT (31%). For the multivariate analyses, a common pathway model best fitted the data. Conclusions/Significance This indicated that a single latent variable influenced by a genetic component and common non-shared environmental component explained the association between the three traits but there was substantial measurement error. These findings highlight common developmental factors affecting differences in sexual orientation. PMID:21760939

Age and gender differences in ability emotional intelligence in adults: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Cabello, Rosario; Sorrel, Miguel A; Fernández-Pinto, Irene; Extremera, Natalio; Fernández-Berrocal, Pablo

2016-09-01

The goal of the current investigation was to analyze ability emotional intelligence (EI) in a large cross-sectional sample of Spanish adults (N = 12,198; males, 56.56%) aged from 17 to 76 years (M = 37.71, SD = 12.66). Using the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT), which measures ability EI according to the 4 branches of the Mayer and Salovey EI model. The authors examined effects of gender on ability EI, as well as the linear and quadratic effects of age. Results suggest that gender affects the total ability EI score as well as scores on the 4 EI branches. Ability EI was greater in women than men. Ability EI varied with age according to an inverted-U curve: Younger and older adults scored lower on ability EI than middle-aged adults, except for the branch of understanding emotions. These findings strongly support the idea that both gender and age significantly influence ability EI during aging. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Gender, race, ethnicity, and science education in the middle grades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catsambis, Sophia

This article examines gender differences in science achievements and attitudes during the middle grade, when our nation's scientific pipeline begins to emerge. It uses data from a large, nationally representative sample of eighth-grade students (NELS-88). The findings show that in these grades female students do not lag behind their male classmates in science achievements tests, grades, and course enrollments. Actually, some female students have higher probabilities of enrolling in high-ability classes than males. However, female students have less positive attitudes toward science, participate in fewer relevant extracurricular activities, and aspire less often to science careers than males. Students' science attitudes and career interests vary according to students' gender as well as their racial or ethnic background. These findings emphasize the need to further examine the interrelationships between gender and race or ethnicity in our efforts to understand the processes leading to women's limited participation in science-related careers.Received: 2 August 1993; Revised: 8 August 1994;

REHABILITATING CRIMINAL SELVES: Gendered Strategies in Community Corrections.

PubMed

Wyse, Jessica J B

2013-04-01

As the community corrections system has moved away from a focus on rehabilitation, it has been suggested that criminal offenders are no longer understood psychologically, but rather as rational actors for whom criminality is a choice. Rehabilitative efforts thus aim to guide these choices. Utilizing mixed methodology that draws on observational, interview, and case note data collected within the probation/parole system of a western U.S. state, I suggest that both officers' conceptualizations of the criminal self and the rehabilitative strategies they use are gendered. I find that officers view the male criminal self as flawed or underdeveloped and the female as permeable and amorphous, that is, lacking firm boundaries. In response to these constructions, officers aim to rehabilitate men largely by encouraging economic roles and responsibilities, while for women, rehabilitation aims to solidify boundaries: discouraging relationship formation and containing emotions. The differences identified point to ways in which gendered concepts of the criminal self contribute to gender disparities in contemporary supervision.

Work-related fatigue: the specific case of highly educated women in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Verdonk, Petra; Hooftman, Wendela E; van Veldhoven, Marc J P M; Boelens, Louise R M; Koppes, Lando L J

2010-03-01

This study aims to establish the prevalence of high work-related fatigue (need for recovery, NFR) among employees and to explain group differences categorized by gender, age, and education. The study particularly aims to clarify prevalence and explanatory factors in highly educated women. In 2005 and 2006, large representative samples of 80,000 Dutch employees (net response rate 33.0%; N = 47,263) received the Netherlands working conditions survey questionnaire. First, we calculated the prevalence of high NFR for men and women with different age and education levels. The average prevalence of high NFR was 28.8% and was highest among highly educated women (35.2%) in particular those aged 50-64 years (40.3%). Second, logistic regression analyses were used to compare subgroups' NFR in relation to situational factors, working conditions, and health. Three comparisons were made: (1) highly educated women versus men; (2) highly educated versus lower educated women and; (3) older highly educated versus younger highly educated women. The situational, working conditions and health factors in our model did not explain the gender differences among highly educated employees (OR = 1.37; CI = 1.3-1.5, adjusted for all factors OR = 1.32; CI = 1.2-1.5). Despite that lower autonomy and workplace violence explained highly educated women's NFR, working fewer hours counterbalanced this. Time pressure in work largely explained the differences in NFR among women at different education levels (crude OR 1.44; CI = 1.4-1.5, adjusted OR 1.14; CI = 1.0-1.3). In the age comparison, lower health ratings, more adverse working conditions, and working as a teacher explained older highly educated women's high prevalence of high NFR (crude OR 1.32; CI = 1.2-1.5, adjusted OR 0.94; CI = 0.8-1.2). NFR has high prevalence in highly educated women (35.2%) in particular those aged 50-64 years (40.3%). Our model did not explain gender differences in NFR, because working fewer hours counterbalanced the effects of lower autonomy and external workplace violence. Our model, in particular time pressure, largely explained differences in NFR between women at different education levels. Age differences in the prevalence of high NFR among highly educated women's were fully explained by our model. Main factors were lower health ratings, adverse working conditions, and working as a teacher.

Age-related differences in working hours among male and female GPs: an SMS-based time use study.

PubMed

van Hassel, Daniël; van der Velden, Lud; de Bakker, Dinny; Batenburg, Ronald

2017-12-19

In several countries, the number of hours worked by general practitioners (GPs) has decreased, raising concern about current and impending workforce shortages. This shorter working week has been ascribed both to the feminisation of the workforce and to a younger generation of GPs who prefer more flexible working arrangements. There is, however, limited insight into how the impact of these determinants interact. We investigated the relative importance of differences in GPs' working hours in relation to gender, age, and employment position. An analysis was performed on real-time monitoring data collected by sending SMS text messages to 1051 Dutch GPs, who participated during a 1-week time use study. We used descriptive statistics, independent sample t-tests, and one-way ANOVA analysis to compare the working time of different GP groups. A path analysis was conducted to examine the difference in working time by gender, age, employment position, and their combinations. Female GPs worked significantly fewer hours than their male peers. GPs in their 50s worked the highest number of hours, followed by GPs age 60 and older. GPs younger than 40 worked the lowest number of hours. This relationship between working hours and age was not significantly different for women and men. As shown by path analysis, female GPs consistently worked fewer hours than their male counterparts, regardless of their age and employment position. The relationship between age and working hours was largely influenced by gender and employment position. The variation in working hours among GPs can be explained by the combination of gender, age, and employment position. Gender appears to be the most important predictor as the largest part of the variation in working hours is explained by a direct effect of this variable. It has previously been reported that the difference in working hours between male and female GPs had decreased over time. However, our findings suggest that gender remains a critical factor for variation in time use and for policy instruments such as health workforce planning.

Individualized Prediction of Reading Comprehension Ability Using Gray Matter Volume.

PubMed

Cui, Zaixu; Su, Mengmeng; Li, Liangjie; Shu, Hua; Gong, Gaolang

2018-05-01

Reading comprehension is a crucial reading skill for learning and putatively contains 2 key components: reading decoding and linguistic comprehension. Current understanding of the neural mechanism underlying these reading comprehension components is lacking, and whether and how neuroanatomical features can be used to predict these 2 skills remain largely unexplored. In the present study, we analyzed a large sample from the Human Connectome Project (HCP) dataset and successfully built multivariate predictive models for these 2 skills using whole-brain gray matter volume features. The results showed that these models effectively captured individual differences in these 2 skills and were able to significantly predict these components of reading comprehension for unseen individuals. The strict cross-validation using the HCP cohort and another independent cohort of children demonstrated the model generalizability. The identified gray matter regions contributing to the skill prediction consisted of a wide range of regions covering the putative reading, cerebellum, and subcortical systems. Interestingly, there were gender differences in the predictive models, with the female-specific model overestimating the males' abilities. Moreover, the identified contributing gray matter regions for the female-specific and male-specific models exhibited considerable differences, supporting a gender-dependent neuroanatomical substrate for reading comprehension.

Differential cataract blindness by sex in India: Evidence from two large national surveys.

PubMed

Pant, Hira B; Bandyopadhyay, Souvik; John, Neena; Chandran, Anil; Gudlavalleti, Murthy Venkata S

2017-02-01

Women suffer disproportionately more from cataract blindness compared to males in low- and middle-income countries. Two large population-based surveys have been undertaken in India at an interval of 7 years and data from these surveys provided an opportunity to assess the trends in gender differentials in cataract blindness. Data were extracted from the surveys to discern sex differences in cataract blindness. Multivariate analysis was performed to adjust for confounders and their impact on gender differences in cataract blindness. Blindness was defined as presenting vision <20/400 in the better eye, and a cataract blind person was defined as a blind person where the principal cause of loss of vision was cataract. Prevalence of cataract blindness was higher in females compared to males in both surveys. The odds of cataract blindness for females did not change over time as observed in the surveys (1999-2001 and 2006-2007). Adjusted odds ratio from logistic regression analysis revealed that females continued to be at a higher risk of cataract blindness. Sex differences continued in India in relation to cataract blindness despite the gains made by the national program.

A systematic analysis of UK cancer research funding by gender of primary investigator.

PubMed

Zhou, Charlie D; Head, Michael G; Marshall, Dominic C; Gilbert, Barnabas J; El-Harasis, Majd A; Raine, Rosalind; O'Connor, Henrietta; Atun, Rifat; Maruthappu, Mahiben

2018-04-30

To categorically describe cancer research funding in the UK by gender of primary investigator (PIs). Systematic analysis of all open-access data. Data about public and philanthropic cancer research funding awarded to UK institutions between 2000 and 2013 were obtained from several sources. Fold differences were used to compare total investment, award number, mean and median award value between male and female PIs. Mann-Whitney U tests were performed to determine statistically significant associations between PI gender and median grant value. Of the studies included in our analysis, 2890 (69%) grants with a total value of £1.82 billion (78%) were awarded to male PIs compared with 1296 (31%) grants with a total value of £512 million (22%) awarded to female PIs. Male PIs received 1.3 times the median award value of their female counterparts (P<0.001). These apparent absolute and relative differences largely persisted regardless of subanalyses. We demonstrate substantial differences in cancer research investment awarded by gender. Female PIs clearly and consistently receive less funding than their male counterparts in terms of total investment, the number of funded awards, mean funding awarded and median funding awarded. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Impact of multi-focused images on recognition of soft biometric traits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiesa, V.; Dugelay, J. L.

2016-09-01

In video surveillance semantic traits estimation as gender and age has always been debated topic because of the uncontrolled environment: while light or pose variations have been largely studied, defocused images are still rarely investigated. Recently the emergence of new technologies, as plenoptic cameras, yields to deal with these problems analyzing multi-focus images. Thanks to a microlens array arranged between the sensor and the main lens, light field cameras are able to record not only the RGB values but also the information related to the direction of light rays: the additional data make possible rendering the image with different focal plane after the acquisition. For our experiments, we use the GUC Light Field Face Database that includes pictures from the First Generation Lytro camera. Taking advantage of light field images, we explore the influence of defocusing on gender recognition and age estimation problems. Evaluations are computed on up-to-date and competitive technologies based on deep learning algorithms. After studying the relationship between focus and gender recognition and focus and age estimation, we compare the results obtained by images defocused by Lytro software with images blurred by more standard filters in order to explore the difference between defocusing and blurring effects. In addition we investigate the impact of deblurring on defocused images with the goal to better understand the different impacts of defocusing and standard blurring on gender and age estimation.

Effects of Gender Roles and Self Perceptions on Affective Reactions to Horror Films.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundorf, Norbert; And Others

1989-01-01

Examines responses to graphic horror films based on gender and personality variables. Results indicate that responses to horror movies are largely determined by gender-specific rules for social conduct. (MW)

Factor structure of PTSD, and relation with gender in trauma survivors from India.

PubMed

Charak, Ruby; Armour, Cherie; Elklit, Ask; Angmo, Disket; Elhai, Jon D; Koot, Hans M

2014-01-01

The factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been extensively studied in Western countries. Some studies have assessed its factor structure in Asia (China, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia), but few have directly assessed the factor structure of PTSD in an Indian adult sample. Furthermore, in a largely patriarchal society in India with strong gender roles, it becomes imperative to assess the association between the factors of PTSD and gender. The purpose of the present study was to assess the factor structure of PTSD in an Indian sample of trauma survivors based on prevailing models of PTSD defined in the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000), and to assess the relation between PTSD factors and gender. The sample comprised of 313 participants (55.9% female) from Jammu and Kashmir, India, who had experienced a natural disaster (N=200) or displacement due to cross-border firing (N=113). Three existing PTSD models-two four-factor models (Emotional Numbing and Dysphoria), and a five-factor model (Dysphoric Arousal)-were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis with addition of gender as a covariate. The three competing models had similar fit indices although the Dysphoric Arousal model fit significantly better than Emotional Numbing and Dysphoria models. Gender differences were found across the factors of Re-experiencing and Anxious arousal. Findings indicate that the Dysphoric Arousal model of PTSD was the best model; albeit the fit indices of all models were fairly similar. Compared to males, females scored higher on factors of Re-experiencing and Anxious arousal. Gender differences found across two factors of PTSD are discussed in light of the social milieu in India.

Factor structure of PTSD, and relation with gender in trauma survivors from India

PubMed Central

Charak, Ruby; Armour, Cherie; Elklit, Ask; Angmo, Disket; Elhai, Jon D.; Koot, Hans M.

2014-01-01

Background The factor structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been extensively studied in Western countries. Some studies have assessed its factor structure in Asia (China, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia), but few have directly assessed the factor structure of PTSD in an Indian adult sample. Furthermore, in a largely patriarchal society in India with strong gender roles, it becomes imperative to assess the association between the factors of PTSD and gender. Objective The purpose of the present study was to assess the factor structure of PTSD in an Indian sample of trauma survivors based on prevailing models of PTSD defined in the DSM-IV-TR (APA, 2000), and to assess the relation between PTSD factors and gender. Method The sample comprised of 313 participants (55.9% female) from Jammu and Kashmir, India, who had experienced a natural disaster (N=200) or displacement due to cross-border firing (N=113). Results Three existing PTSD models—two four-factor models (Emotional Numbing and Dysphoria), and a five-factor model (Dysphoric Arousal)—were tested using Confirmatory Factor Analysis with addition of gender as a covariate. The three competing models had similar fit indices although the Dysphoric Arousal model fit significantly better than Emotional Numbing and Dysphoria models. Gender differences were found across the factors of Re-experiencing and Anxious arousal. Conclusions Findings indicate that the Dysphoric Arousal model of PTSD was the best model; albeit the fit indices of all models were fairly similar. Compared to males, females scored higher on factors of Re-experiencing and Anxious arousal. Gender differences found across two factors of PTSD are discussed in light of the social milieu in India. PMID:25413575

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.

Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and National Institutes of Health R01 Research Awards: Is There Evidence of a Double Bind for Women of Color?

PubMed

Ginther, Donna K; Kahn, Shulamit; Schaffer, Walter T

2016-08-01

To analyze the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, and the probability of being awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The authors used data from the NIH Information for Management, Planning, Analysis, and Coordination grants management database for the years 2000-2006 to examine gender differences and race/ethnicity-specific gender differences in the probability of receiving an R01 Type 1 award. The authors used descriptive statistics and probit models to determine the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, degree, investigator experience, and R01 award probability, controlling for a large set of observable characteristics. White women PhDs and MDs were as likely as white men to receive an R01 award. Compared with white women, Asian and black women PhDs and black women MDs were significantly less likely to receive funding. Women submitted fewer grant applications, and blacks and women who were new investigators were more likely to submit only one application between 2000 and 2006. Differences by race/ethnicity explain the NIH funding gap for women of color, as white women have a slight advantage over men in receiving Type 1 awards. Findings of a lower submission rate for women and an increased likelihood that they will submit only one proposal are consistent with research showing that women avoid competition. Policies designed to address the racial and ethnic diversity of the biomedical workforce have the potential to improve funding outcomes for women of color.

Gender, Race/Ethnicity, and National Institutes of Health R01 Research Awards: Is There Evidence of a Double Bind for Women of Color?

PubMed Central

Ginther, Donna K.; Kahn, Shulamit; Schaffer, Walter T.

2016-01-01

Purpose To analyze the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, and the probability of being awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Method The authors used data from the NIH Information for Management, Planning, Analysis, and Coordination grants management database for the years 2000–2006 to examine gender differences and race/ethnicity-specific gender differences in the probability of receiving an R01 Type 1 award. The authors used descriptive statistics and probit models to determine the relationship between gender, race/ethnicity, degree, investigator experience, and R01 award probability, controlling for a large set of observable characteristics. Results White women PhDs and MDs were as likely as white men to receive an R01 award. Compared with white women, Asian and black women PhDs and black women MDs were significantly less likely to receive funding. Women submitted fewer grant applications, and blacks and women who were new investigators were more likely to submit only one application between 2000 and 2006. Conclusions Differences by race/ethnicity explain the NIH funding gap for women of color, as white women have a slight advantage over men in receiving Type 1 awards. Findings of a lower submission rate for women and an increased likelihood that they will submit only one proposal are consistent with research showing that women avoid competition. Policies designed to address the racial and ethnic diversity of the biomedical workforce have the potential to improve funding outcomes for women of color. PMID:27306969

Gender-related analysis of the clinical presentation, treatment response and outcome in patients with immune thrombocytopenia.

PubMed

Andrès, Emmanuel; Mecili, Mustapha; Fothergill, Helen; Zimmer, Jacques; Vogel, Thomas; Maloisel, Frédéric

2012-09-01

Immune thrombocytopenia (idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura [ITP]) frequently occurs in young adults, particularly women in their third or fourth decade. The female predominance suggests that sex hormones may play a role in the different aspects of ITP. In this paper, we report a gender-related analysis of patients with ITP, specifically examining the clinical manifestations, responses to treatment and overall outcomes of the patients. We included patients with "ITP" attending the departments of onco-hematology or internal medicine B (university hospital of Strasbourg, France) between 1990 and December 2010 The gender-related analysis was retrospective. We studied in 225 consecutive cases of established ITP with a follow-up period of 1.7 to 112 months The mean age of the patients was 44 years; 156 patients were female. The analysis revealed no significant statistical differences regarding patient characteristics between the female and male groups, with the exception of the following characteristics: the bleeding score, which altered in the presence of meno- and/or metrorrhagia and hematuria in female patients (P=0.03); the presence of anemia (P=0.04); and the detection of antinuclear and/or antiphospholipid antibodies (P=0.02). During the follow-up, no statistically significant difference was found regarding outcome or treatment response in relation to gender among these 225 patients (all P>0.05). Gender does not appear to affect the manifestation of immune thrombocytopenia, the outcome or response to treatment. However, further large-scale randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Effects of various electrode configurations on music perception, intonation and speaker gender identification.

PubMed

Landwehr, Markus; Fürstenberg, Dirk; Walger, Martin; von Wedel, Hasso; Meister, Hartmut

2014-01-01

Advances in speech coding strategies and electrode array designs for cochlear implants (CIs) predominantly aim at improving speech perception. Current efforts are also directed at transmitting appropriate cues of the fundamental frequency (F0) to the auditory nerve with respect to speech quality, prosody, and music perception. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of various electrode configurations and coding strategies on speech intonation identification, speaker gender identification, and music quality rating. In six MED-EL CI users electrodes were selectively deactivated in order to simulate different insertion depths and inter-electrode distances when using the high definition continuous interleaved sampling (HDCIS) and fine structure processing (FSP) speech coding strategies. Identification of intonation and speaker gender was determined and music quality rating was assessed. For intonation identification HDCIS was robust against the different electrode configurations, whereas fine structure processing showed significantly worse results when a short electrode depth was simulated. In contrast, speaker gender recognition was not affected by electrode configuration or speech coding strategy. Music quality rating was sensitive to electrode configuration. In conclusion, the three experiments revealed different outcomes, even though they all addressed the reception of F0 cues. Rapid changes in F0, as seen with intonation, were the most sensitive to electrode configurations and coding strategies. In contrast, electrode configurations and coding strategies did not show large effects when F0 information was available over a longer time period, as seen with speaker gender. Music quality relies on additional spectral cues other than F0, and was poorest when a shallow insertion was simulated.

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.

Sociodemographic and clinical features of gender identity disorder: an Italian multicentric evaluation.

PubMed

Fisher, Alessandra D; Bandini, Elisa; Casale, Helen; Ferruccio, Naika; Meriggiola, Maria C; Gualerzi, Anna; Manieri, Chiara; Jannini, Emmanuele; Mannucci, Edoardo; Monami, Matteo; Stomaci, Niceta; Delle Rose, Augusto; Susini, Tommaso; Ricca, Valdo; Maggi, Mario

2013-02-01

Male to female (MtFs) and female to male (FtMs) subjects with gender identity disorder (GID) seem to differ with regard to some sociodemographic and clinical features. Currently, no descriptive studies focusing on MtFs and FtMs attending an Italian clinic are available. To describe the sociodemographic characteristics of a GID population seeking assistance for gender transition and to assess possible differences in those features between MtFs and FtMs. A consecutive series of 198 patients was evaluated for gender dysphoria from July 2008 to May 2011 in four dedicated centers. A total of 140 subjects (mean age 32.6 ± 9.0 years old) meeting the criteria for GID, with their informed consent and without genital reassignment surgery having already been performed, were considered (92 MtFs and 48 FtMs). Diagnosis was based on formal psychiatric classification criteria. Medical history and sociodemographic characteristics were investigated. Subjects were asked to complete the Body Uneasiness Test (a self-rating scale exploring different areas of body-related psychopathology), Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (a self-rating scale to measure psychological state), and the Bem Sex Role Inventory (a self-rating scale to evaluate gender role). The presence of psychiatric comorbidities was evaluated using the Structured Clinical Interviews for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) (SCID I and SCID II). Several significant differences were found between MtFs and FtMs regarding lifestyle and sociodemographic factors and in psychometric test scores. No differences were found in terms of psychiatric comorbidity. This is the first large study reporting the sociodemographic characteristics of a GID sample referring to Italian clinics, and it provides different profiles for MtFs and FtMs. In particular, FtMs display significantly better social functioning. © 2012 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

BMI curves for preterm infants.

PubMed

Olsen, Irene E; Lawson, M Louise; Ferguson, A Nicole; Cantrell, Rebecca; Grabich, Shannon C; Zemel, Babette S; Clark, Reese H

2015-03-01

Preterm infants experience disproportionate growth failure postnatally and may be large weight for length despite being small weight for age by hospital discharge. The objective of this study was to create and validate intrauterine weight-for-length growth curves using the contemporary, large, racially diverse US birth parameters sample used to create the Olsen weight-, length-, and head-circumference-for-age curves. Data from 391 681 US infants (Pediatrix Medical Group) born at 22 to 42 weeks' gestational age (born in 1998-2006) included birth weight, length, and head circumference, estimated gestational age, and gender. Separate subsamples were used to create and validate curves. Established methods were used to determine the weight-for-length ratio that was most highly correlated with weight and uncorrelated with length. Final smoothed percentile curves (3rd to 97th) were created by the Lambda Mu Sigma (LMS) method. The validation sample was used to confirm results. The final sample included 254 454 singleton infants (57.2% male) who survived to discharge. BMI was the best overall weight-for-length ratio for both genders and a majority of gestational ages. Gender-specific BMI-for-age curves were created (n = 127 446) and successfully validated (n = 126 988). Mean z scores for the validation sample were ∼0 (∼1 SD). BMI was different across gender and gestational age. We provide a set of validated reference curves (gender-specific) to track changes in BMI for prematurely born infants cared for in the NICU for use with weight-, length-, and head-circumference-for-age intrauterine growth curves. Copyright © 2015 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

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.

Preschool children with gender normative and gender non-normative peer preferences: psychosocial and environmental correlates.

PubMed

Martin, Carol Lynn; DiDonato, Matthew D; Clary, Laura; Fabes, Richard A; Kreiger, Tyson; Palermo, Francisco; Hanish, Laura

2012-08-01

We addressed several issues concerning children who show gender non-normative (GNN) patterns of peer play. First, do young children with GNN peer preferences differ from children with gender normative (GN) peer preferences in problem behaviors? Second, do GNN and GN children differ in sociability and isolation and do they have differential socialization opportunities with externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent peers? We employed a Bayesian approach for classifying children as GNN based on their peer preferences as compared to their peers using a sample of Head Start preschool children from a large Southwestern city (N = 257; 53 % boys; M age = 51 months; 66 % Mexican American). To calculate socialization opportunities, we assessed affiliation to each child in the class and weighted that by each peer's characteristics to determine the exposure that each child had to different kinds of peers. GN children of both sexes interacted more with same-sex peers, which may limit learning of different styles of interaction. As compared to GN children, GNN children exhibited more engagement in other-sex activities and with other-sex play partners and GNN children experienced somewhat fewer peer interactions, but did not differ on problem behaviors or social competence. Boys with GNN peer preferences had increased exposure to peers with problem behaviors. GNN girls experienced little exposure to peers with problem behaviors, but they also had little exposure to socially competent peers, which may reduce learning social skills from peers. Implications of these findings for future socialization and development will be discussed.

Preschool Children with Gender Normative and Gender Non-Normative Peer Preferences: Psychosocial and Environmental Correlates

PubMed Central

DiDonato, Matthew D.; Clary, Laura; Fabes, Richard A.; Kreiger, Tyson; Palermo, Francisco; Hanish, Laura

2013-01-01

We addressed several issues concerning children who show gender non-normative (GNN) patterns of peer play. First, do young children with GNN peer preferences differ from children with gender normative (GN) peer preferences in problem behaviors? Second, do GNN and GN children differ in sociability and isolation and do they have differential socialization opportunities with externalizing, internalizing, and socially competent peers? We employed a Bayesian approach for classifying children as GNN based on their peer preferences as compared to their peers using a sample of Head Start preschool children from a large Southwestern city (N = 257; 53% boys; M age = 51 months; 66% Mexican American). To calculate socialization opportunities, we assessed affiliation to each child in the class and weighted that by each peer’s characteristics to determine the exposure that each child had to different kinds of peers. GN children of both sexes interacted more with same-sex peers, which may limit learning of different styles of interaction. As compared to GN children, GNN children exhibited more engagement in other-sex activities and with other-sex play partners and GNN children experienced somewhat fewer peer interactions, but did not differ on problem behaviors or social competence. Boys with GNN peer preferences had increased exposure to peers with problem behaviors. GNN girls experienced little exposure to peers with problem behaviors, but they also had little exposure to socially competent peers, which may reduce learning social skills from peers. Implications of these findings for future socialization and development will be discussed. PMID:22528037

Are ethnic and gender specific equations needed to derive fat free mass from bioelectrical impedance in children of South asian, black african-Caribbean and white European origin? Results of the assessment of body composition in children study.

PubMed

Nightingale, Claire M; Rudnicka, Alicja R; Owen, Christopher G; Donin, Angela S; Newton, Sian L; Furness, Cheryl A; Howard, Emma L; Gillings, Rachel D; Wells, Jonathan C K; Cook, Derek G; Whincup, Peter H

2013-01-01

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a potentially valuable method for assessing lean mass and body fat levels in children from different ethnic groups. We examined the need for ethnic- and gender-specific equations for estimating fat free mass (FFM) from BIA in children from different ethnic groups and examined their effects on the assessment of ethnic differences in body fat. Cross-sectional study of children aged 8-10 years in London Primary schools including 325 South Asians, 250 black African-Caribbeans and 289 white Europeans with measurements of height, weight and arm-leg impedance (Z; Bodystat 1500). Total body water was estimated from deuterium dilution and converted to FFM. Multilevel models were used to derive three types of equation {A: FFM = linear combination(height+weight+Z); B: FFM = linear combination(height(2)/Z); C: FFM = linear combination(height(2)/Z+weight)}. Ethnicity and gender were important predictors of FFM and improved model fit in all equations. The models of best fit were ethnicity and gender specific versions of equation A, followed by equation C; these provided accurate assessments of ethnic differences in FFM and FM. In contrast, the use of generic equations led to underestimation of both the negative South Asian-white European FFM difference and the positive black African-Caribbean-white European FFM difference (by 0.53 kg and by 0.73 kg respectively for equation A). The use of generic equations underestimated the positive South Asian-white European difference in fat mass (FM) and overestimated the positive black African-Caribbean-white European difference in FM (by 4.7% and 10.1% respectively for equation A). Consistent results were observed when the equations were applied to a large external data set. Ethnic- and gender-specific equations for predicting FFM from BIA provide better estimates of ethnic differences in FFM and FM in children, while generic equations can misrepresent these ethnic differences.

Are Ethnic and Gender Specific Equations Needed to Derive Fat Free Mass from Bioelectrical Impedance in Children of South Asian, Black African-Caribbean and White European Origin? Results of the Assessment of Body Composition in Children Study

PubMed Central

Nightingale, Claire M.; Rudnicka, Alicja R.; Owen, Christopher G.; Donin, Angela S.; Newton, Sian L.; Furness, Cheryl A.; Howard, Emma L.; Gillings, Rachel D.; Wells, Jonathan C. K.; Cook, Derek G.; Whincup, Peter H.

2013-01-01

Background Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a potentially valuable method for assessing lean mass and body fat levels in children from different ethnic groups. We examined the need for ethnic- and gender-specific equations for estimating fat free mass (FFM) from BIA in children from different ethnic groups and examined their effects on the assessment of ethnic differences in body fat. Methods Cross-sectional study of children aged 8–10 years in London Primary schools including 325 South Asians, 250 black African-Caribbeans and 289 white Europeans with measurements of height, weight and arm-leg impedance (Z; Bodystat 1500). Total body water was estimated from deuterium dilution and converted to FFM. Multilevel models were used to derive three types of equation {A: FFM = linear combination(height+weight+Z); B: FFM = linear combination(height2/Z); C: FFM = linear combination(height2/Z+weight)}. Results Ethnicity and gender were important predictors of FFM and improved model fit in all equations. The models of best fit were ethnicity and gender specific versions of equation A, followed by equation C; these provided accurate assessments of ethnic differences in FFM and FM. In contrast, the use of generic equations led to underestimation of both the negative South Asian-white European FFM difference and the positive black African-Caribbean-white European FFM difference (by 0.53 kg and by 0.73 kg respectively for equation A). The use of generic equations underestimated the positive South Asian-white European difference in fat mass (FM) and overestimated the positive black African-Caribbean-white European difference in FM (by 4.7% and 10.1% respectively for equation A). Consistent results were observed when the equations were applied to a large external data set. Conclusions Ethnic- and gender-specific equations for predicting FFM from BIA provide better estimates of ethnic differences in FFM and FM in children, while generic equations can misrepresent these ethnic differences. PMID:24204625

Sources of variation in emotional awareness: Age, gender, and socioeconomic status

PubMed Central

Mankus, Annette M.; Boden, Matthew Tyler; Thompson, Renee J.

2015-01-01

The present study examined associations between emotional awareness facets (type clarity, source clarity, negative emotion differentiation, voluntary attention, involuntary attention) and sociodemographic characteristics (age, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES)) in a large US sample (N = 919). Path analyses—controlling for variance shared between sociodemographic variables and allowing emotional awareness facets to correlate—demonstrated that (a) age was positively associated with type clarity and source clarity, and inversely associated with involuntary attention; (b) gender was associated with all facets but type clarity, with higher source clarity, negative emotion differentiation, voluntary attention, and involuntary attention reported by women then men; and (c) SES was positively associated with type clarity with a very small effect. These findings extend our understanding of emotional awareness and identify future directions for research to elucidate the causes and consequences of individual differences in emotional awareness. PMID:26500384

Gender Differences in Reactions to College Course Requirements or "Why Females Are Better Students"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zusman, Marty; Knox, David; Lieberman, Michelle

2005-01-01

Two-hundred-and-seventy-eight undergraduates at a large southeastern university completed a confidential anonymous forty-item questionnaire designed to assess student reactions to course expectations and the degree to which they engage in behaviors typically associated with positive academic outcomes. Women were significantly more likely to be in…

An Examination of Parents' and Preschool Workers' Perspectives on Bullying in Preschool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, David Lansing; Kovac, Velibor Bobo

2016-01-01

Parents (n = 141) and preschool workers (n = 81) completed a survey regarding their perspectives towards: (a) the existence of bullying in preschool, (b) interpretations of bullying, (c) the roles of bullies and victims, and (d) gender differences. Findings suggest that both groups largely believe that bullying occurs in preschool. Excluding…

Gender Differences in Consequences of ADHD Symptoms in a Community-Based Organization for Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vitulano, Michael L.; Fite, Paula J.; Wimsatt, Amber R.; Rathert, Jamie L.; Hatmaker, Rebecca S.

2012-01-01

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been linked to disruptive behavior and disciplinary consequences; however, the variables involved in this process are largely unknown. The current study examined rule-breaking behavior as a mediator of the relation between ADHD symptoms and disciplinary actions 1 year later during after-school…

Do Foreign Language Learning, Cognitive, and Affective Variables Differ as a Function of Exceptionality Status and Gender?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Sherry Mee; McCallum, R. Steve

2012-01-01

Relationships between foreign language learning and four characteristics--anxiety, aptitude, attitudes and attributions for success--were investigated for 95 students enrolled in introductory level Spanish classes at a large, southeastern university in the United States. Examination grades resulted in significantly positive correlation with an…

Employment Trajectories: Exploring Gender Differences and Impacts of Drug Use

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, David Y. C.; Evans, Elizabeth; Hara, Motoaki; Weiss, Robert E.; Hser, Yih-Ing

2011-01-01

This study investigated the impact of drug use on employment over 20 years among men and women, utilizing data on 7661 participants in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. Growth mixture modeling was applied, and five distinct employment trajectory groups were identified for both men and women. The identified patterns were largely similar…

Students' Academic Self-Perception. CEE DP 90

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chevalier, Arnaud; Gibbons, Stephen; Hoskins, Sherria; Snell, Martin; Thorpe, Andy

2008-01-01

There is a large gap in higher education attainment between different groups of society, especially along gender, class and ethnic dimensions. Reducing these gaps in attainment has been at the forefront of policy makers, not only in this country but also in most advanced economy with policies ranging from financial support to positive…

Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Stages of Change among Male and Female University Students: Ready or Not?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patel, Divya A.; Grunzweig, Katherine A.; Zochowski, Melissa K.; Dempsey, Amanda F.; Carlos, Ruth C.; Dalton, Vanessa K.

2013-01-01

Objective: To examine gender differences in human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine stages of change following the recommendations for permissive use of HPV vaccine in males. Participants: Students aged 18-26 attending a large, public, Midwest university in April 2010. Methods: Participants completed a self-administered, online questionnaire. HPV…

The Influence of Spirituality on the Career Development of College Seniors: An Examination of Work Values

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dudeck, Jennifer M.

2004-01-01

This study explored the relationship between spirituality and work values among graduating college seniors at a large public mid-Atlantic Research-Extensive institution. Gender differences in this relationship were also examined. Via an online survey, 429 participants completed Super's (1968) Work Values Inventory and Wheat's (1991) Human…

"We Are Not That Different from You": A Phenomenological Study of Undergraduate Muslim International Student Campus Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dimandja, Oluwafolakemi Ogunbowo

2017-01-01

Undergraduate Muslim international students in American universities continue to grow in large numbers, however, this population of students face several challenges related to their racial/ethnic, religious, and gender identities. These challenges tend to influence their academic and social experiences and, ultimately, their overall integration on…

Gender Fairness within the Force Concept Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traxler, Adrienne; Henderson, Rachel; Stewart, John; Stewart, Gay; Papak, Alexis; Lindell, Rebecca

2018-01-01

Research on the test structure of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI) has largely ignored gender, and research on FCI gender effects (often reported as "gender gaps") has seldom interrogated the structure of the test. These rarely crossed streams of research leave open the possibility that the FCI may not be structurally valid across…

Gender Differences in Graduate Students' Perspectives on the Culture of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Maria M.

In this study, gender differences in graduate students' perspectives on the culture of science were examined in two graduate departments (biology and chemistry) at a large research university. Data from a survey questionnaire from 170 students and interviews with 32 of them indicated that the culture of science as experienced by the participants of this study was characterized by competition, a narrow focus, and a belief in objectivity. These perspectives were particularly common among the female students, who also perceived a role conflict between a successful career in science and having a family. The study shows that although women have greater access to careers in science, the culture of the scientific enterprise continues to be based on the masculine ideals of 17th-century England.

Assessment of Differential Item Functioning in the Experiences of Discrimination Index

PubMed Central

Cunningham, Timothy J.; Berkman, Lisa F.; Gortmaker, Steven L.; Kiefe, Catarina I.; Jacobs, David R.; Seeman, Teresa E.; Kawachi, Ichiro

2011-01-01

The psychometric properties of instruments used to measure self-reported experiences of discrimination in epidemiologic studies are rarely assessed, especially regarding construct validity. The authors used 2000–2001 data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study to examine differential item functioning (DIF) in 2 versions of the Experiences of Discrimination (EOD) Index, an index measuring self-reported experiences of racial/ethnic and gender discrimination. DIF may confound interpretation of subgroup differences. Large DIF was observed for 2 of 7 racial/ethnic discrimination items: White participants reported more racial/ethnic discrimination for the “at school” item, and black participants reported more racial/ethnic discrimination for the “getting housing” item. The large DIF by race/ethnicity in the index for racial/ethnic discrimination probably reflects item impact and is the result of valid group differences between blacks and whites regarding their respective experiences of discrimination. The authors also observed large DIF by race/ethnicity for 3 of 7 gender discrimination items. This is more likely to have been due to item bias. Users of the EOD Index must consider the advantages and disadvantages of DIF adjustment (omitting items, constructing separate measures, and retaining items). The EOD Index has substantial usefulness as an instrument that can assess self-reported experiences of discrimination. PMID:22038104

Evaluation and comparison of health care Work Environment Scale in military settings.

PubMed

Maloney, J P; Anderson, F D; Gladd, D L; Brown, D L; Hardy, M A

1996-05-01

The purpose of this study was to describe health care providers' perceptions of their work environment at a large U.S. Army medical center, and to compare the findings to other military medical centers. The sample (N = 112) consisted of the professional nursing staff working on the nine inpatient units. The Work Environmental Scale (WES) was used to measure perceptions of the workplace relative to gender, position (head nurses, staff nurses, and agency nurses), specialty nursing (intensive care unit [ICU] versus non-ICU), education (MSN, BSN, and ADN), and patterns of differences between the WES subscales of four military medical centers. Results of the study indicate that there were no significant gender differences. Head nurses, non-ICU nurses, and MSN nurses perceived their environment more positively. There were significant differences in the WES subscales between the military hospitals. Implications for nursing using the WES were recommended.

Stag Parties Linger: Continued Gender Bias in a Female-Rich Scientific Discipline

PubMed Central

Isbell, Lynne A.; Young, Truman P.; Harcourt, Alexander H.

2012-01-01

Discussions about the underrepresentation of women in science are challenged by uncertainty over the relative effects of the lack of assertiveness by women and the lack of recognition of them by male colleagues because the two are often indistinguishable. They can be distinguished at professional meetings, however, by comparing symposia, which are largely by invitation, and posters and other talks, which are largely participant-initiated. Analysis of 21 annual meetings of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists reveals that within the subfield of primatology, women give more posters than talks, whereas men give more talks than posters. But most strikingly, among symposia the proportion of female participants differs dramatically by the gender of the organizer. Male-organized symposia have half the number of female first authors (29%) that symposia organized by women (64%) or by both men and women (58%) have, and half that of female participation in talks and posters (65%). We found a similar gender bias from men in symposia from the past 12 annual meetings of the American Society of Primatologists. The bias is surprising given that women are the numerical majority in primatology and have achieved substantial peer recognition in this discipline. PMID:23185407

"Everyone has a right to, like, check their box:" findings on a measure of gender identity from a cognitive testing study with adolescents.

PubMed

Conron, Kerith Jane; Scout; Austin, S Bryn

2008-01-01

Efforts to monitor the health of transgender youth, a small but high-risk population, are hindered by a lack of knowledge about how to accurately measure gender identity. Adolescents (n = 30) participated in semistructured qualitative interviews after completing a close-ended transgender-inclusive measure of gender. Interviews explored item comprehension and respondent burden. Participants, who were diverse in age (range = 15-21), gender identity, sexual orientation, and race-ethnicity, were accurately classified as male, female, or transgender. All youth understood transgender as a difference between the physical body and a person's internal sense of self. Nontransgender youth frequently used an example (a woman in a man's body) in their explanations and were largely supportive of the transgender options. Most transgender youth found a response option that they felt was appropriate. Transgender response options were added to a gender measure without impacting the accuracy of nontransgender responses or burdening the nontransgender adolescents in our sample. A modified measure (Gender: male; female; transgender, male-to-female; transgender, female-to-male; transgender, do not identify as exclusively male or female) is recommended for testing in samples that vary by age, race-ethnicity, socioeconomic status, language, and geography. Additional suggestions for research in this area are provided.

Effect of Calf Gender on Milk Yield and Fatty Acid Content in Holstein Dairy Cows

PubMed Central

Ehrlich, James L.; Grove-White, Dai H.

2017-01-01

The scale of sexed semen use to avoid the birth of unwanted bull calves in the UK dairy industry depends on several economic factors. It has been suggested in other studies that calf gender may affect milk yield in Holsteins- something that would affect the economics of sexed semen use. The present study used a large milk recording data set to evaluate the effect of calf gender (both calf born and calf in utero) on both milk yield and saturated fat content. Linear regression was used to model data for first lactation and second lactation separately. Results showed that giving birth to a heifer calf conferred a 1% milk yield advantage in first lactation heifers, whilst giving birth to a bull calf conferred a 0.5% advantage in second lactation. Heifer calves were also associated with a 0.66kg reduction in saturated fatty acid content of milk in first lactation, but there was no significant difference between the genders in second lactation. No relationship was found between calf gender and milk mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acid content. The observed effects of calf gender on both yield and saturated fatty acid content was considered minor when compared to nutritional and genetic influences. PMID:28068399

Effect of Calf Gender on Milk Yield and Fatty Acid Content in Holstein Dairy Cows.

PubMed

Gillespie, Amy V; Ehrlich, James L; Grove-White, Dai H

2017-01-01

The scale of sexed semen use to avoid the birth of unwanted bull calves in the UK dairy industry depends on several economic factors. It has been suggested in other studies that calf gender may affect milk yield in Holsteins- something that would affect the economics of sexed semen use. The present study used a large milk recording data set to evaluate the effect of calf gender (both calf born and calf in utero) on both milk yield and saturated fat content. Linear regression was used to model data for first lactation and second lactation separately. Results showed that giving birth to a heifer calf conferred a 1% milk yield advantage in first lactation heifers, whilst giving birth to a bull calf conferred a 0.5% advantage in second lactation. Heifer calves were also associated with a 0.66kg reduction in saturated fatty acid content of milk in first lactation, but there was no significant difference between the genders in second lactation. No relationship was found between calf gender and milk mono- or polyunsaturated fatty acid content. The observed effects of calf gender on both yield and saturated fatty acid content was considered minor when compared to nutritional and genetic influences.

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.

Measuring coercive control: what can we learn from national population surveys?

PubMed

Myhill, Andy

2015-03-01

Numerous academic studies point to gender symmetry in the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV). Many of these studies report findings from surveys with small and/or unrepresentative samples that have insufficient questions to differentiate adequately between different types of abuse. Data from a large, nationally representative survey suggest that, while the prevalence of situational violence is fairly symmetrical, coercive controlling abuse is highly gendered, with women overwhelmingly the victims. The authors conclude that more comprehensive measures are required in national surveys that consider a wider range of controlling behaviors as well as the meaning and impact of abuse. © The Author(s) 2015.

“Every woman counts”: a gender-analysis of numeracy in the Low Countries during the early modern period.

PubMed

de Moor, Tine; van Zanden, Jan Luiten

2010-01-01

New evidence from Flanders and the Netherlands demonstrates that age heaping was gradually diminishing in large parts of the Low Countries during the sixteenth century, that (unexpectedly) almost no gender gap was apparent in the change (women even outperforming men at times), and that differences between town and countryside were small. These findings suggest an early rise in numeracy (or at least a “number sense”) in both urban and rural areas, linked to demographic change and commercial development. Between 1600 and 1800, Flanders, in particular, seems to have lost its strong distinctiveness in this regard.

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

The Genetics of Sex Differences in Brain and Behavior

PubMed Central

Ngun, Tuck C; Ghahramani, Negar; Sánchez, Francisco J.; Bocklandt, Sven; Vilain, Eric

2010-01-01

Biological differences between men and women contribute to many sex-specific illnesses and disorders. Historically, it was argued that such differences were largely, if not exclusively, due to gonadal hormone secretions. However, emerging research has shown that some differences are mediated by mechanisms other than the action of these hormone secretions and in particular by products of genes located on the X and Y chromosomes, which we refer to as direct genetic effects. This paper reviews the evidence for direct genetic effects in behavioral and brain sex differences. We highlight the `four core genotypes' model and sex differences in the midbrain dopaminergic system, specifically focusing on the role of Sry. We also discuss novel research being done on unique populations including people attracted to the same sex and people with a cross-gender identity. As science continues to advance our understanding of biological sex differences, a new field is emerging that is aimed at better addressing the needs of both sexes: gender-based biology and medicine. Ultimately, the study of the biological basis for sex differences will improve healthcare for both men and women. PMID:20951723

[Social inequalities in the mortality due to cardiovascular diseases in Italy].

PubMed

Costa, G; Cadum, E; Faggiano, F; Cardano, M; Demaria, M

1999-06-01

Social inequalities in cardiovascular disease mortality are described in this paper focusing on the results of the Studio Longitudinale Torinese (SLT), an investigation that links census data with the statistical data that are currently available. The overall results confirm that cardiovascular disease mortality is higher in less-advantaged socioeconomic groups, irrespectively of the social indicator used: education, social class, housing quality, job security. Stratified data shows less important inequalities among ischemic heart disease as compared to cerebrovascular mortality. The differences are even more complex when the age groups in the two genders are analyzed, revealing cohort effects. Overall, the results agree with the previous survey carried out by ISTAT on 1981 Italian mortality, which confirmed the variations in inequalities according to geographical areas, gender and age. Differences in access to the health system are likely to be related to the differences detected for geographical areas, while differences in personal history and attitude towards health-associated behavior should explain age and gender variations in inequalities. Equity must be included in the evaluation of preventive programs and health-care models. Epidemiological and social research should be encouraged to better understand the factors that influence inequalities in cardiovascular disease mortality and in the health status of the population at large.

Age and Gender Differences in Social Network Composition and Social Support Among Older Rural South Africans: Findings From the HAALSI Study.

PubMed

Harling, Guy; Morris, Katherine Ann; Manderson, Lenore; Perkins, Jessica M; Berkman, Lisa F

2018-03-26

Drawing on the "Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH community in South Africa" (HAALSI) baseline survey, we present data on older adults' social networks and receipt of social support in rural South Africa. We examine how age and gender differences in social network characteristics matched with patterns predicted by theories of choice- and constraint-based network contraction in older adults. We used regression analysis on data for 5,059 South African adults aged 40 and older. Older respondents reported fewer important social contacts and less frequent communication than their middle-aged peers, largely due to fewer nonkin connections. Network size difference between older and younger respondents was greater for women than for men. These gender and age differences were explicable by much higher levels of widowhood among older women compared to younger women and older men. There was no evidence for employment-related network contraction or selective retention of emotionally supportive ties. Marriage-related structural constraints impacted on older women's social networks in rural South Africa, but did not explain choice-based network contraction. These findings suggest that many older women in rural Africa, a growing population, may have an unmet need for social support.

Family Change and Gender Differences: Implications for Theory and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hare-Mustin, Rachel T.

1988-01-01

Examines theories of gender differences. Discusses alpha bias, exaggeration of gender opposition, as characteristic of psychodynamic and sex role theories; and beta bias, denial of gender differences, as evident in systems theories. Calls for new model of gender differences which recognizes asymmetry in women's and men's roles and…

Gender in facial representations: a contrast-based study of adaptation within and between the sexes.

PubMed

Oruç, Ipek; Guo, Xiaoyue M; Barton, Jason J S

2011-01-18

Face aftereffects are proving to be an effective means of examining the properties of face-specific processes in the human visual system. We examined the role of gender in the neural representation of faces using a contrast-based adaptation method. If faces of different genders share the same representational face space, then adaptation to a face of one gender should affect both same- and different-gender faces. Further, if these aftereffects differ in magnitude, this may indicate distinct gender-related factors in the organization of this face space. To control for a potential confound between physical similarity and gender, we used a Bayesian ideal observer and human discrimination data to construct a stimulus set in which pairs of different-gender faces were equally dissimilar as same-gender pairs. We found that the recognition of both same-gender and different-gender faces was suppressed following a brief exposure of 100 ms. Moreover, recognition was more suppressed for test faces of a different-gender than those of the same-gender as the adaptor, despite the equivalence in physical and psychophysical similarity. Our results suggest that male and female faces likely occupy the same face space, allowing transfer of aftereffects between the genders, but that there are special properties that emerge along gender-defining dimensions of this space.

Small Wins: An Initiative to Promote Gender Equity in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Katherine A.; Warr, Deborah J.; Hegarty, Kelsey; Guillemin, Marilys

2015-01-01

Gender inequity in leadership and management roles within the higher education sector remains a widespread problem. Researchers have suggested that a multi-pronged method is the preferred approach to reach and maintain gender equity over time. A large university faculty undertook an audit to gauge the level of gender equity on the senior…

Gendered Education in a Gendered World: Looking beyond Cosmetic Solutions to the Gender Gap in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinnes, Astrid T.; Løken, Marianne

2014-01-01

Young people in countries considered to be at the forefront of gender equity still tend to choose very traditional science subjects and careers. This is particularly the case in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects (STEM), which are largely male dominated. This article uses feminist critiques of science and science education…

Are there gender differences in wellbeing related to work status among persons with severe impairments?

PubMed

Reine, Ieva; Palmer, Edward; Sonnander, Karin

2016-12-01

The aim of this study was to analyse gender differences in wellbeing, as related to work status, among working-age people with severe impairments. This study is based on register and survey data for a sample of 7298 persons, drawn from the entire Swedish population of 15,515 working-age people 16-64 years old who, at the end of 2010, received Sweden's unique personal assistance allowance, an allowance paid from the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SSIA) to persons with severe impairments, enabling them to pay for assistants to support them in the functions of daily life. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the strength of relations between six measures of wellbeing, work status (not working, irregular work and regular work) and gender, together with key confounders. Of the persons surveyed, 21% responded that they had regular work. Gender differences were found for all confounders, except for age. They were mostly in favour of men, which could reflect the general pattern in the labour market at large. Our results indicated there are substantial differences between non-working, irregularly working and working persons for several wellbeing aspects. This study analyses the contributions to wellbeing of work participation among working-age people with severe impairments, with a focus on gender differences. The analysis shows that work is an important determinant of the six measures of wellbeing examined, where the relationship between work participation and wellbeing is especially strong for peoples' perceived standard of living. This major finding holds for both genders; however, the data show gender imbalance, in that compared with women, there was a larger percentage of men with severe impairments who have regular work. Future research should focus on finer distinctions between the types of work and the value added of personal assistants in the work context. Measures of general health not available for this study are needed to filter out a clearer picture of the interaction of work and well-being. Despite drawbacks, this study is nevertheless path-breaking in its focus on the value of work participation for the well-being of persons with severe impairments. For this reason, it provides a valuable extension of our knowledge and a clear point of departure for future studies.

Gender-Differentiated Parenting Revisited: Meta-Analysis Reveals Very Few Differences in Parental Control of Boys and Girls

PubMed Central

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. PMID:27416099

Gender differences of the morphology of the distal femur and proximal tibia in a Korean population.

PubMed

Lim, Hong-Chul; Bae, Ji-Hoon; Yoon, Ji-Yeol; Kim, Seung-Ju; Kim, Jae-Gyoon; Lee, Jae-Moon

2013-01-01

We conducted this study to determine whether the sizes of distal femurs and proximal tibiae in Korean men and women are different, and to assess suitability of the sizes of prostheses currently used in Korea. We performed morphological analysis of proximal tibia and distal femur on 115 patients (56 male, 59 female) using MRI to investigate a gender difference. Tibial mediolateral dimension (tMAP), tibial medial anteroposterior dimension (tMAP), tibial lateral anteroposterior dimension (tLAP) femoral mediolateral dimension (fML), femoral medial anteroposterior dimension (fMAP), and femoral lateral anteroposterior dimension (fLAP) were measured. The ratio of tMAP and tLAP to tML (plateau aspect ratio, tAP/tML×100%), and that of fMAP and fLAP to fML (condylar aspect ratio, fAP/fML×100%) were calculated. The measurements were compared with the similar dimensions of four total knee implants currently used. The tML and tAP lengths showed a significant gender difference (P<0.05). The plateau aspect ratio (tMAP/tML) revealed a significant difference between male (0.74±0.05) and female (0.68±0.04, P<0.05). For morphotype of distal femur, males were found to have significantly large values (P<0.05) in the parameters, except for fLAP. With regards to the ratio of the ML width to the AP length, the women showed a narrower ML width than the men. Both genders were distributed within the range of the dimensions of the prostheses currently used prostheses. Korean population revealed that women have smaller dimensions than male counterparts. In both genders, a relatively small size of prostheses matches distal femur and proximal tibia better among the implants currently used in Korea. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender and the Effects of an Economic Empowerment Program on Attitudes Toward Sexual Risk-Taking Among AIDS-Orphaned Adolescent Youth in Uganda

PubMed Central

Ssewamala, Fred; Ismayilova, Leyla; McKay, Mary; Sperber, Elizabeth; Bannon, William; Alicea, Stacey

2009-01-01

Purpose This paper examines gender differences in attitudes towards sexual risk-taking behaviors of AIDS-orphaned youth participating in a randomized control trial testing an economic empowerment intervention in rural Uganda. Methods Adolescents (average age 13.7 years) who had lost one or both parents to AIDS from fifteen comparable schools were randomly assigned to either an experimental (n=135) or control condition (n=142). Adolescents in the experimental condition, in addition to usual care, also received support and incentives to save money toward secondary education. Results Findings indicate that although adolescent boys and girls within the experimental condition saved comparable amounts, the intervention appears to have benefited girls, in regards to the attitudes towards sexual risk-taking behavior, in a different way and to a lesser extent than boys. Conclusions Future research should investigate the possibility that adolescent girls might be able to develop equally large improvements in protective attitudes towards sexual risk-taking through additional components that address gendered social norms. PMID:20307827

Competitive Science Events: Gender, Interest, Science Self-Efficacy, and Academic Major Choice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forrester, Jennifer Harris

Understanding present barriers to choosing a STEM major is important for science educators so that we may better prepare and inspire future generations of scientists and engineers. This study examined the relationships between participation in competitive science events, gender, race, science self-efficacy, interest in science, and choosing a STEM discipline as a college major. The participants included 1,488 freshman students at a large southeastern public university. Students completed a survey of pre-college experiences with science events, science interests, and college major, as well as, an assessment of science self-efficacy. A subsample of sixty students (30 STEM; 30 non-STEM majors) were interviewed about their participation and academic major choice. Results showed that science, engineering, and non-STEM disciplines were the most frequently reported academic majors. Significant gender differences were found for science self-efficacy and academic major choice. There were significant race differences for participation in specific types of science competitions. Study participants also reported being motivated to participate in a competitive science event as a result of their teacher or parents' encouragement.

A Test of Biological and Behavioral Explanations for Gender Differences in Telomere Length: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

PubMed Central

NEEDHAM, BELINDA L.; DIEZ ROUX, ANA V.; BIRD, CHLOE E.; BRADLEY, RYAN; FITZPATRICK, ANNETTE L.; JACOBS, DAVID R.; OUYANG, PAMELA; SEEMAN, TERESA E.; THURSTON, REBECCA C.; VAIDYA, DHANANJAY; WANG, STEVEN

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine biological and behavioral explanations for gender differences in leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker of cell aging that has been hypothesized to contribute to women’s greater longevity. Data are from a subsample (n = 851) of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a population-based study of women and men aged 45 to 84. Mediation models were used to examine study hypotheses. We found that women had longer LTL than men, but the gender difference was smaller at older ages. Gender differences in smoking and processed meat consumption partially mediated gender differences in telomere length, whereas gender differences in estradiol, total testosterone, oxidative stress, and body mass index did not. Neither behavioral nor biological factors explained why the gender difference in LTL was smaller at older ages. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess gender differences in the rate of change in LTL over time; to identify the biological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors that contribute to these differences throughout the life course; and to determine whether gender differences in LTL explain the gender gap in longevity. PMID:25343364

A test of biological and behavioral explanations for gender differences in telomere length: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis.

PubMed

Needham, Belinda L; Diez Roux, Ana V; Bird, Chloe E; Bradley, Ryan; Fitzpatrick, Annette L; Jacobs, David R; Ouyang, Pamela; Seeman, Teresa E; Thurston, Rebecca C; Vaidya, Dhananjay; Wang, Steven

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine biological and behavioral explanations for gender differences in leukocyte telomere length (LTL), a biomarker of cell aging that has been hypothesized to contribute to women's greater longevity. Data are from a subsample (n = 851) of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, a population-based study of women and men aged 45 to 84. Mediation models were used to examine study hypotheses. We found that women had longer LTL than men, but the gender difference was smaller at older ages. Gender differences in smoking and processed meat consumption partially mediated gender differences in telomere length, whereas gender differences in estradiol, total testosterone, oxidative stress, and body mass index did not. Neither behavioral nor biological factors explained why the gender difference in LTL was smaller at older ages. Longitudinal studies are needed to assess gender differences in the rate of change in LTL over time; to identify the biological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors that contribute to these differences throughout the life course; and to determine whether gender differences in LTL explain the gender gap in longevity.

The Gender Confidence Gap in Fractions Knowledge: Gender Differences in Student Belief-Achievement Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, John A.; Scott, Garth; Bruce, Catherine D.

2012-01-01

Recent research demonstrates that in many countries gender differences in mathematics achievement have virtually disappeared. Expectancy-value theory and social cognition theory both predict that if gender differences in achievement have declined there should be a similar decline in gender differences in self-beliefs. Extant literature is…

Meta-analysis of effects of gender in combination with carcass weight and breed on pork quality.

PubMed

Trefan, L; Doeschl-Wilson, A; Rooke, J A; Terlouw, C; Bünger, L

2013-03-01

Meta-analysis was performed to quantify the effects of gender in combination with carcass weight and breed on pork quality. Altogether published results from 43 references were used. The traits analyzed were pH at 45 min (pH45min) and pH at 24 h (pH24hr) postmortem, objective color attributes lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*; CIE color system), color and marbling scores, drip loss, intramuscular fat content (IMF), and backfat thickness (P2), as well as sensory scores of juiciness and tenderness. Data for 2 muscle types, LM and Musculus semimembranosus (SMM), were used for the analysis. Swine genders were defined as intact/entire male (EM), surgically castrated male (SM), immunocastrated male (IM), and entire female (EF). After standardization of scaled traits (color, marbling scores, juiciness, tenderness) and accounting for cold carcass weight (CW), statistical analysis was performed using mixed models where breed was included as random effect. The analysis found a general effect of gender on each trait and multiple comparisons identified significant differences among the individual genders for L* (lightness), marbling scores, IMF, P2 in LM, and pH24hr in SMM. For these traits, when genders were grouped into gender categories as "castrates" (IM, SM) and "natural genders" (EM, EF), significant differences were found among estimates related to these categories. Furthermore, significant differences were found between castrates and individual gender types, indicating that castrated animals statistically segregated regarding their pork quality and regardless of type of castration. Pork of SM/EM animals has been found to be the fattest/leanest and there is indication that IM pork has the lightest meat color. Carcass weight dependence was found to be nonlinear (quadratic) for a*, P2, and marbling scores, and linear for b* and color scores in LM and pH24hr in SMM. The analysis identified significant breed effects for all traits, with large variation in the actual magnitudes (∼10 to 100%) of breed effects among individual traits. The established CW dependencies of pork quality traits in combination with the other influencing factors investigated here provides pork producers with the opportunity to achieve desired pork quality targets for a wide range of CW (∼30 to 150 kg) under standard indoor-rearing conditions.

Closing the gender leadership gap: a multi-centre cross-country comparison of women in management and leadership in academic health centres in the European Union.

PubMed

Kuhlmann, Ellen; Ovseiko, Pavel V; Kurmeyer, Christine; Gutiérrez-Lobos, Karin; Steinböck, Sandra; von Knorring, Mia; Buchan, Alastair M; Brommels, Mats

2017-01-06

Women's participation in medicine and the need for gender equality in healthcare are increasingly recognised, yet little attention is paid to leadership and management positions in large publicly funded academic health centres. This study illustrates such a need, taking the case of four large European centres: Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Germany), Karolinska Institutet (Sweden), Medizinische Universität Wien (Austria), and Oxford Academic Health Science Centre (United Kingdom). The percentage of female medical students and doctors in all four countries is now well within the 40-60% gender balance zone. Women are less well represented among specialists and remain significantly under-represented among senior doctors and full professors. All four centres have made progress in closing the gender leadership gap on boards and other top-level decision-making bodies, but a gender leadership gap remains relevant. The level of achieved gender balance varies significantly between the centres and largely mirrors country-specific welfare state models, with more equal gender relations in Sweden than in the other countries. Notably, there are also similar trends across countries and centres: gender inequality is stronger within academic enterprises than within hospital enterprises and stronger in middle management than at the top level. These novel findings reveal fissures in the 'glass ceiling' effects at top-level management, while the barriers for women shift to middle-level management and remain strong in academic positions. The uneven shifts in the leadership gap are highly relevant and have policy implications. Setting gender balance objectives exclusively for top-level decision-making bodies may not effectively promote a wider goal of gender equality. Academic health centres should pay greater attention to gender equality as an issue of organisational performance and good leadership at all levels of management, with particular attention to academic enterprises and newly created management structures. Developing comprehensive gender-sensitive health workforce monitoring systems and comparing progress across academic health centres in Europe could help to identify the gender leadership gap and utilise health human resources more effectively.

A Study of Attitudes toward College Student-Athletes: Implications for Faculty-Athletics Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comeaux, Eddie

2011-01-01

To gauge the differential attitudes of faculty members toward student-athletes at a large Division I-A university, a revised version of the Situational Attitude Scale (SAS) Student-Athlete was administered to 464 faculty members. Findings revealed differences in the attitudes of faculty toward student-athletes by race, gender, and college…

MMPI-2 Personality Profiles of High-Functioning Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozonoff, Sally; Garcia, Nicanor; Clark, Elaine; Lainhart, Janet E.

2005-01-01

The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-Second Edition was administered to 20 adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) who fell in the average to above average range of intelligence and 24 age-, intelligence-, and gender-matched college students. Large group differences, with the ASD group scoring higher, were found on the L validity…

A Polytomous Item Response Theory Analysis of Social Physique Anxiety Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fletcher, Richard B.; Crocker, Peter

2014-01-01

The present study investigated the social physique anxiety scale's factor structure and item properties using confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory. An additional aim was to identify differences in response patterns between groups (gender). A large sample of high school students aged 11-15 years (N = 1,529) consisting of n =…

Gender-Based Wage Differentials in a Predominantly Female Profession: Observations from Nursing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Cheryl, Bland; Gates, Michael

2004-01-01

Despite numerous studies examining nursing wages, very little attention has focused on nursing wage differentials. We build on previous research by modeling nursing wages and examining male-female wage differences within the context of the current nursing shortage. Our results show that male nurses do earn a wage premium, largely explained by…

Comparing the Gender Gap in Educational Attainment: The Impact of Emancipatory Contexts in 33 Cohorts across 33 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Hek, Margriet; Kraaykamp, Gerbert; Wolbers, Maarten H. J.

2016-01-01

Nowadays, women outperform men in educational attainment in many countries. Still, large variation between countries remains. Emancipatory contexts in which individuals are raised might explain these differences in male-female educational attainment, both over time and across countries. This study examines individual and contextual factors that…

Career Anchors: Distribution and Impact on Job Satisfaction, the Israeli Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danziger, Nira; Valency, Rony

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the career anchor concept developed by Edgar Schein. Design/methodology/approach: The paper focuses on the distribution of the eight career anchors, on a large heterogeneous sample and the differences in the distribution by gender and type of employment; and the impact of the congruence on job…

Gender differences in caregiver burden and its determinants in family members of terminally ill cancer patients.

PubMed

Schrank, Beate; Ebert-Vogel, Alexandra; Amering, Michaela; Masel, Eva K; Neubauer, Marie; Watzke, Herbert; Zehetmayer, Sonja; Schur, Sophie

2016-07-01

Female family caregivers consistently report higher levels of stress and burden compared to male caregivers. Explanations for the apparently higher psychological vulnerability of female caregivers are largely missing to date. This study assesses the correlates and determinants of caregiver burden in family caregivers of advanced cancer patients with a specific focus on gender differences. Three hundred and eight self-identified main informal caregivers of advanced cancer patients were cross-sectionally assessed using structured questionnaires for caregiver burden and hypothesised determinants of burden, including sociodemographic characteristics, caring arrangements, support needs, hope and coping style. Gender differences and predictors of burden were assessed using t-tests, chi-squared tests and univariate linear regression. Significant univariate predictors were entered in an analysis of covariance separately for men and women. Burden was significantly higher in women. Hope was the most significant protective factor against burden in both genders, together with perceived fulfilment of support needs. Only in women emotion-oriented coping and being in employment while caring were significantly predictive of higher burden in the multivariate analysis. The model explained 36% of the variance in burden in men and 29% in women. Psychological support interventions for family caregivers should take gender-specific risk factors into account. Interventions focusing on keeping up hope while caring for a terminally ill family member may be a valuable addition to palliative services to improve support for family carers. Women may benefit from interventions that address adaptive coping and strategies to deal with the dual demands of employment and caring. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Emotions under Discussion: Gender, Status and Communication in Online Collaboration

PubMed Central

Iosub, Daniela; Laniado, David; Castillo, Carlos; Fuster Morell, Mayo; Kaltenbrunner, Andreas

2014-01-01

Background 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. Methods 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 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. Principal Findings 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). Conclusions/Significance 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. PMID:25140870

Why is high-risk drinking more prevalent among men than women? evidence from South Korea

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background It is important to identify and quantify the factors that affect gender differences in high-risk drinking (HRD), from both an academic and a policy perspective. However, little is currently known about them. This study examines these factors and estimates the percentage contribution each makes to gender differences in HRD. Methods This study analyzed information on 23,587 adults obtained from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Surveys of 1998, 2001, and 2005. It found that the prevalence of HRD was about 5 times higher among men (0.37) than women (0.08). Using a decomposition approach extended from the Oaxaca-Blinder method, we decomposed the gender difference in HRD to an "overall composition effect" (contributions due to gender differences in the distribution of observed socio-economic characteristics), and an "overall HRD-tendency effect" (contributions due to gender differences in tendencies in HRD for individuals who share socio-economic characteristics). Results The HRD-tendency effect accounted for 96% of the gender difference in HRD in South Korea, whereas gender differences in observed socio-economic characteristics explained just 4% of the difference. Notably, the gender-specific HRD-tendency effect accounts for 90% of the gender difference in HRD. Conclusion We came to a finding that gender-specific HRD tendency is the greatest contributor to gender differences in HRD. Therefore, to effective reduce HRD, it will be necessary to understand gender differences in socioeconomic characteristics between men and women but also take notice of such differences in sociocultural settings as they experience. And it will be also required to prepare any gender-differentiated intervention strategy for men and women. PMID:22304965

The Infant Version of the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB): Measurement Properties and Implications for Concepts of Temperament

PubMed Central

Planalp, Elizabeth M.; Van Hulle, Carol; Gagne, Jeffrey R.; Goldsmith, H. Hill

2017-01-01

We describe large-sample research using the Infant Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery (Lab-TAB; Goldsmith and Rothbart, 1996) in 1,076 infants at 6 and 12 months of age. The Lab-TAB was designed to assess temperament dimensions through a series of episodes that mimic everyday situations. Our goal is to provide guidelines for scoring Lab-TAB episodes to derive temperament composites. We also present a set of analyses examining mean differences and stability of temperament in early infancy, gender differences in infant temperament, as well as a validation of Lab-TAB episodes and composites with parent reported Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ; Rothbart, 1981) scales. In general, laboratory observed temperament was only modestly related to parent reported temperament. However, temperament measures were significantly stable across time and several gender differences that align with previous research emerged. In sum, the Lab-TAB usefully assesses individual differences in infant emotionality. PMID:28596748

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.

Gender development and the human brain.

PubMed

Hines, Melissa

2011-01-01

Convincing evidence indicates that prenatal exposure to the gonadal hormone, testosterone, influences the development of children's sex-typical toy and activity interests. In addition, growing evidence shows that testosterone exposure contributes similarly to the development of other human behaviors that show sex differences, including sexual orientation, core gender identity, and some, though not all, sex-related cognitive and personality characteristics. In addition to these prenatal hormonal influences, early infancy and puberty may provide additional critical periods when hormones influence human neurobehavioral organization. Sex-linked genes could also contribute to human gender development, and most sex-related characteristics are influenced by socialization and other aspects of postnatal experience, as well. Neural mechanisms underlying the influences of gonadal hormones on human behavior are beginning to be identified. Although the neural mechanisms underlying experiential influences remain largely uninvestigated, they could involve the same neural circuitry as that affected by hormones.

Gender in Facial Representations: A Contrast-Based Study of Adaptation within and between the Sexes

PubMed Central

Oruç, Ipek; Guo, Xiaoyue M.; Barton, Jason J. S.

2011-01-01

Face aftereffects are proving to be an effective means of examining the properties of face-specific processes in the human visual system. We examined the role of gender in the neural representation of faces using a contrast-based adaptation method. If faces of different genders share the same representational face space, then adaptation to a face of one gender should affect both same- and different-gender faces. Further, if these aftereffects differ in magnitude, this may indicate distinct gender-related factors in the organization of this face space. To control for a potential confound between physical similarity and gender, we used a Bayesian ideal observer and human discrimination data to construct a stimulus set in which pairs of different-gender faces were equally dissimilar as same-gender pairs. We found that the recognition of both same-gender and different-gender faces was suppressed following a brief exposure of 100ms. Moreover, recognition was more suppressed for test faces of a different-gender than those of the same-gender as the adaptor, despite the equivalence in physical and psychophysical similarity. Our results suggest that male and female faces likely occupy the same face space, allowing transfer of aftereffects between the genders, but that there are special properties that emerge along gender-defining dimensions of this space. PMID:21267414

Cultural background, gender, and institutional status have an effect on the evaluation of multi-disciplinary participatory action research.

PubMed

Graef, Frieder; Sieber, Stefan

2018-01-01

Research and development increasingly apply participatory approaches that involve both stakeholders and scientists. This article presents an evaluation of German and Tanzanian researchers' perceptions during their activities as part of a large interdisciplinary research project in Tanzania. The project focused on prioritizing and implementing food-securing upgrading strategies across the components of rural food value chains. The participants involved during the course of the project were asked to provide feedback on 10 different research steps and to evaluate eight core features related to the functioning and potential shortcomings of the project. The study discriminated among evaluation differences linked to culture, gender, and institutional status. Perceptions differed between Tanzanian and German participants depending on the type and complexity of the participatory research steps undertaken and the intensity of stakeholder participation. There were differences in perception linked to gender and hierarchical status; however, those differences were not as concise and significant as those linked to nationality. These findings indicate that participatory action research of this nature requires more targeted strategies and planning tailored to the type of activity. Such planning would result in more efficient and satisfactory communication, close collaboration, and mutual feedback to avoid conflicts and other problems. We further conclude that it would be advisable to carefully incorporate training on these aspects into future project designs.

Differences in Pediatric Headache Prescription Patterns by Diagnosis.

PubMed

Rabner, Jonathan; Ludwick, Allison; LeBel, Alyssa

2018-06-01

Few studies have reported prescription patterns for headache medication. The aim was to present the rates of specific medication prescribed to pediatric patients diagnosed with migraine, tension-type headache (TTH), and new daily persistent headache (NDPH), as well as differences in those prescription patterns by diagnosis, age, and gender. A query using the i2b2 platform yielded 14,591 patients [migraine 10,547 (72.3%); TTH 3200 (21.9%); NDPH 844 (5.8%)] seen over a 3-year period, who were aged 4-17 years at the time of their visit and diagnosed with migraine, TTH, or NDPH. Sumatriptan was the most frequently prescribed medication for migraine followed by amitriptyline. The most frequently prescribed medication for both TTH and NDPH was amitriptyline, followed by sumatriptan in TTH and by topiramate in NDPH. Age and gender differences were also found in prescription patterns of each of the diagnoses. The differences in prescription patterns found between the diagnoses, as well as age and gender differences found within the diagnoses, are discussed. A wide range of medications are prescribed to children and adolescents with headache, with most medications prescribed for off-label use. As these medications are not Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for use in children and adolescents with headache, there is a need for large scale, randomized controlled trials to assess the efficacy of these medications.

Unpacking the Gender Gap in Postsecondary Participation among African Americans and Caucasians Using Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tekleselassie, Abebayehu; Mallery, Coretta; Choi, Jaehwa

2013-01-01

National reports recognize a growing gender gap in postsecondary enrollment as a major challenge impacting the lives of young men, particularly African Americans. Previous gender and race specific research is largely inconclusive. It is, for example, unclear from previous research how persistent the gender gap is across various school contexts,…

Gender Differences in Scientific Literacy of HKPISA 2006: A Multidimensional Differential Item Functioning and Multilevel Mediation Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, Kwan Yin

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of gender differences of 15-year-old students on scientific literacy and their impacts on students’ motivation to pursue science education and careers (Future-oriented Science Motivation) in Hong Kong. The data for this study was collected from the Program for International Student Assessment in Hong Kong (HKPISA). It was carried out in 2006. A total of 4,645 students were randomly selected from 146 secondary schools including government, aided and private schools by two-stage stratified sampling method for the assessment. HKPISA 2006, like most of other large-scale international assessments, presents its assessment frameworks in multidimensional subscales. To fulfill the requirements of this multidimensional assessment framework, this study deployed new approaches to model and investigate gender differences in cognitive and affective latent traits of scientific literacy by using multidimensional differential item functioning (MDIF) and multilevel mediation (MLM). Compared with mean score difference t-test, MDIF improves the precision of each subscales measure at item level and the gender differences in science performance can be accurately estimated. In the light of Eccles et al (1983) Expectancy-value Model of Achievement-related Choices (Eccles’ Model), MLM examines the pattern of gender effects on Future-oriented Science Motivation mediated through cognitive and affective factors. As for MLM investigation, Single-Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (Single-Group CFA) was used to confirm the applicability and validity of six affective factors which was, originally prepared by OECD. These six factors are Science Self-concept, Personal Value of Science, Interest in Science Learning, Enjoyment of Science Learning, Instrumental Motivation to Learn Science and Future-oriented Science Motivation. Then, Multiple Group CFA was used to verify measurement invariance of these factors across gender groups. The results of Single-Group CFA confirmed that five out of the six affective factors except Interest in Science Learning had strong psychometric properties in the context of Hong Kong. Multiple-group CFA results also confirmed measurement invariance of these factors across gender groups. The findings of this study suggest that 15-year-old school boys consistently outperformed girls in most of the cognitive dimensions except identifying scientific issues. Similarly, boys have higher affective learning outcomes than girls. The effect sizes of gender differences in affective learning outcomes are relatively larger than that of cognitive one. The MLM study reveals that gender effects on Future-oriented Science Motivation mediate through affective factors including Science Self-concept, Enjoyment of Science Learning, Interest in Science Learning, Instrumental Motivation to Learn Science and Personal Value of Science. Girls are significantly affected by the negative impacts of these mediating factors and thus Future-oriented Science Motivation. The MLM results were consistent with the predications by Eccles’ Model. Overall, the CFA and MLM results provide strong support for cross-cultural validity of Eccles’ Model. In light of our findings, recommendations to reduce the gender differences in science achievement and Future-oriented Science Motivation are made for science education participants, teachers, parents, curriculum leaders, examination bodies and policy makers.

Perceptions of Safety Among LGBTQ People Following the 2016 Pulse Nightclub Shooting.

PubMed

Stults, Christopher B; Kupprat, Sandra A; Krause, Kristen D; Kapadia, Farzana; Halkitis, Perry N

2017-09-01

The goals of this manuscript are two-fold. First, we provide a brief reaction to this journal's "Special Section: Reflections on the Orlando Massacre on its First Anniversary." Second, we present findings from a study on perceptions of safety among LGBTQ individuals following the Pulse shooting. These issues are discussed within the historical context of hate crimes experienced by the LGBTQ population (Herek), media coverage following the shooting (Hancock & Halderman), and the immediate reaction of LGBTQ graduate students to the event (Jackson). Our study sought to examine differences in perceptions of personal and peer safety by race/ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation among a large, diverse sample of LGBTQ people. Findings from our study indicate that there were differences in perceptions of personal safety by gender identity, and differences in perceptions of peer safety by gender identity and sexual orientation. These findings also suggest that subgroups of the LGBTQ community with more marginalized gender and sexual identities (e.g., female, transgender, genderqueer, bisexual, queer respondents) perceived more concerns related to safety, on average, than subgroups with relatively more privilege (e.g., gay, male). Elevated safety concern may exacerbate multiple minority stress burden, a known driver of poor health outcomes among LGBTQ people. These findings are a call to action to healthcare providers to be well informed and trained to provide the appropriate care and counseling referrals that can address the safety-related concerns of LGBTQ individuals in the aftermath of identity-related attacks.

Stepping out of the caveman's shadow: nations' gender gap predicts degree of sex differentiation in mate preferences.

PubMed

Zentner, Marcel; Mitura, Klaudia

2012-10-01

An influential explanation for gender differences in mating strategies is that the sex-specific reproductive constraints faced by human ancestors shaped these differences. Other theorists have emphasized the role of societal factors, hypothesizing, for example, that gender differences in mate preferences should wane in gender-equal societies. However, findings have been ambiguous. Using recent data and a novel measure of gender equality, we revisited the role of gender parity in gender differentiation for mate preferences. In the first study, 3,177 participants from 10 nations with a gradually decreasing Global Gender Gap Index (GGI) provided online ratings of the desirability of mate attributes with reportedly evolutionary origins. In the second study, GGI scores were related to gender differences in mate preferences previously reported for 8,953 participants from 31 nations (Buss, 1989). Both studies show that gender differences in mate preferences with presumed evolutionary roots decline proportionally to increases in nations' gender parity.

Gender differences in the use of external landmarks versus spatial representations updated by self-motion.

PubMed

Lambrey, Simon; Berthoz, Alain

2007-09-01

Numerous data in the literature provide evidence for gender differences in spatial orientation. In particular, it has been suggested that spatial representations of large-scale environments are more accurate in terms of metric information in men than in women but are richer in landmark information in women than in men. One explanatory hypothesis is that men and women differ in terms of navigational processes they used in daily life. The present study investigated this hypothesis by distinguishing two navigational processes: spatial updating by self-motion and landmark-based orientation. Subjects were asked to perform a pointing task in three experimental conditions, which differed in terms of reliability of the external landmarks that could be used. Two groups of subjects were distinguished, a mobile group and an immobile group, in which spatial updating of environmental locations did not have the same degree of importance for the correct performance of the pointing task. We found that men readily relied on an internal egocentric representation of where landmarks were expected to be in order to perform the pointing task, a representation that could be updated during self-motion (spatial updating). In contrast, women seemed to take their bearings more readily on the basis of the stable landmarks of the external world. We suggest that this gender difference in spatial orientation is not due to differences in information processing abilities but rather due to the differences in higher level strategies.

A longitudinal study of facial growth of Southern Chinese in Hong Kong: Comprehensive photogrammetric analyses

PubMed Central

Wen, Yi Feng; McGrath, Colman Patrick

2017-01-01

Introduction Existing studies on facial growth were mostly cross-sectional in nature and only a limited number of facial measurements were investigated. The purposes of this study were to longitudinally investigate facial growth of Chinese in Hong Kong from 12 through 15 to 18 years of age and to compare the magnitude of growth changes between genders. Methods and findings Standardized frontal and lateral facial photographs were taken from 266 (149 females and 117 males) and 265 (145 females and 120 males) participants, respectively, at all three age levels. Linear and angular measurements, profile inclinations, and proportion indices were recorded. Statistical analyses were performed to investigate growth changes of facial features. Comparisons were made between genders in terms of the magnitude of growth changes from ages 12 to 15, 15 to 18, and 12 to 18 years. For the overall face, all linear measurements increased significantly (p < 0.05) except for height of the lower profile in females (p = 0.069) and width of the face in males (p = 0.648). In both genders, the increase in height of eye fissure was around 10% (p < 0.001). There was significant decrease in nasofrontal angle (p < 0.001) and increase in nasofacial angle (p < 0.001) in both genders and these changes were larger in males. Vermilion-total upper lip height index remained stable in females (p = 0.770) but increased in males (p = 0.020). Nasofrontal angle (effect size: 0.55) and lower vermilion contour index (effect size: 0.59) demonstrated large magnitude of gender difference in the amount of growth changes from 12 to 18 years. Conclusions Growth changes of facial features and gender differences in the magnitude of facial growth were determined. The findings may benefit different clinical specialties and other nonclinical fields where facial growth are of interest. PMID:29053713

Identifying gender-preferred communication styles within online cancer communities: a retrospective, longitudinal analysis.

PubMed

Durant, Kathleen T; McCray, Alexa T; Safran, Charles

2012-01-01

The goal of this research is to determine if different gender-preferred social styles can be observed within the user interactions at an online cancer community. To achieve this goal, we identify and measure variables that pertain to each gender-specific social style. We perform social network and statistical analysis on the communication flow of 8,388 members at six different cancer forums over eight years. Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted to measure the difference between the number of intimate (and highly intimate) dyads, relationship length, and number of communications. We determine that two patients are more likely to form an intimate bond on a gender-specific cancer forum (ovarian P = <0.0001, breast P = 0.0089, prostate P = 0.0021). Two female patients are more likely to form a highly intimate bond on a female-specific cancer forum (Ovarian P<0.0001, Breast P<0.01). Typically a male patient communicates with more members than a female patient (Ovarian forum P = 0.0406, Breast forum P = 0.0013). A relationship between two patients is longer on the gender-specific cancer forums than a connection between two members not identified as patients (ovarian forum P = 0.00406, breast forum P = 0.00013, prostate forum P = .0.0003). The high level of interconnectedness among the prostate patients supports the hypothesis that men prefer to socialize in large, interconnected, less-intimate groups. A female patient is more likely to form a highly intimate connection with another female patient; this finding is consistent with the hypothesis that woman prefer fewer, more intimate connections. The relationships of same-gender cancer patients last longer than other relationships; this finding demonstrates homophily within these online communities. Our findings regarding online communication preferences are in agreement with research findings from person-to-person communication preference studies. These findings should be considered when designing online communities as well as designing and evaluating psychosocial and educational interventions for cancer patients.

Sex- and gender-specific research priorities in cardiovascular resuscitation: proceedings from the 2014 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference Cardiovascular Resuscitation Research Workgroup.

PubMed

Wigginton, Jane G; Perman, Sarah M; Barr, Gavin C; McGregor, Alyson J; Miller, Andrew C; Napoli, Anthony M; Napoli, Anthony F; Safdar, Basmah; Weaver, Kevin R; Deutsch, Steven; Kayea, Tami; Becker, Lance

2014-12-01

Significant sex and gender differences in both physiology and psychology are readily acknowledged between men and women; however, data are lacking regarding differences in their responses to injury and treatment and in their ultimate recovery and survival. These variations remain particularly poorly defined within the field of cardiovascular resuscitation. A better understanding of the interaction between these important factors may soon allow us to dramatically improve outcomes in disease processes that currently carry a dismal prognosis, such as sudden cardiac arrest. As part of the 2014 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference "Gender-Specific Research in Emergency Medicine: Investigate, Understand, and Translate How Gender Affects Patient Outcomes," our group sought to identify key research questions and knowledge gaps pertaining to both sex and gender in cardiac resuscitation that could be answered in the near future to inform our understanding of these important issues. We combined a monthly teleconference meeting of interdisciplinary stakeholders from largely academic institutions with a focused interest in cardiovascular outcomes research, an extensive review of the existing literature, and an open breakout session discussion on the recommendations at the consensus conference to establish a prioritization of the knowledge gaps and relevant research questions in this area. We identified six priority research areas: 1) out-of-hospital cardiac arrest epidemiology and outcome, 2) customized resuscitation drugs, 3) treatment role for sex steroids, 4) targeted temperature management and hypothermia, 5) withdrawal of care after cardiac arrest, and 6) cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and implementation. We believe that exploring these key topics and identifying relevant questions may directly lead to improved understanding of sex- and gender-specific issues seen in cardiac resuscitation and ultimately improved patient outcomes. © 2014 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

[Gender: new methodological approaches in guideline development].

PubMed

Weinbrenner, Susanne; Lönnfors, Sanna; Babitsch, Birgit

2010-01-01

Gender and diversity have a strong impact on health and illness as evidenced by sex and gender differences in the onset and progression of diseases as well as in diagnosis, therapy, and therapeutic outcome. The number of sex/gender-specific studies in medicine has increased steadily in recent years, indicating sex (biological) and gender (social) differences in numerous diseases. Despite this evidence, however, sex/gender differences are rarely considered in medical practice or in health systems, suggesting a delay in transferring such research into evidence-based medical treatment. Similarly, quality improvement guidelines in medical care do not systematically integrate the sex/gender perspective. Against this backdrop, this paper seeks to enumerate the necessary components of a guideline development and evaluation process that systematically integrates sex/gender differences in addition to providing a sex/gender-based methodological approach. The latter is illustrated by a pilot study in which four international guidelines on depression were selected. The sex/gender appropriateness of these guidelines was analysed using two methods: first, sex/gender-relevant words were counted; and second, relevant sex/gender differences were summarised based on a systematic literature review and then compared with the information given in the guidelines. The findings of the pilot study revealed that although strong evidence exists on sex/gender differences in depression, such research was rarely implemented in the guidelines. Given the scope and potential of guidelines to improve the quality of health care, it is essential that they consider the crucial role of sex/gender differences. To date, sex/gender differences have been insufficiently addressed in guideline development and evaluation when they should be an integral component of the process. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Age and Gender Differences in the Social Patterning of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Switzerland: The CoLaus Study

PubMed Central

Stringhini, Silvia; Spencer, Brenda; Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Waeber, Gerard; Vollenweider, Peter; Paccaud, Fred; Bovet, Pascal

2012-01-01

Objectives We examined the social distribution of a comprehensive range of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in a Swiss population and assessed whether socioeconomic differences varied by age and gender. Methods Participants were 2960 men and 3343 women aged 35–75 years from a population-based survey conducted in Lausanne, Switzerland (CoLaus study). Educational level was the indicator of socioeconomic status used in this study. Analyses were stratified by gender and age group (35–54 years; 55–75 years). Results There were large educational differences in the prevalence of CVRF such as current smoking (Δ = absolute difference in prevalence between highest and lowest educational group:15.1%/12.6% in men/women aged 35–54 years), physical inactivity (Δ = 25.3%/22.7% in men/women aged 35–54 years), overweight and obesity (Δ = 14.6%/14.8% in men/women aged 55–75 years for obesity), hypertension (Δ = 16.7%/11.4% in men/women aged 55–75 years), dyslipidemia (Δ = 2.8%/6.2% in men/women aged 35–54 years for high LDL-cholesterol) and diabetes (Δ = 6.0%/2.6% in men/women aged 55–75 years). Educational inequalities in the distribution of CVRF were larger in women than in men for alcohol consumption, obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia (p<0.05). Relative educational inequalities in CVRF tended to be greater among the younger (35–54 years) than among the older age group (55–75 years), particularly for behavioral CVRF and abdominal obesity among men and for physiological CVRF among women (p<0.05). Conclusion Large absolute differences in the prevalence of CVRF according to education categories were observed in this Swiss population. The socioeconomic gradient in CVRF tended to be larger in women and in younger persons. PMID:23152909

A Complex Story: Universal Preference vs. Individual Differences Shaping Aesthetic Response to Fractals Patterns.

PubMed

Street, Nichola; Forsythe, Alexandra M; Reilly, Ronan; Taylor, Richard; Helmy, Mai S

2016-01-01

Fractal patterns offer one way to represent the rough complexity of the natural world. Whilst they dominate many of our visual experiences in nature, little large-scale perceptual research has been done to explore how we respond aesthetically to these patterns. Previous research (Taylor et al., 2011) suggests that the fractal patterns with mid-range fractal dimensions (FDs) have universal aesthetic appeal. Perceptual and aesthetic responses to visual complexity have been more varied with findings suggesting both linear (Forsythe et al., 2011) and curvilinear (Berlyne, 1970) relationships. Individual differences have been found to account for many of the differences we see in aesthetic responses but some, such as culture, have received little attention within the fractal and complexity research fields. This two-study article aims to test preference responses to FD and visual complexity, using a large cohort (N = 443) of participants from around the world to allow universality claims to be tested. It explores the extent to which age, culture and gender can predict our preferences for fractally complex patterns. Following exploratory analysis that found strong correlations between FD and visual complexity, a series of linear mixed-effect models were implemented to explore if each of the individual variables could predict preference. The first tested a linear complexity model (likelihood of selecting the more complex image from the pair of images) and the second a mid-range FD model (likelihood of selecting an image within mid-range). Results show that individual differences can reliably predict preferences for complexity across culture, gender and age. However, in fitting with current findings the mid-range models show greater consistency in preference not mediated by gender, age or culture. This article supports the established theory that the mid-range fractal patterns appear to be a universal construct underlying preference but also highlights the fragility of universal claims by demonstrating individual differences in preference for the interrelated concept of visual complexity. This highlights a current stalemate in the field of empirical aesthetics.

Transgender-inclusive measures of sex/gender for population surveys: Mixed-methods evaluation and recommendations.

PubMed

Bauer, Greta R; Braimoh, Jessica; Scheim, Ayden I; Dharma, Christoffer

2017-01-01

Given that an estimated 0.6% of the U.S. population is transgender (trans) and that large health disparities for this population have been documented, government and research organizations are increasingly expanding measures of sex/gender to be trans inclusive. Options suggested for trans community surveys, such as expansive check-all-that-apply gender identity lists and write-in options that offer maximum flexibility, are generally not appropriate for broad population surveys. These require limited questions and a small number of categories for analysis. Limited evaluation has been undertaken of trans-inclusive population survey measures for sex/gender, including those currently in use. Using an internet survey and follow-up of 311 participants, and cognitive interviews from a maximum-diversity sub-sample (n = 79), we conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of two existing measures: a two-step question developed in the United States and a multidimensional measure developed in Canada. We found very low levels of item missingness, and no indicators of confusion on the part of cisgender (non-trans) participants for both measures. However, a majority of interview participants indicated problems with each question item set. Agreement between the two measures in assessment of gender identity was very high (K = 0.9081), but gender identity was a poor proxy for other dimensions of sex or gender among trans participants. Issues to inform measure development or adaptation that emerged from analysis included dimensions of sex/gender measured, whether non-binary identities were trans, Indigenous and cultural identities, proxy reporting, temporality concerns, and the inability of a single item to provide a valid measure of sex/gender. Based on this evaluation, we recommend that population surveys meant for multi-purpose analysis consider a new Multidimensional Sex/Gender Measure for testing that includes three simple items (one asked only of a small sub-group) to assess gender identity and lived gender, with optional additions. We provide considerations for adaptation of this measure to different contexts.

Transgender-inclusive measures of sex/gender for population surveys: Mixed-methods evaluation and recommendations

PubMed Central

Bauer, Greta R.; Braimoh, Jessica; Scheim, Ayden I.; Dharma, Christoffer

2017-01-01

Given that an estimated 0.6% of the U.S. population is transgender (trans) and that large health disparities for this population have been documented, government and research organizations are increasingly expanding measures of sex/gender to be trans inclusive. Options suggested for trans community surveys, such as expansive check-all-that-apply gender identity lists and write-in options that offer maximum flexibility, are generally not appropriate for broad population surveys. These require limited questions and a small number of categories for analysis. Limited evaluation has been undertaken of trans-inclusive population survey measures for sex/gender, including those currently in use. Using an internet survey and follow-up of 311 participants, and cognitive interviews from a maximum-diversity sub-sample (n = 79), we conducted a mixed-methods evaluation of two existing measures: a two-step question developed in the United States and a multidimensional measure developed in Canada. We found very low levels of item missingness, and no indicators of confusion on the part of cisgender (non-trans) participants for both measures. However, a majority of interview participants indicated problems with each question item set. Agreement between the two measures in assessment of gender identity was very high (K = 0.9081), but gender identity was a poor proxy for other dimensions of sex or gender among trans participants. Issues to inform measure development or adaptation that emerged from analysis included dimensions of sex/gender measured, whether non-binary identities were trans, Indigenous and cultural identities, proxy reporting, temporality concerns, and the inability of a single item to provide a valid measure of sex/gender. Based on this evaluation, we recommend that population surveys meant for multi-purpose analysis consider a new Multidimensional Sex/Gender Measure for testing that includes three simple items (one asked only of a small sub-group) to assess gender identity and lived gender, with optional additions. We provide considerations for adaptation of this measure to different contexts. PMID:28542498

"Boy Crisis" or "Girl Risk"? The Gender Difference in Nonsuicidal Self-Injurious Behavior Among Middle-School Students in China and its Relationship to Gender Role Conflict and Violent Experiences.

PubMed

Yang, Xueyan; Xin, Moye

2018-03-01

We attempted to test if there were gender differences in nonsuicidal self-injurious (NSSI) behaviors among Chinese middle-school students, and analyze the impact of gender role conflict and violent experiences on these behaviors among middle-school students of different genders. Based on the survey data from seven middle schools in Xi'an region of China, the gender difference in NSSI behaviors and its associated factors were analyzed in this study. There was no significant gender difference in NSSI behaviors among middle-school students; however, female middle-school students were more likely to experience gender role conflicts while male students were more likely to experience all kinds of violence earlier. Gender role conflicts and violent experiences can explain the prevalence of NSSI behaviors by gender, to some extent. The hypothesis on gender patterns of "boy crisis" or "girl risk" on NSSI prevalence was not verified; however, a "girl risk" for gender role conflicts and a "boy crisis" in violent experiences were found. The gender role conflicts were significantly associated with NSSI prevalence among middle-school students to some extent; however, this relationship was adjusted by variables of violent experiences. The different variables of violent experiences were the important predictors of NSSI prevalence among male and female middle-school students with specific contents varying across genders.

Analytical Review of Contemporary Fatwas in Resolving Biomedical Issues Over Gender Ambiguity.

PubMed

Zabidi, Taqwa

2018-04-21

Issues of gender ambiguity have been discussed over time from both Islamic and medical perspectives. In Islam, these issues are typically considered in the context of khunūthah (literally translated as hermaphroditism). While biomedical studies have appeared to provide a large amount of information on abnormal human biological development, i.e. Disorders of Sex Development (DSDs). However, the connection between these two fields has been given little attention. This research aims to determine the Islamic underpinnings through the fatwa around the globe. Thus, institutional fatwa organisations among Sunni schools of thought at the international, regional and national levels are observed. The fatwas regarding the management of individuals with gender ambiguity, not specifically on DSDs, are chosen and presented accordingly. Based on the findings, the sporadic fatwas from different parts of the world delineate the issue of sex ambiguity and seem to be able to provide general guidelines for management of Muslim patients with DSDs. Three common aspects have been discussed including the methodology of gender assignment, the decision-making process and the surgical and hormonal treatments.

Associations among the parent-adolescent relationship, aggression and delinquency in different ethnic groups: a replication across two Dutch samples.

PubMed

Eichelsheim, Veroni I; Buist, Kirsten L; Deković, Maja; Wissink, Inge B; Frijns, Tom; van Lier, Pol A C; Koot, Hans M; Meeus, Wim H J

2010-03-01

The aim of the present study is to examine whether the patterns of association between the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship on the one hand, and aggression and delinquency on the other hand, are the same for boys and girls of Dutch and Moroccan origin living in the Netherlands. Since inconsistent results have been found previously, the present study tests the replicability of the model of associations in two different Dutch samples of adolescents. Study 1 included 288 adolescents (M age = 14.9, range 12-17 years) all attending lower secondary education. Study 2 included 306 adolescents (M age = 13.2, range = 12-15 years) who were part of a larger community sample with oversampling of at risk adolescents. Multigroup structural analyses showed that neither in Study 1 nor in Study 2 ethnic or gender differences were found in the patterns of associations between support, autonomy, disclosure, and negativity in the parent-adolescent relationship and aggression and delinquency. The patterns were largely similar for both studies. Mainly negative quality of the relationship in both studies was found to be strongly related to both aggression and delinquency. Results show that family processes that affect adolescent development, show a large degree of universality across gender and ethnicity.

Gender Inequality at Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobs, Jerry A., Ed.

These 14 papers address many dimensions of gender inequality at work. The empirical studies include examinations of original surveys, secondary analyses of large data sets, and historical reports assaying the significance of personal, family, and structural factors with regard to gender in the workplace. An introduction (Jacobs) sketches how sex…

Encouraging Gender Analysis in Research Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thien, Deborah

2009-01-01

Few resources for practical teaching or fieldwork exercises exist which address gender in geographical contexts. This paper adds to teaching and fieldwork resources by describing an experience with designing and implementing a "gender intervention" for a large-scale, multi-university, bilingual research project that brought together a group of…

Gender similarities and differences.

PubMed

Hyde, Janet Shibley

2014-01-01

Whether men and women are fundamentally different or similar has been debated for more than a century. This review summarizes major theories designed to explain gender differences: evolutionary theories, cognitive social learning theory, sociocultural theory, and expectancy-value theory. The gender similarities hypothesis raises the possibility of theorizing gender similarities. Statistical methods for the analysis of gender differences and similarities are reviewed, including effect sizes, meta-analysis, taxometric analysis, and equivalence testing. Then, relying mainly on evidence from meta-analyses, gender differences are reviewed in cognitive performance (e.g., math performance), personality and social behaviors (e.g., temperament, emotions, aggression, and leadership), and psychological well-being. The evidence on gender differences in variance is summarized. The final sections explore applications of intersectionality and directions for future research.

Factorial Validity and Invariance Assessment of a Short Version of the Recalled Childhood Gender Identity/Role Questionnaire.

PubMed

Veale, Jaimie F

2016-04-01

Recalled childhood gender role/identity is a construct that is related to sexual orientation, abuse, and psychological health. The purpose of this study was to assess the factorial validity of a short version of Zucker et al.'s (2006) "Recalled Childhood Gender Identity/Gender Role Questionnaire" using confirmatory factor analysis and to test the stability of the factor structure across groups (measurement invariance). Six items of the questionnaire were completed online by 1929 participants from a variety of gender identity and sexual orientation groups. Models of the six items loading onto one factor had poor fit for the data. Items were removed for having a large proportion of error variance. Among birth-assigned females, a five-item model had good fit for the data, but there was evidence for differences in scale's factor structure across gender identity, age, level of education, and country groups. Among birth-assigned males, the resulting four-item model did not account for all of the relationship between variables, and modeling for this resulted in a model that was almost saturated. This model also had evidence of measurement variance across gender identity and sexual orientation groups. The models had good reliability and factor score determinacy. These findings suggest that results of previous studies that have assessed recalled childhood gender role/identity may have been susceptible to construct bias due to measurement variance across these groups. Future studies should assess measurement invariance between groups they are comparing, and if it is not found the issue can be addressed by removing variant indicators and/or applying a partial invariance model.

An examination of the RCMAS-2 scores across gender, ethnic background, and age in a large Asian school sample.

PubMed

Ang, Rebecca P; Lowe, Patricia A; Yusof, Noradlin

2011-12-01

The present study investigated the factor structure, reliability, convergent and discriminant validity, and U.S. norms of the Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale, Second Edition (RCMAS-2; C. R. Reynolds & B. O. Richmond, 2008a) scores in a Singapore sample of 1,618 school-age children and adolescents. Although there were small statistically significant differences in the average RCMAS-2 T scores found across various demographic groupings, on the whole, the U.S. norms appear adequate for use in the Asian Singapore sample. Results from item bias analyses suggested that biased items detected had small effects and were counterbalanced across gender and ethnicity, and hence, their relative impact on test score variation appears to be minimal. Results of factor analyses on the RCMAS-2 scores supported the presence of a large general anxiety factor, the Total Anxiety factor, and the 5-factor structure found in U.S. samples was replicated. Both the large general anxiety factor and the 5-factor solution were invariant across gender and ethnic background. Internal consistency estimates ranged from adequate to good, and 2-week test-retest reliability estimates were comparable to previous studies. Evidence providing support for convergent and discriminant validity of the RCMAS-2 scores was also found. Taken together, findings provide additional cross-cultural evidence of the appropriateness and usefulness of the RCMAS-2 as a measure of anxiety in Asian Singaporean school-age children and adolescents.

Relevance of gender-sensitive policies and general health indicators to compare the status of South Asian women's health.

PubMed

Gill, Roopan; Stewart, Donna E

2011-01-01

despite goals for gender equity in South Asia, the relationship between gender-sensitive policies and the empowerment of women is complex and requires an analysis of how policies align with a broad set of social, cultural, political, and economic indicators that relate to women's health. through a review of four documents under the umbrella of the World Health Organization and the United Nations, a list of 17 gender-sensitive policy and 17 general health indicators was generated with a focus on health, education, economic, and political empowerment and violence against women. A series of policy documents and international and national databases that are accessible in the public domain were the major tools used to find supporting documentation to address women's health outcomes in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. all five South Asian countries had several gender-sensitive policies that were measurable by indicators that contribute to health. Examination of political and economic status, birth sex ratios, human trafficking, illiteracy rates, maternal mortality rates, contraception prevalence, fertility rates, knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention, access to skilled birth attendants, and microfinance show that large gender inequities still prevail despite the presence of gender-sensitive policies. in many cases, the presence of gender-sensitive policies did not reflect the realization of gender equity over a wide range of indicators. Although the economic, political, social, and cultural climates of the five countries may differ, the integration of women's needs into the formulation, implementation, and monitoring of policies is a universal necessity to achieve positive outcomes. 2011 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Gender differences in emotion expression in children: a meta-analytic review.

PubMed

Chaplin, Tara M; Aldao, Amelia

2013-07-01

Emotion expression is an important feature of healthy child development that has been found to show gender differences. However, there has been no empirical review of the literature on gender and facial, vocal, and behavioral expressions of different types of emotions in children. The present study constitutes a comprehensive meta-analytic review of gender differences and moderators of differences in emotion expression from infancy through adolescence. We analyzed 555 effect sizes from 166 studies with a total of 21,709 participants. Significant but very small gender differences were found overall, with girls showing more positive emotions (g = -.08) and internalizing emotions (e.g., sadness, anxiety, sympathy; g = -.10) than boys, and boys showing more externalizing emotions (e.g., anger; g = .09) than girls. Notably, gender differences were moderated by age, interpersonal context, and task valence, underscoring the importance of contextual factors in gender differences. Gender differences in positive emotions were more pronounced with increasing age, with girls showing more positive emotions than boys in middle childhood (g = -.20) and adolescence (g = -.28). Boys showed more externalizing emotions than girls at toddler/preschool age (g = .17) and middle childhood (g = .13) and fewer externalizing emotions than girls in adolescence (g = -.27). Gender differences were less pronounced with parents and were more pronounced with unfamiliar adults (for positive emotions) and with peers/when alone (for externalizing emotions). Our findings of gender differences in emotion expression in specific contexts have important implications for gender differences in children's healthy and maladaptive development. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

Gender Differences in Emotion Expression in Children: A Meta-Analytic Review

PubMed Central

Chaplin, Tara M.; Aldao, Amelia

2012-01-01

Emotion expression is an important feature of healthy child development that has been found to show gender differences. However, there has been no empirical review of the literature on gender and facial, vocal, and behavioral expressions of different types of emotions in children. The present study constitutes a comprehensive meta-analytic review of gender differences, and moderators of differences, in emotion expression from infancy through adolescence. We analyzed 555 effect sizes from 166 studies with a total of 21,709 participants. Significant, but very small, gender differences were found overall, with girls showing more positive emotions (g = −.08) and internalizing emotions (e.g., sadness, anxiety, sympathy; g = −.10) than boys, and boys showing more externalizing emotions (e.g., anger; g = .09) than girls. Notably, gender differences were moderated by age, interpersonal context, and task valence, underscoring the importance of contextual factors in gender differences. Gender differences in positive emotions were more pronounced with increasing age, with girls showing more positive emotions than boys in middle childhood (g = −.20) and adolescence (g = −.28). Boys showed more externalizing emotions than girls at toddler/preschool age (g = .17) and middle childhood (g = .13) and fewer externalizing emotions than girls in adolescence (g = −.27). Gender differences were less pronounced with parents and were more pronounced with unfamiliar adults (for positive emotions) and with peers/when alone (for externalizing emotions). Our findings of gender differences in emotion expression in specific contexts have important implications for gender differences in children’s healthy and maladaptive development. PMID:23231534

Gender Differences of Popular Music Production in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramo, Joseph Michael

2011-01-01

In this case study, the author investigated how students' gender affected their participation in a secondary popular music class in which participants wrote and performed original music. Three same-gendered rock groups and two mixed-gendered rock groups were observed. Would students of different genders rehearse and compose differently? How would…

Gender-related academic and occupational interests and goals.

PubMed

Petersen, Jennifer; Hyde, Janet Shibley

2014-01-01

This chapter reviews the theories and empirical evidence concerning whether gender differences in academic and occupational goals and interests exist, and if so, why those differences may be present. Expectancy-value theory, stereotype threat, sociocultural theory, and the gender similarities hypothesis lay the theoretical framework for this chapter. Following a brief review of these theories, we describe the evidence for gender differences in academic ability and occupational interests and goals, using meta-analytic reviews wherever possible. Although there are few gender differences in academic ability, some gender differences in occupational goals and interests persist, particularly in science and mathematics. These gender differences may be due to parental or cultural expectations, changes in developmental trends, stereotypes and discrimination, or gendered-expectations to achieve work-family balance. Overall, the pathways to adult occupations are complex, involving many factors that affect occupational goals, interests, and self-concept.

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.

Social comparison, self-stereotyping, and gender differences in self-construals.

PubMed

Guimond, Serge; Chatard, Armand; Martinot, Delphine; Crisp, Richard J; Redersdorff, Sandrine

2006-02-01

Four studies examined gender differences in self-construals and the role of social comparison in generating these differences. Consistent with previous research, Study 1 (N=461) showed that women define themselves as higher in relational interdependence than men, and men define themselves as higher in independence/agency than women. Study 2 (N=301) showed that within-gender social comparison decreases gender differences in self-construals relative to a control condition, whereas between-genders comparison increases gender differences on both relational interdependence and independence/agency. Studies 3 (N=169) and 4 (N=278) confirmed these findings and showed that changing self-construal changes gender differences in social dominance orientation. Across the 4 studies, strong evidence for the role of in-group stereotyping as mediator of the effect of gender on self-construal was observed on the relational dimension but not on the agentic dimension. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

Gender differences in match performance characteristics of soccer players competing in the UEFA Champions League.

PubMed

Bradley, Paul S; Dellal, Alexandre; Mohr, Magni; Castellano, Julen; Wilkie, Anna

2014-02-01

The aim of this study was to examine gender differences in match performance characteristics of elite soccer players. Fifty-four male and fifty-nine female soccer players were tracked during UEFA Champions League matches using a multi-camera system (Amisco, Nice, France). Male players covered more (P<.01) distance than female players in total during a match (Effect Size [ES]: 0.5) and at higher speed thresholds (>15, >18, 18-21, 21-23, 23-25 and >27kmh(-1); ES: 0.7-1.4). Decrements in the second versus first half (P<.01) were only evident in female players for the distance covered in total and at selected speed thresholds (12-15, >12 and >15kmh(-1); ES: 0.6). Male central midfielders covered more (P<.01) total distance during a match than female central midfielders and at selected speed thresholds (15-23kmh(-1); ES: 1.3-2.2). Male full-backs and wide midfielders covered a greater distance (P<.01) than female players in the same positions at higher speed thresholds (>15, 21-23, 23-25, 25-27 and >27kmh(-1); ES: 1.5-3.1). The distance covered during the most intense 5min period of the match (>15kmh(-1)) was higher (P<.01) in male compared to female players (ES: 1.0) but no distance deficit in the next versus the average 5min period was observed for either gender (ES: 0.1-0.2). No gender differences were found for technical events such as the number of ball touches, time in possession of the ball or total duels won during both halves and the entire match (ES: 0.1-0.3). However, female players lost the ball more often (P<.05) and displayed lower pass completion rates than male players during both halves and the entire match (ES: 0.5-0.9). The data demonstrate that large gender differences exist for match performance characteristics of players competing at the highest competitive standard of European soccer. Such detailed analyses could be useful for gender-specific training information for optimal preparation. However, more research is warranted to establish gender-specific speed thresholds for elite soccer players. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in trusting strangers: Role of the target's gender.

PubMed

Zhao, Na; Zhang, Jianxin

2016-06-01

Previous findings on gender differences in the behaviors of individuals, including trusting behaviors, are inconsistent. A criticism is that these studies neglect contextual factors. The present study aims to examine how the target's gender, as a primary context factor, influences the trusting behavior of individuals in one survey and two experimental situations. Results indicate that people tend to trust strangers of the opposite gender more than those of the same gender in mixed-gender situations. Furthermore, females trust females much more than males trust males. The results help people understand that when talking about gender differences in interpersonal situations, the gender identity of target persons should be considered. These findings are somewhat in conflict with those of previous studies conducted in Western cultures, and suggest that culture should also be explored in future studies on gender differences in interpersonal relationships. © 2016 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Gender-related Differences in Food Craving and Obesity

PubMed Central

Hallam, Jessica; Boswell, Rebecca G.; DeVito, Elise E.; Kober, Hedy

2016-01-01

Food craving is often defined as a strong desire to eat. Much work has shown that it consistently and prospectively predicts eating and weight-related outcomes, contributing to the growing obesity epidemic. Although there are clear gender differences in the prevalence and health consequences of obesity, relatively little recent work has investigated gender differences in craving, or any sex-hormone-based differences as they relate to phases of the menstrual cycle. Here, we propose that gender-related differences in food craving contribute to gender-related differences in obesity. Drawing on findings in the addiction literature, we highlight ways to incorporate gender-based differences in food craving into treatment approaches, potentially improving the efficacy of obesity and weight loss treatment. Overall, this review aims to emphasize the importance of investigating gender differences in food craving, with a view towards informing the development of more effective treatments for obesity and weight loss. PMID:27354843

Characterization of the anisotropic mechanical behavior of human abdominal wall connective tissues.

PubMed

Astruc, Laure; De Meulaere, Maurice; Witz, Jean-François; Nováček, Vit; Turquier, Frédéric; Hoc, Thierry; Brieu, Mathias

2018-06-01

Abdominal wall sheathing tissues are commonly involved in hernia formation. However, there is very limited work studying mechanics of all tissues from the same donor which prevents a complete understanding of the abdominal wall behavior and the differences in these tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between the mechanical properties of the linea alba and the anterior and posterior rectus sheaths from a macroscopic point of view. Eight full-thickness human anterior abdominal walls of both genders were collected and longitudinal and transverse samples were harvested from the three sheathing connective tissues. The total of 398 uniaxial tensile tests was conducted and the mechanical characteristics of the behavior (tangent rigidities for small and large deformations) were determined. Statistical comparisons highlighted heterogeneity and non-linearity in behavior of the three tissues under both small and large deformations. High anisotropy was observed under small and large deformations with higher stress in the transverse direction. Variabilities in the mechanical properties of the linea alba according to the gender and location were also identified. Finally, data dispersion correlated with microstructure revealed that macroscopic characterization is not sufficient to fully describe behavior. Microstructure consideration is needed. These results provide a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of the abdominal wall sheathing tissues as well as the directions for microstructure-based constitutive model. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitudes of College Students toward Contraceptives: A Consideration of Gender Differences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lance, Larry M.

2004-01-01

There exists a "contraceptive gap" among young people. That is, while a large majority of young males and females become sexually active, there is a time lapse between the onset of sexual activity and the use of contraceptives. As a result of this lack of sexual responsibility, there are over 1,000,000 teenage pregnancies each year in the American…

Self Estimates of General, Crystallized, and Fluid Intelligences in an Ethnically Diverse Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, James C.

2012-01-01

Self-estimated intelligence is a quick way to assess people's conceptions of their own abilities. Furnham (2001) and colleagues have used this technique to make comparisons across culture and gender and different approaches to intelligence (such as "g" or Multiple Intelligences). This study seeks to build on past work in two ways. First, a large,…