Evaluations of family by youth: do they vary as a function of family structure, gender, and birth order?

PubMed

Parish, T S

1990-01-01

In the present study, 334 youths evaluated their families by responding to the Personal Attribute Inventory for Children. An analysis of variance revealed no significant main effects due to respondents' birth order or gender, but did find a significant main effect due to family structure and a significant two-way interaction effect between respondents' family structure and gender. Specifically, males from divorced remarried families and females from divorced nonremarried families were found to evaluate their respective families significantly more negatively than did their counterparts from other familial configurations. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Effect of gender on communication of health information to older adults.

PubMed

Dearborn, Jennifer L; Panzer, Victoria P; Burleson, Joseph A; Hornung, Frederick E; Waite, Harrison; Into, Frances H

2006-04-01

To examine the effect of gender on three key elements of communication with elderly individuals: effectiveness of the communication, perceived relevance to the individual, and effect of gender-stereotyped content. Survey. University of Connecticut Health Center. Thirty-three subjects (17 female); aged 69 to 91 (mean+/-standard deviation 82+/-5.4). Older adults listened to 16 brief narratives randomized in order and by the sex of the speaker (Narrator Voice). Effectiveness was measured according to ability to identify key features (Risks), and subjects were asked to rate the relevance (Plausibility). Number of Risks detected and determinations of plausibility were analyzed according to Subject Gender and Narrator Voice. Narratives were written for either sex or included male or female bias (Neutral or Stereotyped). Female subjects identified a significantly higher number of Risks across all narratives (P=.01). Subjects perceived a significantly higher number of Risks with a female Narrator Voice (P=.03). A significant Voice-by-Stereotype interaction was present for female-stereotyped narratives (P=.009). In narratives rated as Plausible, subjects detected more Risks (P=.02). Subject Gender influenced communication effectiveness. A female speaker resulted in identification of more Risks for subjects of both sexes, particularly for Stereotyped narratives. There was no significant effect of matching Subject Gender and Narrator Voice. This study suggests that the sex of the speaker influences the effectiveness of communication with older adults. These findings should motivate future research into the means by which medical providers can improve communication with their patients.

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 Roles, Externalizing Behaviors, and Substance Use Among Mexican-American Adolescents

PubMed Central

KULIS, STEPHEN; MARSIGLIA, FLAVIO F.; NAGOSHI, JULIE L.

2010-01-01

A sample of 60 male and 91 female Mexican-American adolescents (age 13–18) were administered measures of positive (i.e., assertive masculinity, affective femininity) and negative (i.e., aggressive masculinity, submissive femininity) gender roles, internalizing and externalizing problem behaviors, peer substance use, and own substance use (alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana). Negative gender roles were significantly correlated with internalizing and externalizing problems for both boys and girls, with aggressive masculinity also predicting peer substance use for both genders. Assertive masculinity significantly predicted lower alcohol use in boys, and this effect was not mediated by internalizing problems, externalizing problems, or peer substance use. Negative gender roles significantly predicted higher alcohol use in girls, but this effect was almost completely mediated by internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and peer substance use. Results are discussed in terms of gender role socialization among Mexican Americans. PMID:21031145

The influence of anthropometric, kinematic and energetic variables and gender on swimming performance in youth athletes.

PubMed

Morais, Jorge E; Garrido, Nuno D; Marques, Mário C; Silva, António J; Marinho, Daniel A; Barbosa, Tiago M

2013-12-18

(i) gender; (ii) performance and; (iii) gender versus performance interactions in young swimmers' anthropometric, kinematic and energetic variables. One hundred and thirty six young swimmers (62 boys: 12.76 ± 0.72 years old at Tanner stages 1-2 by self-evaluation; and 64 girls: 11.89 ± 0.93 years old at Tanner stages 1-2 by self-evaluation) were evaluated. Performance, anthropometrics, kinematics and energetic variables were selected. There was a non-significant gender effect on performance, body mass, height, arm span, trunk transverse surface area, stroke length, speed fluctuation, swimming velocity, propulsive efficiency, stroke index and critical velocity. A significant gender effect was found for foot surface area, hand surface area and stroke frequency. A significant sports level effect was verified for all variables, except for stroke frequency, speed fluctuation and propulsive efficiency. Overall, swimmers in quartile 1 (the ones with highest sports level) had higher anthropometric dimensions, better stroke mechanics and energetics. These traits decrease consistently throughout following quartiles up to the fourth one (i.e. swimmers with the lowest sports level). There was a non-significant interaction between gender and sports level for all variables. Our main conclusions were as follows: (i) there are non-significant differences in performance, anthropometrics, kinematics and energetics between boys and girls; (ii) swimmers with best performance are taller, have higher surface areas and better stroke mechanics; (iii) there are non-significant interactions between sports level and gender for anthropometrics, kinematics and energetics.

The Effect of Children's Gender and Parental Education on Toddler Language Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umek, Ljubica Marjanovic; Fekonja, Urska; Kranjc, Simona; Bajc, Katja

2008-01-01

Several studies have demonstrated that children's gender and parental education exert a significant, but not equal, effect on toddler language development at different ages. This study determined the effect of children's gender and parental education on the verbal competence of toddlers between 16 and 30 months. The sample included 953 Slovenian…

Differential effects of grammatical gender and gender inflection in bare noun production.

PubMed

Paolieri, Daniela; Lotto, Lorella; Leoncini, Debora; Cubelli, Roberto; Job, Remo

2011-02-01

In a new series of experiments with the picture-word interference paradigm, we replicated the grammatical gender interference effect in bare noun production in Italian: naming times are slower to picture-word noun pairs sharing the same gender. This effect is independent from the morphological transparency for gender, but responses are significantly slower when the distracters are transparent for gender. Overall, the pattern of results supports the assumption that in bare noun production grammatical gender is always selected, at least in languages like Italian. We assume that the differential effects of the nominal endings are due to the mechanisms involved in the recognition of grammatical gender of the distracter nouns which are sensitive to the morphological transparency for gender: lexical representation of transparent written words leads to a higher level of activation, thus resulting in stronger gender interference. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Physical activity levels and patterns of 11-14 year-old Turkish adolescents.

PubMed

Kin-Isler, Ayse; Asci, F Hulya; Altintas, Atakan; Guven-Karahan, Bengu

2009-01-01

This study examined age and gender differences in physical activity levels and various physical activity patterns of 11-14-year-old Turkish adolescents and also determined if these differ between genders. Six hundred and fifty girls and 666 boys between the ages of 11 and 14 years constituted the sample of this study. Participants self-reported physical activity levels and patterns were determined by a Weekly Activity Checklist. A 2 x 4 (Gender x Age) MANOVA revealed overall significant main effect of gender and age on the physical activity level of adolescents; however, gender x age interaction effect was not significant. The findings indicated an interaction effect was not significant. The findings indicated an age-related decline in physical activity level, an increase in participation in low activities, and a decrease in participation in moderate and vigorous activities in 11-14-year-old Turkish adolescents. In addition it was found that boys were more active than girls and participated more in moderate and vigorous activities.

Gender differences in highway driving performance after administration of sleep medication: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Verster, Joris C; Roth, Thomas

2012-01-01

It is generally assumed that there are minimal gender differences in the safety and efficacy of central nervous system drugs, as is evidenced by men and women receiving the same drug dosage. There is, however, evidence that drugs may have a differential effect on performance in men and women, given reported differences in pharmacokinetics as well as the presence or absence and severity of adverse effects. It is especially important to verify whether gender differences in performance exist in case of activities that have potentially dangerous outcomes such as driving a car. This review summarizes the current scientific evidence on gender differences in driving performance after treatment with hypnotic drugs. A literature search was conducted to obtain all studies that conducted on-road driving tests to examine the effects hypnotic drugs on driving. Cross-references were checked and technical reports and raw data were obtained, if possible. Fourteen studies were evaluated. Many studies did not allow analyses of gender effects because only women were included. Others did not report data on gender analyses. Technical reports and additional data analyses revealed significant gender differences in driving performance the morning following bedtime administration of flurazepam (30 mg) and after middle-of-the-night administration of zolpidem (10 mg). No significant gender differences were found for ramelteon (8 mg), lormetazepam (1 and 2 mg), zaleplon (10 and 20 mg), and zopiclone (7.5 mg). Although the available data are limited, the results show that significant gender differences have been found for some drugs but not others. Therefore, in the future more research is needed to reveal potential gender differences and to determine what mediates them.

Routine Activities and Victimization at School: The Significance of Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Popp, Ann Marie; Peguero, Anthony A.

2011-01-01

Routine activities theory has not fully considered the role of gender in shaping victimization and yet, the research literature clearly demonstrates that gender is associated with an individual's risk of victimization. In addition to the pervasive effect of gender on victimization, gender shapes an individual's daily routines and thus may create a…

Correlations among Brain Gray Matter Volumes, Age, Gender, and Hemisphere in Healthy Individuals

PubMed Central

Taki, Yasuyuki; Thyreau, Benjamin; Kinomura, Shigeo; Sato, Kazunori; Goto, Ryoi; Kawashima, Ryuta; Fukuda, Hiroshi

2011-01-01

To determine the relationship between age and gray matter structure and how interactions between gender and hemisphere impact this relationship, we examined correlations between global or regional gray matter volume and age, including interactions of gender and hemisphere, using a general linear model with voxel-based and region-of-interest analyses. Brain magnetic resonance images were collected from 1460 healthy individuals aged 20–69 years; the images were linearly normalized and segmented and restored to native space for analysis of global gray matter volume. Linearly normalized images were then non-linearly normalized and smoothed for analysis of regional gray matter volume. Analysis of global gray matter volume revealed a significant negative correlation between gray matter ratio (gray matter volume divided by intracranial volume) and age in both genders, and a significant interaction effect of age × gender on the gray matter ratio. In analyzing regional gray matter volume, the gray matter volume of all regions showed significant main effects of age, and most regions, with the exception of several including the inferior parietal lobule, showed a significant age × gender interaction. Additionally, the inferior temporal gyrus showed a significant age × gender × hemisphere interaction. No regional volumes showed significant age × hemisphere interactions. Our study may contribute to clarifying the mechanism(s) of normal brain aging in each brain region. PMID:21818377

Integrating Gender and Group Differences into Bridging Strategy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yılmaz, Serkan; Eryılmaz, Ali

2010-08-01

The main goal of this study was to integrate gender and group effect into bridging strategy in order to assess the effect of bridging analogy-based instruction on sophomore students' misconceptions in Newton's Third Law. Specifically, the authors developed and benefited from anchoring analogy diagnostic test to merge the effect of group and gender into the strategy. Newton's third law misconception test, attitude scale toward Newton's third law, and classroom observation checklists were the other measuring tools utilized throughout this quasi-experimental study. The researchers also developed or used several teaching/learning materials such as gender and group splitted concept diagrams, lesson plans, gender splitted frequency tables, make sense scales, PowerPoint slides, flash cards, and demonstrations. The convenience sample of the study chosen from the accessible population involved 308 students from two public universities. The results of multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that the bridging strategy had a significant effect on students' misconceptions in Newton's third law whereas it had no significant effect on students' attitudes toward Newton's third law.

The effects of gender, flow and video game experience on combat identification training.

PubMed

Plummer, John Paul; Schuster, David; Keebler, Joseph R

2017-08-01

The present study examined the effects of gender, video game experience (VGE), and flow state on multiple indices of combat identification (CID) performance. Individuals were trained on six combat vehicles in a simulation, presented through either a stereoscopic or non-stereoscopic display. Participants then reported flow state, VGE and were tested on their ability to discriminate friend vs. foe and identify both pictures and videos of the trained vehicles. The effect of stereoscopy was not significant. There was an effect of gender across three dependent measures. For the two picture-based measures, the effect of gender was mediated by VGE. Additionally, the effect of gender was moderated by flow state on the identification measures. Overall, the study suggests that gender differences may be overcome by VGE and by achieving flow state. Selection based on these individual differences may be useful for future military simulation. Practitioner Summary: This work investigates the effect of gender, VGE and flow state on CID performance. For three measures of performance, there was a main effect of gender. Gender was mediated by previous VGE on two measures, and gender was moderated by flow state on two measures.

The relationship of self-concept and perceived athletic competence to physical activity level and gender among Turkish early adolescents.

PubMed

Aşçi, F H; Koşar, S N; Işler, A K

2001-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the self-concept and perceived athletic competence of Turkish early adolescents in relation to physical activity level and gender. Self-concept was assessed using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, and perceived athletic competence was assessed by means of the Athletic Competence subscale of Harter's Self-Perception Profile for Children. In addition, the Weekly Activity Checklist was used for assessing physical activity level. Males and females were assigned to low and high physical activity level groups based on their mean scores. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant main effects for gender and physical activity level, but there was no significant gender by physical activity interaction. Univariate analysis demonstrated a significant main effect for physical activity level on perceived athletic competence but not global self-concept. In addition, univariate analysis did not reveal a significant difference in either global self-concept or perceived athletic competence with respect to gender.

Measuring the health effects of gender.

PubMed

Phillips, S P

2008-04-01

The health effects of gender are mediated via group-level constraints of sex roles and norms, discrimination and marginalisation of individuals, and internalisation of the stresses of role discordance. Although gender is frequently a lens through which data are interpreted there are few composite measures that insert gender as an independent variable into research design. Instead, sex disaggregation of data is often conflated with gender, identifying statistically significant but sometimes clinically insignificant sex differences. To directly assess the impact of gender on wellbeing requires development of group and individual-level derived variables. At the ecological level such a summative variable could be composed of a selection of group-level measures of equality between sexes. This gender index could be used in ecological and individual-level studies of health outcomes. A quantitative indicator of gender role acceptance and of the personal effects of gender inequities could insert the often hidden variable of gender into individual-level clinical research.

Birth order and sibling sex ratio of children and adolescents referred to a gender identity service.

PubMed

Vanderlaan, Doug P; Blanchard, Ray; Wood, Hayley; Zucker, Kenneth J

2014-01-01

In adult male samples, homosexuality is associated with a preponderance of older brothers (i.e., the fraternal birth order effect). In several studies comparing gender dysphoric youth, who are likely to be homosexual in adulthood, to clinical or non-clinical control groups, the findings have been consistent with the fraternal birth order effect in males; however, less is known about unique sibship characteristics of gender dysphoric females. The current study investigated birth order and sibling sex ratio in a large sample of children and adolescents referred to the same Gender Identity Service (N = 768). Probands were classified as heterosexual males, homosexual males, or homosexual females based on clinical diagnostic information. Groups differed significantly in age and sibship size, and homosexual females were significantly more likely to be only children. Subsequent analyses controlled for age and for sibship size. Compared to heterosexual males, homosexual males had a significant preponderance of older brothers and homosexual females had a significant preponderance of older sisters. Similarly, the older sibling sex ratio of homosexual males showed a significant excess of brothers whereas that of homosexual females showed a significant excess of sisters. Like previous studies of gender dysphoric youth and adults, these findings were consistent with the fraternal birth order effect. In addition, the greater frequency of only children and elevated numbers of older sisters among the homosexual female group adds to a small literature on sibship characteristics of potential relevance to the development of gender identity and sexual orientation in females.

Role of Gender, Sex Role Identity, and Type A Behavior in Anger Expression and Mental Health Functioning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kopper, Beverly A.

1993-01-01

Investigated relationship of gender, sex role identity, Type A behavior to multiple dimensions of anger expression and mental health functioning among 407 female and 222 male college students. Found significant multivariate effects for sex role and behavior pattern type for anger expression. Significant gender differences were not observed.…

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

PubMed

DeWees, Mari A; Parker, Karen F

2003-02-01

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

The effects of gender and music video imagery on sexual attitudes.

PubMed

Kalof, L

1999-06-01

This study examined the influence of gender and exposure to gender-stereo-typed music video imagery on sexual attitudes (adversarial sexual beliefs, acceptance of rape myths, acceptance of interpersonal violence, and gender role stereotyping). A group of 44 U.S. college students were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups that viewed either a video portraying stereotyped sexual imagery or a video that excluded all sexual images. Exposure to traditional sexual imagery had a significant main effect on attitudes about adversarial sexual relationships, and gender had main effects on 3 of 4 sexual attitudes. There was some evidence of an interaction between gender and exposure to traditional sexual imagery on the acceptance of interpersonal violence.

Elementary Student Perspectives on Single-Gender Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tichenor, Mercedes; Tichenor, John; Piechura, Kathy; Heins, Elizabeth; MacIssac, Doug

2015-01-01

Interest in single-gender education has grown significantly since the U.S. Department of Education published regulations for the practice in 2006. Although research provides mixed results on the academic effectiveness of single-gender programs, many districts around the country are providing single-gender classes as a parent choice option under…

Gender Roles and Substance Use Among Mexican American Adolescents: A Relationship Moderated by Acculturation?

PubMed Central

Kulis, Stephen; Marsiglia, Flavio Francisco; Nagoshi, Julie L.

2012-01-01

This research assesses the effects of adaptive/maladaptive gender roles and acculturation in predicting substance use in a 2007 sample of 1466 Mexican American seventh-grade adolescents from Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Multiple regression analyses found significant effects for both adaptive and maladaptive gender roles, as well as several gender-specific interactions between gender roles and linguistic acculturation that predicted substance use. Limitations of the research are noted, as well as implications for understanding the impact of acculturation on how gender roles differentially affect substance use in Mexican American boys versus girls. PMID:22136419

The relation of LD and gender with emotional intelligence in college students.

PubMed

Reiff, H B; Hatzes, N M; Bramel, M H; Gibbon, T

2001-01-01

This study examined the relation of learning disabilities (LD) and gender with emotional intelligence in 128 college students. Fifty-four students with LD (32 men and 22 women) and 74 without LD (34 men and 40 women) attending two colleges and one university participated in the study. Emotional intelligence was assessed using the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i; BarOn,1997), a self-report instrument designed to measure interpersonal and intrapersonal skills, stress management, adaptability, and general mood. A 2-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed to examine the main effects of LD and gender and the interaction of the two main effects on the five composites of the EQ-i. Students with LD had fewer credits and lower scholastic aptitude test (SAT) scores, high school grade point averages (GPAs), and college GPAs than students without LD; women students were older and had higher college GPAs than men students. Results of the MANOVA indicated significant main effects of both LD and gender; no significant interaction occurred. Post hoc univariate analyses of the five composites revealed significant differences between students with LD and students without LD on stress management and adaptability, significant differences between men and women students on interpersonal skills, and significant differences of the interaction of LD and gender on interpersonal skills.

Gender and Race Variations in the Intersection of Religious Involvement, Early Trauma, and Adult Health.

PubMed

Reinert, Katia G; Campbell, Jacquelyn C; Bandeen-Roche, Karen; Sharps, Phyllis; Lee, Jerry

2015-07-01

This study aimed to determine gender and race variations in regards to the influence of religious involvement (RI) as a moderator of the effects of early traumatic stress (ETS) on health-related quality of life among adult survivors of child abuse. A cross-sectional predictive design was used to study Seventh-day Adventist adults in North America (N = 10,283). A secondary analysis of data collected via questionnaires was done using multiple regression. Data revealed that women had a significantly higher prevalence of any or all ETS subtypes, except for physical abuse prevalence, which was the same for both genders. Blacks reported a significantly higher prevalence of at least one ETS subtype than did Whites, except for neglect, where Whites had a higher prevalence. Exposure to at least one ETS subtype was associated with worse negative effect on mental health (B = -2.08, p < .0001 vs. B = -1.54, p < .0001) and physical health (B = -2.01, p < .0001 vs. B = -1.11, p < .0001) for women compared to men. Among those exposed to all ETS subtypes (n = 447), Whites had significant worse physical health, with White women having almost two times the negative effect on physical health (B = -4.50, p < .0001) than White men (B = -2.87, p < .05). As for RI moderation, based on tests of three-way interactions of race-RI-ETS, there were no associated differences. However, tests of three-way interactions of gender-RI-ETS showed a significant buffering effect. Among those with high levels of negative religious coping (RC), women exposed to ETS had significantly worse physical health (B = -1.28) than men. Results give evidence of gender and racial differences on the magnitude of the ETS-health effect, as well as gender differences in ETS-health buffering by RC. Findings suggest gender and racial differences must be considered when devising holistic nursing interventions for improving health outcomes of early trauma survivors. © 2015 Sigma Theta Tau International.

EFFECTS OF TALKER GENDER ON DIALECT CATEGORIZATION

PubMed Central

CLOPPER, CYNTHIA G.; CONREY, BRIANNA; PISONI, DAVID B.

2011-01-01

The identification of the gender of an unfamiliar talker is an easy and automatic process for naïve adult listeners. Sociolinguistic research has consistently revealed gender differences in the production of linguistic variables. Research on the perception of dialect variation, however, has been limited almost exclusively to male talkers. In the present study, naïve participants were asked to categorize unfamiliar talkers by dialect using sentence-length utterances under three presentation conditions: male talkers only, female talkers only, and a mixed gender condition. The results revealed no significant differences in categorization performance across the three presentation conditions. However, a clustering analysis of the listeners’ categorization errors revealed significant effects of talker gender on the underlying perceptual similarity spaces. The present findings suggest that naïve listeners are sensitive to gender differences in speech production and are able to use those differences to reliably categorize unfamiliar male and female talkers by dialect. PMID:21423866

The facing bias in biological motion perception: Effects of stimulus gender and observer sex.

PubMed

Schouten, Ben; Troje, Nikolaus F; Brooks, Anna; van der Zwan, Rick; Verfaillie, Karl

2010-07-01

Under orthographic projection, biological motion point-light walkers offer no cues to the order of the dots in depth: Views from the front and from the back result in the very same stimulus. Yet observers show a bias toward seeing a walker facing the viewer (Vanrie, Dekeyser, & Verfaillie, 2004). Recently, we reported that this facing bias strongly depends on the gender of the walker (Brooks et al., 2008). The goal of the present study was, first, to examine the robustness of the effect by testing a much larger subject sample and, second, to investigate whether the effect depends on observer sex. Despite the fact that we found a significant effect of figure gender, we clearly failed to replicate the strong effect observed in the original study. We did, however, observe a significant interaction between figure gender and observer sex.

Standardized patient assessment of medical student empathy: ethnicity and gender effects in a multi-institutional study.

PubMed

Berg, Katherine; Blatt, Benjamin; Lopreiato, Joseph; Jung, Julianna; Schaeffer, Arielle; Heil, Daniel; Owens, Tamara; Carter-Nolan, Pamela L; Berg, Dale; Veloski, Jon; Darby, Elizabeth; Hojat, Mohammadreza

2015-01-01

To examine, primarily, the effects of ethnicity and gender, which could introduce bias into scoring, on standardized patient (SP) assessments of medical students and, secondarily, to examine medical students' self-reported empathy for ethnicity and gender effects so as to compare self-perception with the perceptions of SPs. Participants were 577 students from four medical schools in 2012: 373 (65%) were white, 79 (14%) black/African American, and 125 (22%) Asian/Pacific Islander. These students were assessed by 84 SPs: 62 (74%) were white and 22 (26%) were black/African American. SPs completed the Jefferson Scale of Patient Perceptions of Physician Empathy (JSPPPE) and the Global Ratings of Empathy tool. Students completed the Jefferson Scale of Empathy and two Interpersonal Reactivity Index subscales. The investigators used 2,882 student-SP encounters in their analyses. Analyses of SPs' assessments of students' empathy indicated significant interaction effects of gender and ethnicity. Female students, regardless of ethnicity, obtained significantly higher mean JSPPPE scores than men. Female black/African American, female white, and female Asian/Pacific Islander students scored significantly higher on the JSPPPE than their respective male counterparts. Male black/African American students obtained the lowest SP assessment scores of empathy regardless of SP ethnicity. Black/African American students obtained the highest mean scores on self-reported empathy. The significant interaction effects of ethnicity and gender in clinical encounters, plus the inconsistencies observed between SPs' assessments of students' empathy and students' self-reported empathy, raise questions about possible ethnicity and gender biases in the SPs' assessments of medical students' clinical skills.

A Meta-Analytic Review of Gender Variations in Children's Language Use: Talkativeness, Affiliative Speech, and Assertive Speech

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leaper, Campbell; Smith, Tara E.

2004-01-01

Three sets of meta-analyses examined gender effects on children's language use. Each set of analyses considered an aspect of speech that is considered to be gender typed: talkativeness, affiliative speech, and assertive speech. Statistically significant average effect sizes were obtained with all three language constructs. On average, girls were…

General and Specific Self-Esteem in Late Adolescent Students: Race x Gender x SES Effects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richman, Charles L.; And Others

Self-concept formation has long been considered the most significant developmental milestone of adolescence. To assess the effects of gender, race, and social class on the general and area-specific self-esteem of late adolescents, 195 eleventh grade students, divided according gender, race (black, white), and social class (low, middle, high) were…

Factors affecting cognitive function according to gender in community-dwelling elderly individuals.

PubMed

Kim, Miwon; Park, Jeong-Mo

2017-01-01

This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the cognitive function of elderly people in a community by gender. We obtained 4,878 secondary data of people aged ≥65 years in 2016 at a dementia prevention center in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon. Data were obtained through Mini-Mental Status Examination optimized for screening dementia and a questionnaire. The data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and hierarchical regression. There were significant differences in cognitive function according to gender, and the differences were significant even when age was controlled, but gender differences disappeared when education was controlled. Age, education, social activities, number of comorbid diseases, and alcohol drinking affected cognitive function through interaction with gender, but interaction with gender disappeared when education was controlled. Regression analysis showed that depression, cohabitant, social activities etc., had a significant impact on both men and women under controlled education and age. In men, the effect of social activities was greater than that of women, and hyperlipidemia had the effect only in women. The differences in gender-related cognitive functions were due to differences in gender education period. The period of education is considered to have a great influence on cognitive function in relation to the economic level, occupation, and social activity.

Factors affecting cognitive function according to gender in community-dwelling elderly individuals

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the cognitive function of elderly people in a community by gender. METHODS We obtained 4,878 secondary data of people aged ≥65 years in 2016 at a dementia prevention center in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon. Data were obtained through Mini-Mental Status Examination optimized for screening dementia and a questionnaire. The data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance, analysis of covariance, and hierarchical regression. RESULTS There were significant differences in cognitive function according to gender, and the differences were significant even when age was controlled, but gender differences disappeared when education was controlled. Age, education, social activities, number of comorbid diseases, and alcohol drinking affected cognitive function through interaction with gender, but interaction with gender disappeared when education was controlled. Regression analysis showed that depression, cohabitant, social activities etc., had a significant impact on both men and women under controlled education and age. In men, the effect of social activities was greater than that of women, and hyperlipidemia had the effect only in women. CONCLUSIONS The differences in gender-related cognitive functions were due to differences in gender education period. The period of education is considered to have a great influence on cognitive function in relation to the economic level, occupation, and social activity. PMID:29141399

Effects of chronic low back pain, age and gender on vertical spinal creep.

PubMed

Kanlayanaphotporn, R; Trott, P; Williams, M; Fulton, I

2003-05-15

This study investigated the effect of chronic low back pain, age, gender, and time of measurement on the magnitude of vertical spinal creep (VSC) and its recovery. A mixed design, involving three independent variables (chronic low back pain, age, and gender) and one repeated variable (time), was used. One hundred and six subjects of both genders, with and without chronic low back pain, aged between 20 and 60 years, participated in the study. The measurement of VSC and its recovery was performed using a seated stadiometer that allowed continuous measurement of VSC without changing the subject's posture over 25 min. Unloaded VSC was measured during the initial 5 min, followed by 10 min with an additional load of 15% of the subject's body weight and then for a further 10 min after the removal of the load. Subjects were grouped into one of eight categories according to the presence of chronic low back pain, age (20-39 years or 40-60 years) and gender. Repeated measures analysis of variance was computed. A significant increase in VSC with time of measurement was observed (p<0.001). No significant main effects for chronic low back pain, age, or gender were found at any time during the 25-min VSC testing protocol. Significant interactions were found between age and gender during the loaded (p=0.02) and unloaded (p=0.02) phases. A significant interaction was found between chronic low back pain and gender at the end of the unloaded phase (p=0.04). These findings suggest a combined influence of chronic low back pain, age, and gender on VSC and its recovery and that the dominance of each variable changed with the time of the measurement. Thus, subjects who differ in the presence of chronic low back pain, age, and gender should not be combined for statistical analysis of VSC and its recovery.

Birth Order and Sibling Sex Ratio of Children and Adolescents Referred to a Gender Identity Service

PubMed Central

VanderLaan, Doug P.; Blanchard, Ray; Wood, Hayley; Zucker, Kenneth J.

2014-01-01

In adult male samples, homosexuality is associated with a preponderance of older brothers (i.e., the fraternal birth order effect). In several studies comparing gender dysphoric youth, who are likely to be homosexual in adulthood, to clinical or non-clinical control groups, the findings have been consistent with the fraternal birth order effect in males; however, less is known about unique sibship characteristics of gender dysphoric females. The current study investigated birth order and sibling sex ratio in a large sample of children and adolescents referred to the same Gender Identity Service (N = 768). Probands were classified as heterosexual males, homosexual males, or homosexual females based on clinical diagnostic information. Groups differed significantly in age and sibship size, and homosexual females were significantly more likely to be only children. Subsequent analyses controlled for age and for sibship size. Compared to heterosexual males, homosexual males had a significant preponderance of older brothers and homosexual females had a significant preponderance of older sisters. Similarly, the older sibling sex ratio of homosexual males showed a significant excess of brothers whereas that of homosexual females showed a significant excess of sisters. Like previous studies of gender dysphoric youth and adults, these findings were consistent with the fraternal birth order effect. In addition, the greater frequency of only children and elevated numbers of older sisters among the homosexual female group adds to a small literature on sibship characteristics of potential relevance to the development of gender identity and sexual orientation in females. PMID:24651045

The effects of gardening on quality of life in people with stroke.

PubMed

Ho, Sui-Hua; Lin, Chiuhsiang Joe; Kuo, Fen-Ling

2016-06-27

Compared with traditional rehabilitation, gardening has been viewed as a more occupation-based intervention to help patients improve functional performance. However, there is still a need for evidence-based research into what factors interact to create the beneficial effects of gardening for people who have sustained a cerebral vascular accident (CVA). To explore how plant, gender, and the time after stroke onset influenced improvements in the quality of life of patients in a gardening program. One treatment of tending short-term plants, and another treatment of tending long-term plants were compared. Quality of life improvement was evaluated according to three factors: plant, gender, and the time after stroke onset. The data were analyzed with 2k replicated factorial designs. The 2k factorial design with replication indicated significant effects on both the social role and the family role. For the social role, the interaction of plant and gender difference was significant. For the family role, the significant effects were found on interaction of plant with both gender and the time after stroke onset. Tending plants with different life cycles has varied effects on the quality of life of people who have sustained a CVA. Factors related to gender and the time after stroke onset influenced role competency in this sample.

Stereotype threat? Effects of inquiring about test takers' gender on conceptual test performance in physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maries, Alexandru; Singh, Chandralekha

2015-12-01

It has been found that activation of a stereotype, for example by indicating one's gender before a test, typically alters performance in a way consistent with the stereotype, an effect called "stereotype threat." On a standardized conceptual physics assessment, we found that asking test takers to indicate their gender right before taking the test did not deteriorate performance compared to an equivalent group who did not provide gender information. Although a statistically significant gender gap was present on the standardized test whether or not students indicated their gender, no gender gap was observed on the multiple-choice final exam students took, which included both quantitative and conceptual questions on similar topics.

“Demonstrating Masculinity” Via Intimate Partner Aggression: The Moderating Effect of Heavy Episodic Drinking

PubMed Central

Lisco, Claire G.; Leone, Ruschelle M.; Gallagher, Kathryn E.; Parrott, Dominic J.

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the mediational effect of masculine gender role stress on the relation between adherence to dimensions of a hegemonic masculinity and male-to-female intimate partner physical aggression. Men’s history of heavy episodic drinking was also examined as a moderator of the proposed mediation effect. A sample of 392 heterosexual men from the southeastern United States who had been in an intimate relationship within the past year completed measures of hegemonic masculine norms (i.e., status, toughness, and antifemininity), masculine gender role stress, alcohol use patterns, and intimate partner physical aggression. Results indicated that the indirect effects of adherence to the antifemininity and toughness norms on physical aggression toward female intimate partners via masculine gender role stress were significant and marginal, respectively. A significant indirect effect of status was not detected. Moreover, subsequent analyses revealed that the indirect effects of antifemininity and toughness were significant only among men with a history of heavy episodic drinking. These findings suggest that heavy episodic drinking exacerbates a gender-relevant stress pathway for intimate partner aggression among men who adhere to specific norms of masculinity. Overall, results suggest that the proximal effect of heavy episodic drinking focuses men’s attention on gender-based schemas associated with antifemininity and toughness, which facilitates partner-directed aggression as a means to demonstrate these aspects of their masculinity. Implications for the intersection between men’s adherence to specific norms of hegemonic masculinity, cognitive appraisal of gender relevant situations, and characteristic patterns of alcohol consumption are discussed. PMID:26456996

"Demonstrating Masculinity" Via Intimate Partner Aggression: The Moderating Effect of Heavy Episodic Drinking.

PubMed

Lisco, Claire G; Leone, Ruschelle M; Gallagher, Kathryn E; Parrott, Dominic J

2015-07-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the mediational effect of masculine gender role stress on the relation between adherence to dimensions of a hegemonic masculinity and male-to-female intimate partner physical aggression. Men's history of heavy episodic drinking was also examined as a moderator of the proposed mediation effect. A sample of 392 heterosexual men from the southeastern United States who had been in an intimate relationship within the past year completed measures of hegemonic masculine norms (i.e., status, toughness, and antifemininity), masculine gender role stress, alcohol use patterns, and intimate partner physical aggression. Results indicated that the indirect effects of adherence to the antifemininity and toughness norms on physical aggression toward female intimate partners via masculine gender role stress were significant and marginal, respectively. A significant indirect effect of status was not detected. Moreover, subsequent analyses revealed that the indirect effects of antifemininity and toughness were significant only among men with a history of heavy episodic drinking. These findings suggest that heavy episodic drinking exacerbates a gender-relevant stress pathway for intimate partner aggression among men who adhere to specific norms of masculinity. Overall, results suggest that the proximal effect of heavy episodic drinking focuses men's attention on gender-based schemas associated with antifemininity and toughness, which facilitates partner-directed aggression as a means to demonstrate these aspects of their masculinity. Implications for the intersection between men's adherence to specific norms of hegemonic masculinity, cognitive appraisal of gender relevant situations, and characteristic patterns of alcohol consumption are discussed.

Differences in the activation and co-activation ratios of the four subdivisions of trapezius between genders following a computer typing task.

PubMed

Szucs, Kimberly A; Molnar, Megan

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to provide a description of gender differences of the activation patterns of the four subdivisions of the trapezius (clavicular, upper, middle, lower) following a 60min computer work task. Surface EMG was collected from these subdivisions from 21 healthy subjects during bilateral arm elevation pre-/post- task. Subjects completed a standardized 60min computer work task at a standard, ergonomic workstation. Normalized activation and activation ratios of each trapezius subdivision were compared between genders and condition with repeated measures ANOVAs. The interaction effect of Gender×Condition for upper trapezius% activation approached significance at p=0.051with males demonstrating greater activation post-task. The main effect of Condition was statistically significant for% activation of middle and lower trapezius (p<0.05), with both muscles demonstrating increase activation post-task. There was a statistically significant interaction effect of Gender×Condition for the Middle Trapezius/Upper Trapezius ratio and main effect of Condition for the Clavicular Trapezius/Upper Trapezius ratio, with a decreased ratio post-typing. Gender differences exist following 60min of a low force computer typing task. Imbalances in muscle activation and activation ratios following computer work may affect total shoulder kinematics and should be further explored. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender-Based Salary Inequity in Social Work: Mediators of Gender's Effect on Salary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koeske, Gary F.; Krowinski, William J.

2004-01-01

This study examined the direct effect of gender, controlling for years of experience, job role, and other variables, in a sample of 359 Pennsylvania social workers. Men social workers received significantly more yearly salary (an estimated $3,665 more) than women social workers. A path analysis suggested that the salary advantage for men that was…

The Effects of Age, Gender, and 4-H Involvement on Life Skill Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, Bruce E.; Mincemoyer, Claudia C.; Perkins, Daniel F.

2015-01-01

The study reported here examined the effects of age, gender, and 4-H involvement in clubs on life skill development of youth ages eight to 18 over a 12-month period. Regression analyses found age, gender, and 4-H involvement significantly influenced life skill development. Results found that females have higher levels of competencies in life…

Beliefs about appropriate pain behavior: cross-cultural and sex differences between Japanese and Euro-Americans.

PubMed

Hobara, Mieko

2005-08-01

The Appropriate Pain Behavior Questionnaire (APBQ) was employed to examine the effects of the participants' sex and culture on their beliefs regarding gender-appropriate pain behavior. The APBQ examines beliefs about the social acceptability to male and female participants of the behavioral and verbal expressions of pain by men and women (referents) in the presence of others [Nayak, S., 2000. Cross Cult Research 34, 135-151]. The participants were 18 male and 14 female Japanese, and 11 male and 21 female Euro-Americans. There was a significant effect of sex: female participants considered pain behaviors more acceptable than male participants. There was a significant effect of culture: compared to both male and female Japanese, Euro-American participants rated pain behaviors in both sexes to be more acceptable. There was also a significant effect of referent gender: for both sexes in both cultures, pain behaviors in women were rated as more acceptable than in men. Furthermore, a significant interaction was found between referent gender and sex of the participant: Male and female participants of both cultures were equally accepting of pain behaviors in women, but male participants were less accepting of pain behaviors in men than in women. There also was a significant interaction between referent gender and culture of the participant: Japanese participants considered pain behavior in both genders to be less acceptable than did Americans. The results are explained in terms of cultural traditions and social roles, and have clear implications for clinical treatment and diagnosis.

Effects of gender diversity management on perceptions of organizational attractiveness: the role of individual differences in attitudes and beliefs.

PubMed

Martins, Luis L; Parsons, Charles K

2007-05-01

In this study, the authors examined how individual gender-related attitudes and beliefs affect the reactions of men and women to gender diversity management programs in organizations. They found that whereas there were no significant between-sex differences in the effects of gender diversity management on organizational attractiveness, there were strong within-sex differences based on individual attitudes and beliefs. Specifically, within the sexes, centrality of one's gender identity, attitudes toward affirmative action for women, and the belief that women are discriminated against in the workplace moderated the effects of gender diversity management on organizational attractiveness. The findings, combined with prior research, suggest that it is critical for organizations to incorporate efforts to manage perceptions of gender diversity management programs into their diversity management strategies. 2007 APA, all rights reserved

Gender-based salary inequity in social work: mediators of gender's effect on salary.

PubMed

Koeske, Gary F; Krowinski, William J

2004-04-01

This study examined the direct effect of gender, controlling for years of experience, job role, and other variables, in a sample of 359 Pennsylvania social workers. Men social workers received significantly more yearly salary (an estimated 3,665 dollars more) than women social workers. A path analysis suggested that the salary advantage for men that was attributable to their acquiring more experience and management positions was slightly larger than the direct effect of gender. The ability of merit variables to explain salary was somewhat greater for men than women. Other variables that mediated the effect of gender on salary were MSW specialization, working in a social work or a related area, and practice area (children and youths, health, mental health, or other area). The results suggest that substantial gender disparity continues to exist in social worker salaries.

Gender Differences in Examinee Performance on the Step 2 Clinical Skills[R] Data Gathering (DG) and Patient Note (PN) Components

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swygert, Kimberly A.; Cuddy, Monica M.; van Zanten, Marta; Haist, Steven A.; Jobe, Ann C.

2012-01-01

Multiple studies examining the relationship between physician gender and performance on examinations have found consistent significant gender differences, but relatively little information is available related to any gender effect on interviewing and written communication skills. The United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE[R]) Step 2…

Adolescents' Compliance-Resistance: Effects of Parents' Compliance Strategy and Gender.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Kim D.; And Others

1989-01-01

Examined choice of compliance-resisting behaviors among adolescents. Findings from 118 high school students revealed significant differences in resistance strategy the adolescent selected on basis of parent gender, adolescent gender, and compliance-gaining strategy (manipulation, nonnegotiation, emotional appeal, personal rejection, empathic…

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.

"To Bluff like a Man or Fold like a Girl?" - Gender Biased Deceptive Behavior in Online Poker.

PubMed

Palomäki, Jussi; Yan, Jeff; Modic, David; Laakasuo, Michael

2016-01-01

Evolutionary psychology suggests that men are more likely than women to deceive to bolster their status and influence. Also gender perception influences deceptive behavior, which is linked to pervasive gender stereotypes: women are typically viewed as weaker and more gullible than men. We assessed bluffing in an online experiment (N = 502), where participants made decisions to bluff or not in simulated poker tasks against opponents represented by avatars. Participants bluffed on average 6% more frequently at poker tables with female-only avatars than at tables with male-only or gender mixed avatars-a highly significant effect in games involving repeated decisions. Nonetheless, participants did not believe the avatar genders affected their decisions. Males bluffed 13% more frequently than females. Unlike most economic games employed exclusively in research contexts, online poker is played for money by tens of millions of people worldwide. Thus, gender effects in bluffing have significant monetary consequences for poker players.

Depression among Transgender Older adults: General and Minority Stress

PubMed Central

Hoy-Ellis, Charles P.; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I.

2017-01-01

Objectives This study aims to (1) examine the direct and indirect effects internalized heterosexism, concealment of gender identity, and perceived general stress in association with depression among transgender older adults; and (2) to assess the relative contribution of each relationship. Methods Secondary analyses of data from a large community-based study of older sexual and gender minorities were conducted utilizing structural equation modeling with a subsample (n = 174) of transgender adults aged 50 to 86-years old. Results Disclosure of gender identity had no significant direct or indirect effects on either perceived general stress or depression. Internalized heterosexism did not have a direct effect on depression, but did have a significant indirect effect through perceived general stress. Finally, perceived general stress had an additional significant direct effect on depression, over and above internalized heterosexism. Total effect sizes appear to be considerable with standardized betas greater than 5.0. Conclusion Perceived general stress and internalized heterosexism independently and cumulatively have significant direct and indirect effects on depression among transgender older adults. Implications for depression among transgender older adults and the role of community psychology are discussed. PMID:28369987

Direct and Indirect Effects of Five Factor Personality and Gender on Depressive Symptoms Mediated by Perceived Stress

PubMed Central

Kim, Song E.; Cho, Juhee; Kwon, Min-Jung; Chang, Yoosoo; Ryu, Seungho; Shin, Hocheol

2016-01-01

This study was designed to investigate associations among five factor personality traits, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms and to examine the roles of personality and perceived stress in the relationship between gender and depressive symptoms. The participants (N = 3,950) were part of a cohort study for health screening and examination at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital. Personality was measured with the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). Perceived stress level was evaluated with a self-reported stress questionnaire developed for the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A higher degree of neuroticism and lower degrees of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness were significantly associated with greater perceived stress and depressive symptoms. Neuroticism and extraversion had significant direct and indirect effects (via stress as a mediator) on depressive symptoms in both genders. Agreeableness and conscientiousness had indirect effects on depression symptoms in both genders. Multiple mediation models were used to examine the mediational roles of each personality factor and perceived stress in the link between gender and depressive symptoms. Four of the personality factors (except openness) were significant mediators, along with stress, on the relationship between gender and depressive symptoms. Our findings suggest that the links between personality factors and depressive symptoms are mediated by perceived stress. As such, personality is an important factor to consider when examining the link between gender and depression. PMID:27120051

Pathways of equality through education: impact of gender (in)equality and maternal education on exclusive breastfeeding among natives and migrants in Belgium.

PubMed

Vanderlinden, Karen; Van de Putte, Bart

2017-04-01

Even though breastfeeding is typically considered the preferred feeding method for infants worldwide, in Belgium, breastfeeding rates remain low across native and migrant groups while the underlying determinants are unclear. Furthermore, research examining contextual effects, especially regarding gender (in)equality and ideology, has not been conducted. We hypothesized that greater gender equality scores in the country of origin will result in higher breastfeeding chances. Because gender equality does not operate only at the contextual level but can be mediated through individual level resources, we hypothesized the following for maternal education: higher maternal education will be an important positive predictor for exclusive breastfeeding chances in Belgium, but its effects will differ over subsequent origin countries. Based on IKAROS data (GeÏntegreerd Kind Activiteiten en Regio Ondersteunings Systeem), we perform multilevel analyses on 27 936 newborns. Feeding method is indicated by exclusive breastfeeding 3 months after childbirth. We measure gender (in)equality using Global Gender Gap scores from the mother's origin country. Maternal education is a metric variable based on International Standard Classification of Education indicators. Results show that 3.6% of the variation in breastfeeding can be explained by differences between the migrant mother's country of origin. However, the effect of gender (in)equality appears to be non-significant. After adding maternal education, the effect for origin countries scoring low on gender equality turns significant. Maternal education on its own shows strong positive association with exclusive breastfeeding and, furthermore, has different effects for different origin countries. Possible explanations are discussed in-depth setting direction for further research regarding the different pathways gender (in)equality and maternal education affect breastfeeding. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Somatic Experiencing® Informed Therapeutic Group for the Care and Treatment of Biopsychosocial Effects upon a Gender Diverse Identity.

PubMed

Briggs, Paul C; Hayes, Sage; Changaris, Michael

2018-01-01

Somatic Experiencing ® (SE™) is a resiliency-based treatment for autonomic nervous systems dysregulation syndromes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, and physical syndromes like chronic pain, migraines, and fibromyalgia. "Transgender/gender non-conforming/gender variant" describes people whose gender identity/expression is different, at least part of the time, from the sex assigned at birth. Research indicates transgender individuals have a higher incidence of depression, anxiety, victimization, and discrimination. SE™ tools may support transgender/gender non-conforming individuals to increase resilience in the face of discrimination and social injustice. This study is a pretest posttest within group ( N  = 7) pilot study assessing the impact of a 10 session SE™ based group treatment on depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), quality of life (QoL) (WHOQoL-BREF), and coping with discrimination (CDS) for a cohort of seven individuals identifying as transgender/gender non-conforming. Materials were created in collaboration with members of the LGBTQIA community. Care was taken to be inclusive of gender non-conforming identities and culturally responsive in design. Participants described their gender identities as: non-binary, female to male, male to female, and gender fluid. Participants had significant increase in psychological QoL (psychological well-being) (WHOQoL-BREF) p  = 0.004, SD = 2.31, with a modest effect size of d  = 0.71. Some likely impacts of historical effect discussed. No other clinical or QoL outcomes were statistically significant. However, one outlier was identified in the dataset. When this outlier was excluded there was a trend toward significant reduction in depression symptoms (PhQ-9) p  = 0.097, SD = 3.31 and a modest effect size of d  = 0.68; somatic symptoms (PhQ-15) p  = 0.093, SD = 3.52 and a modest effect size of d  = 0.72. These data indicate that a brief 10 session intervention of SE™ could have a meaningful impact on symptoms of depression, somatization, and QoL for gender non-conforming individuals. Further research is warranted. First, this study has a small sample size limiting statistical power and generalizability. Second is a history effect. Less than 1 week prior to final data collection, there was a significant hate-motivated act in Florida targeting the LGBTQIA community.

Individual Differences in the Relationship Between Attachment and Nomophobia Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness

PubMed Central

Arpaci, Ibrahim; Özteke Kozan, Hatice İrem; Kesici, Şahin

2017-01-01

Background There is a growing interest in nomophobia, which is defined as the fear of being out of cellular phone contact, or "feelings of discomfort or anxiety experienced by individuals when they are unable to use their mobile phones or utilize the affordances these devices provide”. However, only limited research can be found in terms of its determinants at present. Contemporary literature suggests that the relationships among attachment styles, mindfulness, and nomophobia have not been investigated. Objective This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between attachment and nomophobia. In addition, the study also focuses on gender differences in attachment, mindfulness, and nomophobia. A theory-based structural model was tested to understand the essentials of the associations between the constructs. Methods The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Nomophobia Questionnaire, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale were used to collect data from undergraduate students (N=450; 70.9% women [319/450]; mean age=21.94 years [SD 3.61]). Two measurement models (ie, attachment and mindfulness) and a structural model were specified, estimated, and evaluated. Results The structural equation model shows that the positive direct effects of avoidant (.13, P=.03) and anxious attachment (.48, P<.001) on nomophobia were significant. The negative direct effects of avoidant (−.18, P=.01) and anxious attachment (−.33, P<.001) on mindfulness were also significant. Moreover, mindfulness has a significant negative effect on nomophobia for women only (−.13, P=.03). Finally, the Sobel test showed that the indirect effects of avoidant and anxious attachment on nomophobia via mindfulness were significant (P<.001). The direct and indirect effects of anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and mindfulness altogether accounted for 33% of the total variance in nomophobia. Gender comparison results show that there is a significant difference in attachment based on gender (F2,447=6.97, P=.01, Wilk λ=.97, partial η2=.03). Women (mean 68.46 [SD 16.96]) scored significantly higher than men (mean 63.59 [SD 15.97]) in anxious attachment (F1=7.93, P=.01, partial η2=.02). Gender differences in mindfulness were not significant (F4,448=3.45, P=.69). On the other hand, results do show significant gender differences in nomophobia (F4,445=2.71, P=.03, Wilk λ=.98, partial η2=.02) where women scored significantly higher than men. Conclusions In general, individuals who are emotionally more dependent and crave more closeness and attention in the relationship tend to display higher levels of fear or discomfort when they have no access to their mobile phones. However, gender has a differential impact on the relationship between avoidant attachment and nomophobia. This study establishes the impact of mindfulness on nomophobia for women; therefore, future studies should test the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy approaches and confirm whether they are effective and efficient. On the basis of significant gender difference in nomophobia and attachment, we conclude that gender should be taken into account in mindfulness-based treatments dealing with nomophobia. PMID:29242179

Gender Effects in a Multischool Alcohol Media Literacy Study With Preadolescents.

PubMed

Gordon, Chloe S; Howard, Steven J; Kervin, Lisa K; Jones, Sandra C

2018-06-01

Alcohol media literacy (AML) programs have achieved positive results for alcohol prevention; however, gender may moderate program effectiveness. This study investigated gender differences for an Australian AML intervention. Fifth and sixth graders ( N = 165), allocated to an intervention or wait-list control group, participated in an AML program. Student questionnaires were administered at three time points. The intervention resulted in significantly higher media deconstruction skills but did not lead to less preference for branded merchandise or greater understanding of persuasive intent, and these effects did not differ by gender. Gender differences were present in social norms for drinking and alcohol expectancies. AML education likely has appeal and benefit to both genders as it connects with students' lifeworlds. Social norms may be more difficult to shift for males due to a more ingrained drinking culture. Future research could explore contextual factors responsible for gender differences.

Comparing perceived effectiveness of FDA-proposed cigarette packaging graphic health warnings between sexual and gender minorities and heterosexual adults.

PubMed

Tan, Andy S L; Bigman, Cabral A; Nagler, Rebekah H; Minsky, Sara; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2017-10-01

In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed nine graphic health warnings (GHWs) on cigarette packaging that were rated equally effective across racial/ethnic, education, or income groups of adult smokers. However, data on GHW effectiveness among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults, who have higher smoking prevalence, are currently lacking. This study analyzed whether perceived effectiveness of GHWs differed by gender and sexual orientation. Data came from a randomized experiment among 1,200 adults with an oversample from low socioeconomic status groups, conducted between 2013 and 2014 in three Massachusetts communities. Participants viewed and rated the effectiveness of nine GHWs. Mixed effects regression models predicted perceived effectiveness with gender and sexual orientation, adjusting for repeated measurements, GHWs viewed, age, race, ethnicity, smoking status, and health status. Female heterosexuals rated GHWs as more effective than male heterosexual, lesbian, and transgender and other gender respondents. There was no significant difference between female and male heterosexuals versus gay, male bisexual, or female bisexual respondents. Differences by gender and sexual orientation were consistent across all nine GHWs. Significant correlates of higher perceived effectiveness included certain GHWs, older age, being African-American (vs white), being Hispanic (vs non-Hispanic), having less than high school education (vs associate degree or higher), and being current smokers (vs non-smokers). Perceived effectiveness of GHWs was lower in certain SGM groups. We recommend further studies to understand the underlying mechanisms for these findings and investments in research and policy to communicate anti-smoking messages more effectively to SGM populations.

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.

Gender Difference and Dietary Supplemental Vitamin B6: Impact on Colon Luminal Environment.

PubMed

Nirmagustina, Dwi Eva; Yang, Yongshou; Kumrungsee, Thanutchaporn; Yanaka, Noriyuki; Kato, Norihisa

2018-01-01

Colon diseases can be affected by several factors such as gender difference and dietary supplemental vitamin B 6 (B 6 ). The nutritional status of B 6 is affected by gender difference, leading us to hypothesize that gender difference affects colon luminal environment, which is dependent on B 6 status. To investigate this hypothesis, we fed male and female rats a diet containing 1 mg, 7 mg, or 35 mg pyridoxine HCl/kg diet for 6 wk. We found significantly higher fecal mucin levels in female rats compared to those in male rats. Supplemental B 6 significantly increased fecal mucins and was particularly profound in the female rats. The abundances of cecal and fecal Akkermansia muciniphila (mucin degrader) were unaffected. The fecal mucin levels were significantly correlated with colonic free threonine and serine and with gene expression of colon MUC16, implying that the combined effect of gender and dietary B 6 on fecal mucins was mediated by the alteration in the levels of such amino acids and MUC16 expression. This study further showed the significant effects of gender difference on colonic free amino acids such as threonine, ornithine, asparagine/aspartate ratio, and glutamine/glutamate ratio, cecal and fecal Lactobacillus spp. levels, and colonic gene expressions of MUC16 and TLR8, the factors relating to colon health and diseases. Therefore, our findings suggest that gender difference and dietary B 6 may have an impact on colon diseases by modulating these parameters.

Applying intersectionality to explore the relations between gendered racism and health among Black women.

PubMed

Lewis, Jioni A; Williams, Marlene G; Peppers, Erica J; Gadson, Cecile A

2017-10-01

The purpose of this study was to apply an intersectionality framework to explore the influence of gendered racism (i.e., intersection of racism and sexism) on health outcomes. Specifically, we applied intersectionality to extend a biopsychosocial model of racism to highlight the psychosocial variables that mediate and moderate the influence of gendered racial microaggressions (i.e., subtle gendered racism) on health outcomes. In addition, we tested aspects of this conceptual model by exploring the influence of gendered racial microaggressions on the mental and physical health of Black women. In addition, we explored the mediating role of coping strategies and the moderating role of gendered racial identity centrality. Participants were 231 Black women who completed an online survey. Results from regression analyses indicated that gendered racial microaggressions significantly predicted both self-reported mental and physical health outcomes. In addition, results from mediation analyses indicated that disengagement coping significantly mediated the link between gendered racial microaggressions and negative mental and physical health. In addition, a moderated mediation effect was found, such that individuals who reported a greater frequency of gendered racial microaggressions and reported lower levels of gendered racial identity centrality tended to use greater disengagement coping, which in turn, was negatively associated with mental and physical health outcomes. Findings of this study suggest that gendered racial identity centrality can serve a buffering role against the negative mental and physical health effects of gendered racism for Black women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Interactions among aging, gender, and gonadectomy effects upon naloxone hypophagia in rats.

PubMed

Islam, A K; Beczkowska, I W; Bodnar, R J

1993-11-01

The present study examined the dose-dependent (0.25-5 mg/kg) effects of systemic naloxone upon deprivation-induced intake and high-fat intake as functions of age (4, 8, 14, and 20 months), gender, and gonadectomy in rats. Significant increases in body weight were observed as functions of age and gonadectomy. Whereas aging significantly reduced basal deprivation-induced intake, it generally failed to alter basal high-fat intake. Whereas age, gender, and gonadectomy failed to alter the decreases in deprivation-induced intake following low (0.25-2.5 mg/kg) naloxone doses, sham males displayed significantly greater age-related and gender-related inhibition following the 5 mg/kg dose of naloxone. Young gonadectomized rats displayed significant increases in naloxone's inhibition of deprivation-induced intake as well. More dramatic changes occurred in naloxone's inhibition of high-fat intake. Naloxone's potency increased in sham female rats as a function of age, and decreased in sham males and ovariectomized females as a function of age. Whereas sham males and ovariectomized females were most sensitive to naloxone's inhibition of high-fat intake at young ages, sham females were most sensitive at older ages. These data indicate that effects of age, gender, and gonadectomy upon naloxone-induced hypophagia dissociate as a function of the type of intake. Because selective opioid antagonist studies demonstrate that deprivation-induced intake is mediated by the mu1 receptor and high-fat intake is mediated by kappa and mu2 receptors, it is postulated that the differential effects of aging, gender, and gonadectomy variables upon opioid mediation of the two forms of intake may reflect their interaction with different opioid receptor subtypes.

Peer attitudes effects on adolescent substance use: the moderating role of race and gender.

PubMed

Mason, Michael J; Mennis, Jeremy; Linker, Julie; Bares, Cristina; Zaharakis, Nikola

2014-02-01

We examined the relationship between adolescents' perceptions of their close friends' attitudes about substance use, and their own use of cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana. Using data from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a multistage area probability sample sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (n = 17,865), we tested the direct and moderating effects of subgroups of race and gender on perceptions of adolescents' close friends on past month substance use. Significant effects were found on peer attitudes influencing substance use for all race and gender subgroups. Close friends' attitudes of indifference were associated with increased substance use and disapproval associated with reduced use, controlling for age, income, family structure, and adolescents' own attitudes of risk of substance use. Significant moderating effects of peer attitudes on cigarette and marijuana use were found for both gender and race moderators. Conditional effects of the moderation by race were also examined for gender subgroups. The moderating effect of race on close friends' attitudes impacting cigarette and marijuana use was stronger in magnitude and significance for females compared to males. Female marijuana and cigarette use was more influenced by close friends' attitudes than males, and whites were more influenced by their close friends than Hispanics and blacks. White females are more susceptible to close friends' attitudes on cigarette use as compared to white males and youth of other races. Implications for socially oriented preventive interventions are discussed.

Gender and race are significant determinants of students' food choices on a college campus.

PubMed

Boek, Stacey; Bianco-Simeral, Stephanie; Chan, Kenny; Goto, Keiko

2012-01-01

To examine the roles of gender and race in students' determinants of food choices on a college campus. A total of 405 college students participated in a survey entitled "Campus Food: You Tell Us!" Chi-square and logistic regression were used to examine associations between demographics and food choice determinants. Gender and race appeared to play a significant role in determinants of students' food dislikes. Males were significantly more likely to choose cost, taste, and poor quality over poor nutrition as determinants. White students were significantly less likely to choose cost, inconvenience, and taste over poor nutrition than students of other races. Gender was also a significant factor associated with student preferences for campus dining location and determinants of unhealthful food. Future marketing may be more effective if tailored to gender and race. Nutrition educators should consider addressing taste and convenience when attempting to influence students' food choices. Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cross-sectional growth changes in skeletal and soft tissue cephalometric landmarks of children.

PubMed

Inada, Emi; Saitoh, Issei; Hayasaki, Haruaki; Yamada, Chiaki; Iwase, Yoko; Takemoto, Yoshihiko; Matsumoto, Yuko; Yamasaki, Youichi

2008-07-01

In order to provide standard values for craniofacial growth of normal children, we evaluated the growth changes of skeletal and soft tissue cephalometric landmarks from lateral cephalograms of 180 Japanese children. They were divided into three groups: primary dentition, mixed dentition, and permanent dentition. Specific skeletal angles and distances showed significant gender differences with increasing age. The only significant soft tissue gender difference was nose height in the oldest group. Upper pharynx dimension and nose height differed significantly among the groups in both genders. Positions of both the upper and lower lip changed significantly between the intermediate and oldest groups of both genders. Nasolabial angle did not change significantly with growth. The results of this study should be useful for predicting craniofacial growth and development or determining the effect of orthodontic treatment.

The effect of gender on health-related quality of life and related factors in post-lobectomy lung-cancer patients.

PubMed

Chang, Nai-Wen; Lin, Kuan-Chia; Hsu, Wen-Hu; Lee, Shih-Chun; Chan, James Yi-Hsin; Wang, Kwua-Yun

2015-06-01

While studies have documented gender differences by histologic type among lung cancer patients, the effect of these differences on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of post-lobectomy lungcancer patients and related factors remain uncertain. This study examines gender-specific HRQoL and related factors in post-lobectomy lung-cancer patients. A cross-sectional study design was applied. A convenience sample of 231 post-lobectomy lungcancer patients was recruited from the thoracic surgery outpatient departments of two teaching hospitals in Taipei, Taiwan from March to December 2012. Patients performed a spirometry test and completed instruments that included a Beck Depression Inventory-II, an Interpersonal Support Evaluation List, and the symptom and function scales of the Quality of Life Questionnaire. Data analysis used descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviations, frequency, and percentage values. Independent-sample Student's t-tests and multivariate analyses were used for comparative purposes. This study confirmed a significant gender effect on HRQoL and HRQoL-related factors such as marital status, religious affiliation, smoking status, histologic type, symptoms, pulmonary function, depression, and family support. Moreover, multivariate analysis found gender to be a significant determinant of the HRQoL aspects of physical functioning, emotional functioning, and cognitive functioning. Finally, results indicated that factors other than gender were also significant determinants of HRQoL. Gender impacts the HRQoL and related factors of postoperative lung-cancer patients. Therefore, gender should be considered in assessing and addressing the individual care needs of these patients in order to attain optimal treatment outcomes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Survey of Gender Biases of Freshman Students toward Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaer, Barbara; And Others

1991-01-01

A survey of 724 freshman engineering orientation students investigated the significance of 5 literature-cited barriers to women's success in engineering--sexual discrimination, financial concerns, academic comfort, career awareness, and locus of control. Significant main effects were found for gender but not ethnic group. The instrument is…

Age and Gender Effects on Wideband Absorbance in Adults With Normal Outer and Middle Ear Function.

PubMed

Mazlan, Rafidah; Kei, Joseph; Ya, Cheng Li; Yusof, Wan Nur Hanim Mohd; Saim, Lokman; Zhao, Fei

2015-08-01

This study examined the effects of age and gender on wideband energy absorbance in adults with normal middle ear function. Forty young adults (14 men, 26 women, aged 20-38 years), 31 middle-aged adults (16 men, 15 women, aged 42-64 years), and 30 older adults (20 men, 10 women, aged 65-82 years) were assessed. Energy absorbance (EA) data were collected at 30 frequencies using a prototype commercial instrument developed by Interacoustics. Results showed that the young adult group had significantly lower EA (between 400 and 560 Hz) than the middle-aged group. However, the middle-aged group showed significantly lower EA (between 2240 and 5040 Hz) than the young adult group. In addition, the older adult group had significantly lower EA than the young adult group (between 2520 and 5040 Hz). No significant difference in EA was found at any frequency between middle-aged and older adults. Across age groups, gender differences were found with men having significantly higher EA values than women at lower frequencies, whereas women had significantly higher EA at higher frequencies. This study provides evidence of the influence of gender and age on EA in adults with normal outer and middle ear function. These findings support the importance of establishing age- and gender-specific EA norms for the adult population.

Gender in the allocation of organs in kidney transplants: meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Santiago, Erika Vieira Almeida e; Silveira, Micheline Rosa; de Araújo, Vânia Eloisa; Farah, Katia de Paula; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis; Ceccato, Maria das Graças Braga

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze whether gender influence survival results of kidney transplant grafts and patients. METHODS Systematic review with meta-analysis of cohort studies available on Medline (PubMed), LILACS, CENTRAL, and Embase databases, including manual searching and in the grey literature. The selection of studies and the collection of data were conducted twice by independent reviewers, and disagreements were settled by a third reviewer. Graft and patient survival rates were evaluated as effectiveness measurements. Meta-analysis was conducted with the Review Manager® 5.2 software, through the application of a random effects model. Recipient, donor, and donor-recipient gender comparisons were evaluated. RESULTS : Twenty-nine studies involving 765,753 patients were included. Regarding graft survival, those from male donors were observed to have longer survival rates as compared to the ones from female donors, only regarding a 10-year follow-up period. Comparison between recipient genders was not found to have significant differences on any evaluated follow-up periods. In the evaluation between donor-recipient genders, male donor-male recipient transplants were favored in a statistically significant way. No statistically significant differences were observed in regards to patient survival for gender comparisons in all follow-up periods evaluated. CONCLUSIONS The quantitative analysis of the studies suggests that donor or recipient genders, when evaluated isolatedly, do not influence patient or graft survival rates. However, the combination between donor-recipient genders may be a determining factor for graft survival. PMID:26465666

Acculturation Differentially Predicts Smoking Cessation Among Latino Men and Women

PubMed Central

Castro, Yessenia; Reitzel, Lorraine R.; Businelle, Michael S.; Kendzor, Darla E.; Mazas, Carlos; Li, Yisheng; Cofta-Woerpel, Ludmila; Wetter, David W.

2009-01-01

Objectives The current study examined the influence of gender, acculturation indicators, and their interaction on smoking cessation among Latinos. Methods Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the main effects of gender, acculturation indicators, and their interactions on self-reported 7-day abstinence at 12 week follow-up among 271 Latino smokers seeking cessation counseling. Results Analyses revealed significant main effects for several acculturation indicators, and significant interactions of gender with number of years lived in the United States (U.S.), proportion of life lived in the U.S., and preferred media language (all ps < .05). Follow-up analyses indicated no significant relationships between abstinence and acculturation indicators among women. Among men, abstinence rates increased with years in the U.S., proportion of life in the U.S., and preferred media language of English. Conclusions Greater acculturation predicted higher abstinence rates, but this relationship was restricted to men. This study is among the first to examine the effects of gender and acculturation on smoking abstinence among Latinos. Findings highlight the need for research focused on mechanisms underlying these relationships. PMID:19959697

Erosive Esophagitis in the Obese: The Effect of Ethnicity and Gender on Its Association.

PubMed

Abraham, Albin; Lipka, Seth; Hajar, Rabab; Krishnamachari, Bhuma; Virdi, Ravi; Jacob, Bobby; Viswanathan, Prakash; Mustacchia, Paul

2016-01-01

Background. Data examining the association between obesity and erosive esophagitis (ErE) have been inconsistent, with very little known about interracial variation. Goals. To examine the association between obesity and ErE among patients of different ethnic/racial backgrounds. Methods. The study sample included 2251 patients who underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). The effects of body mass index (BMI) on ErE were assessed by gender and in different ethnic groups. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results. The prevalence of ErE was 29.4% (661/2251). Overweight and obese subjects were significantly more likely to have ErE than individuals with a normal BMI, with the highest risk seen in the morbidly obese (OR 6.26; 95% CI 3.82-10.28; p < 0.0001). Normal weight Black patients were less likely to have ErE as compared to Caucasians (OR 0.46; 95% CI 0.27-0.79; p = 0.005), while the odds ratio comparing normal weight Hispanics to normal weight Whites was not statistically significant. No effect modification was seen between BMI and race/ethnicity or BMI and gender. Significant trends were seen in each gender and ethnicity. Conclusions. The effect of BMI on ErE does not appear to vary by race/ethnicity or gender.

The effects of gender and COMT Val158Met polymorphism on fearful facial affect recognition: a fMRI study.

PubMed

Kempton, Matthew J; Haldane, Morgan; Jogia, Jigar; Christodoulou, Tessa; Powell, John; Collier, David; Williams, Steven C R; Frangou, Sophia

2009-04-01

The functional catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val108/158Met) polymorphism has been shown to have an impact on tasks of executive function, memory and attention and recently, tasks with an affective component. As oestrogen reduces COMT activity, we focused on the interaction between gender and COMT genotype on brain activations during an affective processing task. We used functional MRI (fMRI) to record brain activations from 74 healthy subjects who engaged in a facial affect recognition task; subjects viewed and identified fearful compared to neutral faces. There was no main effect of the COMT polymorphism, gender or genotypexgender interaction on task performance. We found a significant effect of gender on brain activations in the left amygdala and right temporal pole, where females demonstrated increased activations over males. Within these regions, Val/Val carriers showed greater signal magnitude compared to Met/Met carriers, particularly in females. The COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism impacts on gender-related patterns of activation in limbic and paralimbic regions but the functional significance of any oestrogen-related COMT inhibition appears modest.

Gender Differences in Acute Alcohol Effects on Self-Regulation of Arousal in Response to Emotional and Alcohol-Related Picture Cues

PubMed Central

Udo, Tomoko; Bates, Marsha E.; Mun, Eun Young; Vaschillo, Evgeny G.; Vaschillo, Bronya; Lehrer, Paul; Ray, Suchismita

2010-01-01

Basic mechanisms through which men and women self-regulate arousal have received little attention in human experimental addiction research although stress-response-dampening and craving theories suggest an important role of emotional arousal in motivating alcohol use. This study examined gender differences in the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on psychophysiological and self-reported arousal in response to emotionally negative, positive, and neutral, and alcohol-related, picture cues. Thirty-six social drinkers (16 women) were randomly assigned to an alcohol, placebo, or control beverage group, and exposed to picture cues every 10 s (0.1 Hz presentation frequency). Psychophysiological arousal was assessed via a 0.1-Hz heart rate variability (HRV) index. A statistically significant beverage group-by-gender interaction effect on psychophysiological, but not self-reported, arousal was found. 0.1-Hz HRV responses to picture cues were suppressed by alcohol only in men. This gender-specific suppression pattern did not differ significantly across picture cue types. There were no significant gender differences in the placebo or control group. Greater dampening of arousal by alcohol intoxication in men, compared to women, may contribute to men's greater tendency to use alcohol to cope with stress. PMID:19586136

Gender differences in acute alcohol effects on self-regulation of arousal in response to emotional and alcohol-related picture cues.

PubMed

Udo, Tomoko; Bates, Marsha E; Mun, Eun Young; Vaschillo, Evgeny G; Vaschillo, Bronya; Lehrer, Paul; Ray, Suchismita

2009-06-01

Basic mechanisms through which men and women self-regulate arousal have received little attention in human experimental addiction research, although stress-response-dampening and craving theories suggest an important role of emotional arousal in motivating alcohol use. This study examined gender differences in the effects of acute alcohol intoxication on psychophysiological and self-reported arousal in response to emotionally negative, positive, and neutral, and alcohol-related, picture cues. Thirty-six social drinkers (16 women) were randomly assigned to an alcohol, placebo, or control beverage group and exposed to picture cues every 10 s (0.1 Hz presentation frequency). Psychophysiological arousal was assessed via a 0.1-Hz heart rate variability (HRV) index. A statistically significant beverage group-by-gender interaction effect on psychophysiological, but not self-reported, arousal was found. The 0.1-Hz HRV responses to picture cues were suppressed by alcohol only in men. This gender-specific suppression pattern did not differ significantly across picture cue types. There were no significant gender differences in the placebo or control group. Greater dampening of arousal by alcohol intoxication in men, compared with women, may contribute to men's greater tendency to use alcohol to cope with stress. Copyright (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2017-11-01

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

Individual Differences in the Relationship Between Attachment and Nomophobia Among College Students: The Mediating Role of Mindfulness.

PubMed

Arpaci, Ibrahim; Baloğlu, Mustafa; Özteke Kozan, Hatice İrem; Kesici, Şahin

2017-12-14

There is a growing interest in nomophobia, which is defined as the fear of being out of cellular phone contact, or "feelings of discomfort or anxiety experienced by individuals when they are unable to use their mobile phones or utilize the affordances these devices provide". However, only limited research can be found in terms of its determinants at present. Contemporary literature suggests that the relationships among attachment styles, mindfulness, and nomophobia have not been investigated. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between attachment and nomophobia. In addition, the study also focuses on gender differences in attachment, mindfulness, and nomophobia. A theory-based structural model was tested to understand the essentials of the associations between the constructs. The Experiences in Close Relationships Scale, Nomophobia Questionnaire, and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale were used to collect data from undergraduate students (N=450; 70.9% women [319/450]; mean age=21.94 years [SD 3.61]). Two measurement models (ie, attachment and mindfulness) and a structural model were specified, estimated, and evaluated. The structural equation model shows that the positive direct effects of avoidant (.13, P=.03) and anxious attachment (.48, P<.001) on nomophobia were significant. The negative direct effects of avoidant (-.18, P=.01) and anxious attachment (-.33, P<.001) on mindfulness were also significant. Moreover, mindfulness has a significant negative effect on nomophobia for women only (-.13, P=.03). Finally, the Sobel test showed that the indirect effects of avoidant and anxious attachment on nomophobia via mindfulness were significant (P<.001). The direct and indirect effects of anxious attachment, avoidant attachment, and mindfulness altogether accounted for 33% of the total variance in nomophobia. Gender comparison results show that there is a significant difference in attachment based on gender (F 2,447 =6.97, P=.01, Wilk λ=.97, partial η 2 =.03). Women (mean 68.46 [SD 16.96]) scored significantly higher than men (mean 63.59 [SD 15.97]) in anxious attachment (F 1 =7.93, P=.01, partial η 2 =.02). Gender differences in mindfulness were not significant (F 4,448 =3.45, P=.69). On the other hand, results do show significant gender differences in nomophobia (F 4,445 =2.71, P=.03, Wilk λ=.98, partial η 2 =.02) where women scored significantly higher than men. In general, individuals who are emotionally more dependent and crave more closeness and attention in the relationship tend to display higher levels of fear or discomfort when they have no access to their mobile phones. However, gender has a differential impact on the relationship between avoidant attachment and nomophobia. This study establishes the impact of mindfulness on nomophobia for women; therefore, future studies should test the effectiveness of mindfulness-based therapy approaches and confirm whether they are effective and efficient. On the basis of significant gender difference in nomophobia and attachment, we conclude that gender should be taken into account in mindfulness-based treatments dealing with nomophobia. ©Ibrahim Arpaci, Mustafa Baloğlu, Hatice İrem Özteke Kozan, Şahin Kesici. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 14.12.2017.

The effects of proportional representation and gender orientation of the task on emergent leadership behavior in mixed-gender work groups.

PubMed

Karakowsky, L; Siegel, J P

1999-08-01

Much of the research that has examined the behavioral consequences of membership in mixed-gender work groups suggests that men are more participative and influential in task-related behavior. Drawing from elements of sociological, structural, and psychological perspectives, this study examined the effects of group gender composition and gender orientation of the group's task on patterns of emergent leadership behavior. Participants were assigned to male-dominated, female-dominated, or balanced-gender groups for the purpose of discussing and generating solutions for two business-related cases--each case emphasized either male-oriented or female-oriented expertise. The findings suggest that the proportional representation of men and women in a work group, along with the gender orientation of the group's task, can significantly influence the level of leadership behavior exhibited in group activity.

Adolescent Gender Differences in Alcohol Problem Behaviors and the Social Contexts of Drinking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Treiman, Katherine A.; Beck, Kenneth H.

1996-01-01

This study of over 1300 high school students examined gender differences in the social context of drinking associated with 4 alcohol problem behaviors (high intensity drinking, binge drinking, driving while intoxicated, and riding with an intoxicated driver). Student surveys revealed significant multivariate interaction effects between gender and…

Depression Among Transgender Older Adults: General and Minority Stress.

PubMed

Hoy-Ellis, Charles P; Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I

2017-06-01

This study aims to (a) examine the direct and indirect effects internalized heterosexism, disclosure of gender identity, and perceived general stress in association with depression among transgender older adults; and (b) to assess the relative contribution of each relationship. Secondary analyses of data from a large community-based study of older sexual and gender minorities were conducted utilizing structural equation modeling with a subsample (n = 174) of transgender adults aged 50 to 86-years old. Disclosure of gender identity had no significant direct or indirect effects on either perceived general stress or depression. Internalized heterosexism did not have a direct effect on depression, but did have a significant indirect effect through perceived general stress. Finally, perceived general stress had an additional significant direct effect on depression, over and above internalized heterosexism. Total effect sizes appear to be considerable with standardized betas greater than 5.0. Perceived general stress and internalized heterosexism independently and cumulatively have significant direct and indirect effects on depression among transgender older adults. Implications for depression among transgender older adults and the role of community psychology are discussed. © Society for Community Research and Action 2017.

Interrelationships between LGBT-based victimization, suicide, and substance use problems in a diverse sample of sexual and gender minorities.

PubMed

Mereish, Ethan H; O'Cleirigh, Conall; Bradford, Judith B

2014-01-01

Research has documented significant relationships between sexual and gender minority stress and higher rates of suicidality (i.e. suicidal ideation and attempts) and substance use problems. We examined the potential mediating role of substance use problems on the relationship between sexual and gender minority stress (i.e. victimization based on lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender identity [LGBT]) and suicidality. A nonprobability sample of LGBT patients from a community health center (N = 1457) ranged in age from 19-70 years. Participants reported history of lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts, substance use problems, as well as experiences of LGBT-based verbal and physical attacks. Substance use problems were a significant partial mediator between LGBT-based victimization and suicidal ideation and between LGBT-based victimization and suicide attempts for sexual and gender minorities. Nuanced gender differences revealed that substance use problems did not significantly mediate the relationship between victimization and suicide attempts for sexual minority men. Substance use problems may be one insidious pathway that partially mediates the risk effects of sexual and gender minority stress on suicidality. Substances might be a temporary and deleterious coping resource in response to LGBT-based victimization, which have serious effects on suicidal ideation and behaviors.

Interrelationships between LGBT-Based Victimization, Suicide, and Substance Use Problems in a Diverse Sample of Sexual and Gender Minority Men and Women

PubMed Central

Mereish, Ethan H.; O'Cleirigh, C; Bradford, Judith B.

2013-01-01

Research has documented significant relationships between sexual and gender minority stress and higher rates of suicidality (i.e., suicidal ideation and attempts) and substance use problems. We examined the potential mediating role of substance use problems on the relationship between sexual and gender minority stress (i.e., victimization based on lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender identity; LGBT) and suicidality. A non-probability sample of LGBT patients from a community health center (N = 1457) ranged in age 19 to 70 years. Participants reported history of lifetime suicidal ideation and attempts, and substance use problems, as well as experiences of LGBT-based verbal and physical attacks. Substance use problems were a significant partial mediator between LGBT-based victimization and suicidal ideation and between LGBT-based victimization and suicide attempts for sexual and gender minorities. Nuanced gender differences revealed that substance use problems did not significantly mediate the relationship between victimization and suicide attempts for sexual minority men. Substance use problems may be one insidious pathway that partially mediates the risk effects of sexual and gender minority stress on suicidality. Substances might be a temporary and deleterious coping resource in response to LGBT-based victimization, which have serious effects on suicidal ideation and behaviors. PMID:23535038

Lymphocyte DNA damage in bus manufacturing workers.

PubMed

Zhu, C Q; Lam, T H; Jiang, C Q

2001-04-05

To study the effect of occupational exposure, smoking, and drinking on lymphocyte DNA damage in bus manufacturing workers, 346 employees (106 women and 240 men) from six job categories (welders, mechanics, painters, and assembling, auxiliary and managerial workers) in a bus manufacturing factory in Guangzhou were included. Significant differences of tail moment among the six job categories were found (P=0.003) with adjustment for age and gender. Smoking increased tail moment significantly (3.14 (2.89-3.40) versus 2.79 microm (2.63-2.97), P=0.023). Analysis of covariance showed that occupational exposure (P=0.001) and smoking (P=0.019) had significant effect on tail moment after adjusting for all factors, whereas age and gender had no effect on DNA damage. Stratified analysis showed that painters (P=0.002), auxiliary workers (P=0.011), and mechanics (P=0.044) had larger tail moments than managerial workers after adjusting for age, gender, smoking, and drinking.

Helping Students Understand Their Learning Styles: Effects on Study Self-Efficacy, Preference for Group Work, and Group Climate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hendry, Graham D.; Heinrich, Paul; Lyon, Patricia M.; Barratt, Alexandra L.; Simpson, Judy M.; Hyde, Sarah J.; Gonsalkorale, Shalinie; Hyde, Michelle; Mgaieth, Sara

2005-01-01

Small tutorial groups in higher education are often composed without regard to students' gender or broad knowledge background, for example, yet research indicates that composing groups on the basis of gender and prior qualifications may have significant effects on assessment outcomes. Previous studies have also investigated the effects of…

Teachers' Perceptions of Leadership Effectiveness Based on Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alagbada-Ekekhomen, Gloria O.

2013-01-01

This research examined teachers' perceptions of effective leadership skills and any significant differences of teachers' views of an administrator's success based on the leader's gender. A review of studies examining differences in the leadership behaviors of men and women did not provide conclusive results. The three hypotheses based on the…

Effect of the Stroop test performed in supine position on the heart rate variability in both genders.

PubMed

Vazan, Rastislav; Filcikova, Diana; Mravec, Boris

2017-12-01

The effect of Stroop test (ST)-induced stress on autonomic nervous system activity is often examined via measurement of heart rate variability (HRV). However, HRV may be significantly affected by interfering factors, including vocalization and inappropriate body position. Surprisingly, published studies ignore these issues, so the aim of our study was to test the innovative procedure for correct HRV measurement in individuals exposed to ST. Moreover, we examined possible gender differences in HRV and heart rate (HR) during ST. Healthy participants (21 men, 34 women) were placed in a supine position (no orthostatic activation) and then exposed to a 5 min relaxation period and a 5 min period of computerized ST (no vocalization). We found significant differences in HR and HRV parameters in both genders during ST when compared to relaxation (baseline) values. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in HR and HRV between males and females (except for a higher baseline HR in women). Also, reactivity to ST stress (difference between baseline and ST value) showed no gender differences. In conclusion, when performed in a supine position and without vocalization, the ST induces significant stress-related changes of HR and HRV in both genders, with no gender differences in the magnitude of reaction to ST stress. This experimental procedure can be used for correct examination of mental stress-related changes in the autonomic nervous system, and is particularly useful for examining mixed-gender experimental groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in trait aggression in young adults with drug and alcohol dependence compared to the general population.

PubMed

Bácskai, Erika; Czobor, Pál; Gerevich, József

2011-07-01

Data in gender differences in aggression among alcohol and drug dependent subjects are lacking, and no published data are available about gender differences among various subtypes of substance using populations. The goal of this cross-sectional study was to investigate gender differences with regard to types of trait aggression in substance dependent young populations (age: 20-35 years) compared to the general population. Subjects were selected from two clinical samples with a diagnosis of alcohol and drug dependence as well as from a representative sample of the general population. Trait aggression was measured by the four individual subscales of the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (physical-PA, verbal aggression-VA, hostility-H and anger AN) whereas alcohol and drug use were characterized by the AUDIT and EuroADAD scales, respectively. Alcohol and drug dependent subjects showed higher severity on all four subscales of trait aggression compared to the general population. The male-female difference was the highest in the cannabis group. General Linear Model analysis for PA indicated a significant main effect of gender (higher PA for males, p=0.034) with no interaction between substance dependence and gender. For VA, no main effect or interaction for gender was found. Effect sizes for gender difference indicated that while males and females were similar in the control group in the severity in H and A, the level of H and AN was substantially higher in females than in males in the clinical group. These differences between the two genders reached statistical significance in the marijuana group, where female subjects showed a significantly higher severity in these two domains. Compared to the normal sample chronic substance use is associated with higher scores on certain factors of trait aggression, including hostility and anger, in females than in males. Our data suggest that aggression in substance dependent females is more provocable by chronic use of alcohol and drugs than in males. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Does gender inequity increase men's mortality risk in the United States? A multilevel analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study.

PubMed

Kavanagh, Shane A; Shelley, Julia M; Stevenson, Christopher

2017-12-01

A number of theoretical approaches suggest that gender inequity may give rise to health risks for men. This study undertook a multilevel analysis to ascertain if state-level measures of gender inequity are predictors of men's mortality in the United States. Data for the analysis were taken primarily from the National Longitudinal Mortality Study, which is based on a random sample of the non-institutionalised population. The full data set included 174,703 individuals nested within 50 states and had a six-year follow-up for mortality. Gender inequity was measured by nine variables: higher education, reproductive rights, abortion provider access, elected office, management, business ownership, labour force participation, earnings and relative poverty. Covariates at the individual level were age, income, education, race/ethnicity, marital status and employment status. Covariates at the state level were income inequality and per capita gross domestic product. The results of logistic multilevel modelling showed a number of measures of state-level gender inequity were significantly associated with men's mortality. In all of these cases greater gender inequity was associated with an increased mortality risk. In fully adjusted models for all-age adult men the elected office (OR 1.05 95% CI 1.01-1.09), business ownership (OR 1.04 95% CI 1.01-1.08), earnings (OR 1.04 95% CI 1.01-1.08) and relative poverty (OR 1.07 95% CI 1.03-1.10) measures all showed statistically significant effects for each 1 standard deviation increase in the gender inequity z -score. Similar effects were seen for working-age men. In older men (65+ years) only the earnings and relative poverty measures were statistically significant. This study provides evidence that gender inequity may increase men's health risks. The effect sizes while small are large enough across the range of gender inequity identified to have important population health implications.

A review of the physical and metabolic effects of cross-sex hormonal therapy in the treatment of gender dysphoria.

PubMed

Seal, Leighton J

2016-01-01

This review focuses on the effect that cross-gender sex steroid therapy has on metabolic and hormonal parameters. There is an emphasis on those changes that result in significant clinical effects such as the positive effects of the development of secondary sexual characteristics and negative effects such as haemostatic effects and thromboembolism in transwomen or dyslipidaemia in transmen. There is also a description of the current hormonal regimens used at the largest UK gender identity clinic. The overall safety of these treatments in the context of long-term outcome data is reviewed. © The Author(s) 2015.

Effect of Gender on the Knowledge of Medicinal Plants: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PubMed Central

Torres-Avilez, Wendy; de Medeiros, Patrícia Muniz

2016-01-01

Knowledge of medicinal plants is not only one of the main components in the structure of knowledge in local medical systems but also one of the most studied resources. This study uses a systematic review and meta-analysis of a compilation of ethnobiological studies with a medicinal plant component and the variable of gender to evaluate whether there is a gender-based pattern in medicinal plant knowledge on different scales (national, continental, and global). In this study, three types of meta-analysis are conducted on different scales. We detect no significant differences on the global level; women and men have the same rich knowledge. On the national and continental levels, significant differences are observed in both directions (significant for men and for women), and a lack of significant differences in the knowledge of the genders is also observed. This finding demonstrates that there is no gender-based pattern for knowledge on different scales. PMID:27795730

What's in a (role) name? Formal and conceptual aspects of comprehending personal nouns.

PubMed

Irmen, Lisa

2007-11-01

Two eye-tracking studies assessed effects of grammatical and conceptual gender cues in generic role name processing in German. Participants read passages about a social or occupational group introduced by way of a generic role name (e.g., Soldaten/soldiers, Künstler/artists). Later in the passage the gender of this group was specified by the anaphoric expression diese Männer/these men or diese Frauen/these women. Testing masculine generic role names of male, female or neutral conceptual gender (Exp. 1) showed that a gender mismatch between the role name's conceptual gender and the anaphor significantly slowed reading immediately before and after the anaphoric noun. A mismatch between the antecedent's grammatical gender and the anaphor slowed down the reading of the anaphoric noun itself. Testing grammatically gender-unmarked role names (Exp. 2) revealed a general male bias in participants' understanding, irrespective of grammatical or conceptual gender. The experiments extend previous findings on gender effects to non-referential role names and generic contexts. Theoretical aspects of gender and plural reference as well as gender information in mental models are discussed.

The effect of four instructional methods, gender, and time of testing on the achievement of sixth graders learning to interpret graphs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, Jerry Wayne

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of four instructional methods (direct instruction, computer-aided instruction, video observation, and microcomputer-based lab activities), gender, and time of testing (pretest, immediate posttest for determining the immediate effect of instruction, and a delayed posttest two weeks later to determine the retained effect of the instruction) on the achievement of sixth graders who were learning to interpret graphs of displacement and velocity. The dependent variable of achievement was reflected in the scores earned by students on a testing instrument of established validity and reliability. The 107 students participating in the study were divided by gender and were then randomly assigned to the four treatment groups, each taught by a different teacher. Each group had approximately equal numbers of males and females. The students were pretested and then involved in two class periods of the instructional method which was unique to their group. Immediately following treatment they were posttested and two weeks later they were posttested again. The data in the form of test scores were analyzed with a two-way split-plot analysis of variance to determine if there was significant interaction among technique, gender, and time of testing. When significant interaction was indicated, the Tukey HSD test was used to determine specific mean differences. The results of the analysis indicated no gender effect. Only students in the direct instruction group and the microcomputer-based laboratory group had significantly higher posttest-1 scores than pretest scores. They also had significantly higher posttest-2 scores than pretest scores. This suggests that the learning was retained. The other groups experienced no significant differences among pretest, posttest-1, and posttest-2 scores. Recommendations are that direct instruction and microcomputer-based laboratory activities should be considered as effective stand-alone methods for teaching sixth grade students to interpret graphs of displacement and velocity. However, video and computer instruction may serve as supplemental activities.

5-HTTLPR, anxiety and gender interaction moderates right amygdala volume in healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Cerasa, Antonio; Quattrone, Aldo; Piras, Fabrizio; Mangone, Graziella; Magariello, Angela; Fagioli, Sabrina; Girardi, Paolo; Muglia, Maria; Caltagirone, Carlo

2014-01-01

Genetic variants within the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) impact the neurobiology and risk for anxiety-related behaviours. There are also gender differences in the prevalence of anxiety-related behaviours. Although numerous studies have investigated the influence of 5-HTTLPR genotype on the neural systems involved in emotional regulation, none have investigated how these effects are modulated by gender and anxiety. We investigated this issue using two complementary region of interest-based structural neuroimaging approaches (voxel-based morphometry and Freesurfer) in 138 healthy individuals categorized into ‘no anxiety’ and ‘subclinical anxiety’ groups based on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A). Preliminarily, using anxiety as a continuous variable, we found a significant interaction effect of genotype by gender on anxiety. Females homozygous for the Short allele showed the highest HAM-A scores and males the lowest. In addition, a three-way significant interaction among genotype, gender and anxiety category was found for the right amygdala volume. Post hoc tests revealed that homozygous females carrying the Short variant with a subclinical anxiety condition had larger volume. The reported interaction effects demonstrate that gender strongly modulates the relationship between 5-HTTLPR genotype and subclinical expression of anxiety acting on amygdala, one region of the emotional neural network specifically involved in the anxiety-like behaviours. PMID:23986266

An Examination of How Ratings of Airlines are Effected by Different Types of Information: A Mediation Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozyurek, Abdullah Selim

Many dynamics directly or indirectly influence the decision-making process. An individual's demographic features, such as gender, country of origin, and emotions are some of the dynamics. In the aviation domain, air passengers purchase their air travel tickets under those dynamics. The purpose of this study was to determine if the airline type, gender of participants, and participants' country of origin had an effect on ratings of an individual's perception of safety and willingness to fly, and which emotions had a mediating effect on this relationship. The study included Lufthansa Airlines and Turkish Airlines from Europe. The affect was the participants' feeling outcomes of presented airline information. The feelings were Ekman and Friesen's (1971) universal emotions that include happiness, surprise, fear, disgust, anger, and sadness. The results of the study indicated that airline type, gender, and country of origin had a statistically significant effect and significant interaction on safety perception and willingness to fly. Also, emotions were found significant mediators on the mediation paths. Particularly happiness, fear, anger, and disgust emotions had a significant influence on participants' decision outcomes.

Effects of metacognitive instruction on the academic achievement of students in the secondary sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bianchi, Gregory A.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of reflective assessment in the form of situated metacognitive prompts on student achievement in the secondary sciences. A second goal was to determine whether specific gender differences existed in terms of student responsiveness to the metacognitive interventions. Participants in the study consisted of a convenience sample from a population of ninth-grade honors biology students in a large suburban school district located near Seattle, Washington. Beyond answering the specific research questions raised in this study, an additional aim was to broaden the growing body of research pertaining to the effect of metacognition on student achievement. A quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group design was employed in this study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed to address the specific research questions raised. Specifically, a three-way repeated-measures ANOVA was performed. For this purpose, a single within-subjects factor, termed Testing, was defined. Three levels were allocated to this factor, and quantitative data from the Pretest, Posttest, and Retention Test were assigned to the levels, respectively. Group and Gender were defined as between-subjects factors, and both were allocated two levels; the two Group levels were Reflective and Non-Reflective. The effects of Group and Gender on each of the three quantitative measures were examined singly and in interaction with each other. Tests of statistical significance were analyzed at the .05 level. There was a statistically significant effect for Group (Reflective, Non-Reflective) by Testing (Pretest, Posttest, Retention Test). A three-way repeated-measures ANOVA procedure revealed that students in the Reflective group outperformed students in the Non-Reflective group (F = 10.258, p = .002, Partial eta 2 = .088). According to the effect size estimate, almost 9% of variance in the Testing variable was attributable to the Group variable. There was not a significant interaction effect for Gender. A three-way repeated-measures ANOVA procedure revealed that Testing X Group X Gender did not yield a statistically significant F ratio (F = 1.471, p = .228, Partial eta2 = .014). Students in the Reflective group outperformed students in the Non-Reflective group, regardless of gender. The findings of this study offer modest evidence that reflective assessment in the form of situated metacognitive prompts may improve student academic outcomes at the secondary level. This study failed to provide a significant finding regarding gender-related variation in a metacognitive learning cycle.

Interindustry Wage Differentials and the Gender Wage Gap.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fields, Judith; Wolff, Edward N.

1995-01-01

Wages of female workers differ significantly by industry. The average woman earns about 65% as much as the average man; 12%-22% of the gap is explained by differences in patterns of interindustry wage differentials and 15%-19% by differences in gender distribution of workers. Combined industry effects explain about one-third of the gender wage…

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.

Biophysical properties of the human finger for touch comprehension: influences of ageing and gender

PubMed Central

Djaghloul, M.; Thieulin, C.; Vargiolu, R.; Pailler-Mattei, C. ; Zahouani, H.

2017-01-01

The human finger plays an extremely important role in tactile perception, but little is known about how age and gender affect its biophysical properties and their role in tactile perception. We combined studies on contact characteristics, mechanical properties and surface topography to understand age and gender effects on the human finger. The values obtained regarding contact characteristics (i.e. adhesive force) were significantly higher for women than for men. As for mechanical properties (i.e. Young's modulus E), a significant and positive correlation with age was observed and found to be higher for women. A positive correlation was observed between age and the arithmetic mean of surface roughness for men. However, an inverse age effect was highlighted for women. The age and gender effects obtained have never been reported previously in the literature. These results open new perspectives for understanding the weakening of tactile perception across ages and how it differs between men and women. PMID:28878982

Children's gender and parents' color preferences.

PubMed

Cohen, Philip N

2013-04-01

Gender differences in color preferences have been found in adults and children, but they remain unexplained. This study asks whether the gendered social environment in adulthood affects parents' color preferences. The analysis used the gender of children to represent one aspect of the gendered social environment. Because having male versus female children in the U.S. is generally randomly distributed, it provides something of a natural experiment, offering evidence about the social construction of gender in adulthood. The participants were 749 adults with children who responded to an online survey invitation, asking "What's your favorite color?" Men were more likely to prefer blue, while women were more likely to prefer red, purple, and pink, consistent with long-standing U.S. patterns. The effect of having only sons was to widen the existing gender differences between men and women, increasing the odds that men prefer blue while reducing the odds that women do; and a marginally significant effect showed women having higher odds of preferring pink when they have sons only. The results suggest that, in addition to any genetic, biological or child-socialization effects shaping adults' tendency to segregate their color preferences by gender, the gender context of adulthood matters as well.

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

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

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

Parenting styles and learned resourcefulness of Turkish adolescents.

PubMed

Türkel, Yeşim Deniz; Tezer, Esin

2008-01-01

This study investigated the differences among 834 high school students regarding learned resourcefulness in terms of perceived parenting style and gender. The data were gathered by administering the Parenting Style Inventory (PSI) and Rosenbaum's Self-Control Schedule (SCS). The results of ANOVA pertaining to the scores of learned resourcefulness yielded a significant main effect for parenting style groups. Neither the main effect for gender nor the gender and parenting style interaction effect was significant. The findings suggest that those who perceived their parents as authoritative had a relatively high level of learned resourcefulness as compared to those who perceived their parents as neglectful and authoritarian. Findings also indicated that those who perceived their parents as indulgent had a higher level of learned resourcefulness than those who perceived their parents as neglectful and authoritarian.

Interactive effects of sex hormones and gender stereotypes on cognitive sex differences--a psychobiosocial approach.

PubMed

Hausmann, Markus; Schoofs, Daniela; Rosenthal, Harriet E S; Jordan, Kirsten

2009-04-01

Biological and social factors have been shown to affect cognitive sex differences. For example, several studies have found that sex hormones have activating effects on sex-sensitive tasks. On the other hand, it has been shown that gender stereotypes can influence the cognitive performance of (gender-) stereotyped individuals. However, few studies have investigated the combined effects of both factors. The present study investigated the interaction between sex hormones and gender stereotypes within a psychobiosocial approach. One hundred and fourteen participants (59 women) performed a battery of sex-sensitive cognitive tasks, including mental rotation, verbal fluency, and perceptual speed. Saliva samples were taken immediately after cognitive testing. Levels of testosterone (T) were analysed using chemiluminescence immunoassay (LIA). To activate gender stereotypes, a questionnaire was applied to the experimental group that referred to the cognitive tasks used. The control group received an identical questionnaire but with a gender-neutral content. As expected, significant sex differences favouring males and females appeared for mental rotation and verbal fluency tasks, respectively. The results revealed no sex difference in perceptual speed. The male superiority in the Revised Vandenberg and Kuse Mental Rotations Tests (MRT-3D) was mainly driven by the stereotype-active group. No significant sex difference in MRT-3D appeared in the control group. The MRT-3D was also the task in which a strong gender-stereotype favouring males was present for both males and females. Interestingly, T levels of the stereotype-activated group were 60% higher than that of male controls. The results suggest that sex hormones mediate the effects of gender stereotypes on specific cognitive abilities.

Gender differences in the effects of ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphisms on alcoholism.

PubMed

Kimura, Mitsuru; Miyakawa, Tomohiro; Matsushita, Sachio; So, Mirai; Higuchi, Susumu

2011-11-01

Gender differences are known to exist in the prevalence, characteristics, and course of alcohol dependence. Elucidating gender differences in the characteristics of alcohol dependence is important in gender-based medicine and may improve treatment outcomes. Many studies have shown that genetic factors are associated with the risk of alcohol dependence in both genders. Polymorphisms of alcohol dehydrogenase-1B (ADH1B) and aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 (ALDH2) are strong genetic determinants of alcohol dependence. This study aimed to clarify gender differences in the effects of ADH1B and ALDH2 polymorphism on the development of alcohol dependence. Subjects were 200 female alcoholics and 415 male alcoholics hospitalized in Kurihama Alcoholism Center. Clinical information and background data were obtained by chart review. ALDH2 and ADH1B genotyping was performed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The onset age of female alcoholics with inactive ALDH2 genotype was significantly lower than those with active ALDH2 genotype, but the onset age did not differ between the inactive and active ALDH2 group in male alcoholics. The difference in onset age between the ADH1B genotype groups did not reach significant levels. The prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders, including major depression, eating disorder, panic disorder, and borderline personality disorder, was significantly higher in female alcoholics with inactive ALDH2 or superactive ADH1B than in those with active ALDH2 or normal ADH1B. ALDH2 polymorphism appears to have contrasting effects on the development of alcoholism in women and men. One possible reason for this gender difference may be the high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities in female alcoholics with inactive ALDH2. Copyright © 2011 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

The role of occupational attributes in gender earnings inequality, 1970-2010.

PubMed

Mandel, Hadas

2016-01-01

Grounded in the research on the important role of social structures in forming gender inequalities, this study examines the effect of occupational attributes on the gender earnings gap over four decades. Using the IPUMS-USA from 1970 to 2010, the paper shows that occupational attributes cannot be reduced to the aggregate attributes of their individual incumbents. Rather, the effect of occupations on the gender earnings gap goes far beyond both the distributive role of occupational segregation and the effect of individual wage-related characteristics. Furthermore, occupations not only explain a significant portion of net gender pay gaps, but have also contributed to the narrowing of the gaps over the past several decades, as occupational attributes that favor women's pay have become more dominant over time. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of gender on computerized electrocardiogram measurements in college athletes.

PubMed

Mandic, Sandra; Fonda, Holly; Dewey, Frederick; Le, Vy-van; Stein, Ricardo; Wheeler, Matt; Ashley, Euan A; Myers, Jonathan; Froelicher, Victor F

2010-06-01

Broad criteria for classifying an electrocardiogram (ECG) as abnormal and requiring additional testing prior to participating in competitive athletics have been recommended for the preparticipation examination (PPE) of athletes. Because these criteria have not considered gender differences, we examined the effect of gender on the computerized ECG measurements obtained on Stanford student athletes. Currently available computer programs require a basis for "normal" in athletes of both genders to provide reliable interpretation. During the 2007 PPE, computerized ECGs were recorded and analyzed on 658 athletes (54% male; mean age, 19 +/- 1 years) representing 22 sports. Electrocardiogram measurements included intervals and durations in all 12 leads to calculate 12-lead voltage sums, QRS amplitude and QRS area, spatial vector length (SVL), and the sum of the R wave in V5 and S wave in V2 (RSsum). By computer analysis, male athletes had significantly greater QRS duration, PR interval, Q-wave duration, J-point amplitude, and T-wave amplitude, and shorter QTc interval compared with female athletes (all P < 0.05). All ECG indicators of left ventricular electrical activity were significantly greater in males. Although gender was consistently associated with indices of atrial and ventricular electrical activity in multivariable analysis, ECG measurements correlated poorly with body dimensions. Significant gender differences exist in ECG measurements of college athletes that are not explained by differences in body size. Our tables of "normal" computerized gender-specific measurements can facilitate the development of automated ECG interpretation for screening young athletes.

The impact of family and community violence on children's depression trajectories: examining the interactions of violence exposure, family social support, and gender.

PubMed

Kennedy, Angie C; Bybee, Deborah; Sullivan, Cris M; Greeson, Megan

2010-04-01

This longitudinal study used multilevel modeling to examine the relationships between witnessing intimate partner violence (IPV), community and school violence exposure (CSVE), family social support, gender, and depression over 2 years within a sample of 100 school-aged children. We found significant between-child differences in both the initial levels of depression and the trajectories of depression; depression over time was positively associated with change in witnessing IPV and CSVE and negatively associated with change in support. Two significant 3-way interactions were found: Gender and initial support, as well as gender and initial witnessing IPV, both significantly moderated the effect of change in witnessing IPV on the children's depression over time. 2010 APA, all rights reserved

Gender Differences in Academic Self-Efficacy: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chiungjung

2013-01-01

A meta-analysis of 187 studies containing 247 independent studies (N = 68,429) on gender differences in academic self-efficacy identified an overall effect size of 0.08, with a small difference favoring males. Moderator analysis demonstrated that content domain was a significant moderator in explaining effect size variation. Females displayed…

Education, gender, and mortality: does schooling have the same effect on mortality for men and women in the US?

PubMed

Zajacova, Anna

2006-10-01

In this paper I examine whether the effect of education on mortality for US adults differs by gender. Discrete time logit models were used to analyze a nationally representative dataset (NHANES I) with 12,036 adults who were 25-74-years-old at the baseline survey in 1971-1975, and then re-interviewed three times through 1992. Demographic characteristics, health behaviors and economic status were controlled as potential confounding or mediating factors in the education-mortality relationship. The results showed that education had a comparable effect on mortality for men and women. No statistically significant gender difference was found in all-cause mortality, or mortality by cause of death, among younger persons, and among the elderly. Analysis by marital status, however, suggested that these findings apply only to married men and women. Among the divorced, there was a statistically significant gender difference whereby education had no effect on mortality for men while divorced women evidenced a strong education gradient (seven percent lower odds of dying for each year of schooling). Possible explanations for these patterns are discussed.

Effects of age, gender, and stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory.

PubMed

Kunimi, Mitsunobu

2016-01-01

This study focused on age-related changes in visual short-term memory using visual stimuli that did not allow verbal encoding. Experiment 1 examined the effects of age and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. Experiment 2 examined the effects of age, gender, and the length of the stimulus presentation period on visual short-term memory function. The worst memory performance and the largest performance difference between the age groups were observed in the shortest stimulus presentation period conditions. The performance difference between the age groups became smaller as the stimulus presentation period became longer; however, it did not completely disappear. Although gender did not have a significant effect on d' regardless of the presentation period in the young group, a significant gender-based difference was observed for stimulus presentation periods of 500 ms and 1,000 ms in the older group. This study indicates that the decline in visual short-term memory observed in the older group is due to the interaction of several factors.

Blood pressure among rural Montenegrin children in relation to poverty and gender.

PubMed

Martinovic, Milica; Belojevic, Goran; Evans, Gary W; Asanin, Bogdan; Lausevic, Dragan; Kovacevic, Natasa Duborija; Samardzic, Mira; Jaksic, Marina; Pantovic, Snezana

2014-06-01

Health inequalities may begin during childhood. The aim of this study was to investigate the main effect of poverty and its interactive effect with gender on children's blood pressure. The study was performed in two elementary schools from a rural region near Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. A questionnaire including questions on family monthly income, children's physical activity and the consumption of junk food was self-administered by parents of 434 children (223 boys and 211 girls) aged 6-13 years. Children's poverty level was assessed using the recommendations from the National Study on Poverty in Montenegro. Children's body weight and height were measured and body mass index-for-gender-and-age percentile was calculated. An oscillometric monitor was used for measurement of children's resting blood pressure in school. A two-factorial analysis of variance with body mass index percentile, physical activity and junk food as covariates showed an interaction of gender and poverty on children's blood pressure, pointing to synergy between poverty and female gender, with statistical significance for raised diastolic pressure (F = 5.462; P = 0.021). Neither physical activity nor the consumption of junk food explained the interactive effect of poverty and gender on blood pressure. We show that poverty is linked to elevated blood pressure for girls but not boys, and this effect is statistically significant for diastolic pressure. The results are discussed in the light of gender differences in stress and coping that are endemic to poverty. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Gender bias in leader evaluations: merging implicit theories and role congruity perspectives.

PubMed

Hoyt, Crystal L; Burnette, Jeni L

2013-10-01

This research extends our understanding of gender bias in leader evaluations by merging role congruity and implicit theory perspectives. We tested and found support for the prediction that the link between people's attitudes regarding women in authority and their subsequent gender-biased leader evaluations is significantly stronger for entity theorists (those who believe attributes are fixed) relative to incremental theorists (those who believe attributes are malleable). In Study 1, 147 participants evaluated male and female gubernatorial candidates. Results supported predictions, demonstrating that traditional attitudes toward women in authority significantly predicted a pro-male gender bias in leader evaluations (and progressive attitudes predicted a pro-female gender bias) with an especially strong effect for those with more entity-oriented, relative to incrementally oriented person theories. Study 2 (119 participants) replicated these findings and demonstrated the mediating role of these attitudes in linking gender stereotypes and leader role expectations to biased evaluations.

Main effect and interactions of brain regions and gender in the calculation of volumetric asymmetry indices in healthy human brains: ANCOVA analyses of in vivo 3T MRI data.

PubMed

Roldan-Valadez, Ernesto; Rios, Camilo; Suarez-May, Marcela A; Favila, Rafel; Aguilar-Castañeda, Erika

2013-12-01

Macroanatomical right-left hemispheric differences in the brain are termed asymmetries, although there is no clear information on the global influence of gender and brain-regions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the main effects and interactions of these variables on the measurement of volumetric asymmetry indices (VAIs). Forty-seven healthy young-adult volunteers (23 males, 24 females) agreed to undergo brain magnetic resonance imaging in a 3T scanner. Image post processing using voxel-based volumetry allowed the calculation of 54 VAIs from the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes, limbic system, basal ganglia, and cerebellum for each cerebral hemisphere. Multivariate ANCOVA analysis calculated the main effects and interactions on VAIs of gender and brain regions controlling the effect of age. The only significant finding was the main effect of brain regions (F (6, 9373.605) 44.369, P < .001; partial η2 = .101, and power of 1.0), with no significant interaction between gender and brain regions (F (6, 50.517) .239, P = .964). Volumetric asymmetries are present across all brain regions, with larger values found in the limbic system and parietal lobe. The absence of a significant influence of gender and age in the evaluation of the numerous measurements generated by multivariate analyses in this study should not discourage researchers to report and interpret similar results, as this topic still deserves further assessment. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Gender and Perceptions of Grandparenthood.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jeanne L.

1989-01-01

Interviewed 301 grandparents concerning their relationship with one grandchild. Findings revealed no differences in relationship associated with grandchild gender or with maternal/paternal grandparent status; nor were there significant interaction effects. Grandmothers expressed greater satisfaction than did grandfathers; grandfathers stressed…

Cross-Cultural and Gender Differences in ADHD Among Young Adults.

PubMed

Gómez-Benito, Juana; Van de Vijver, Fons J R; Balluerka, Nekane; Caterino, Linda

2015-10-29

This study explored the effect of cultural and gender differences in ADHD among Spanish, African American, Hispanic American, and European American young adults. Structural equivalence between the four groups was examined by Tucker's phi coefficient. A MANCOVA was carried out with cultural groups and gender as factors and age as covariate. Structural equivalence was observed across all groups, and no differential item functioning was found. No significant effect was found for gender, although, with the exception of the Hispanic group, males scored higher than females. Furthermore, small, though significant, cultural differences were found. The lowest levels of ADHD were observed in the European American group and the highest in the Hispanic American group. ADHD symptoms, notably inattention, showed some decline with age. Findings extend existing data and suggest a relationship between culture and the development of ADHD, which might be mediated by parenting style. © The Author(s) 2015.

Reliable jitter and shimmer measurements in voice clinics: the relevance of vowel, gender, vocal intensity, and fundamental frequency effects in a typical clinical task.

PubMed

Brockmann, Meike; Drinnan, Michael J; Storck, Claudio; Carding, Paul N

2011-01-01

The aims of this study were to examine vowel and gender effects on jitter and shimmer in a typical clinical voice task while correcting for the confounding effects of voice sound pressure level (SPL) and fundamental frequency (F(0)). Furthermore the relative effect sizes of vowel, gender, voice SPL, and F(0) were assessed, and recommendations for clinical measurements were derived. With this cross-sectional single cohort study, 57 healthy adults (28 women, 29 men) aged 20-40 years were investigated. Three phonations of /a/, /o/, and /i/ at "normal" voice loudness were analyzed using Praat (software). The effects of vowel, gender, voice SPL, and F(0) on jitter and shimmer were assessed using descriptive and inferential (analysis of covariance) statistics. The effect sizes were determined with the eta-squared statistic. Vowels, gender, voice SPL, and F(0), each had significant effects either on jitter or on shimmer, or both. Voice SPL was the most important factor, whereas vowel, gender, and F(0) effects were comparatively small. Because men had systematically higher voice SPL, the gender effects on jitter and shimmer were smaller when correcting for SPL and F(0). Surprisingly, in clinical assessments, voice SPL has the single biggest impact on jitter and shimmer. Vowel and gender effects were clinically important, whereas fundamental frequency had a relatively small influence. Phonations at a predefined voice SPL (80 dB minimum) and vowel (/a/) would enhance measurement reliability. Furthermore, gender-specific thresholds applying these guidelines should be established. However, the efficiency of these measures should be verified and tested with patients. Copyright © 2011 The Voice Foundation. All rights reserved.

The effect of obesity and gender on body segment parameters in older adults

PubMed Central

Chambers, April J.; Sukits, Alison L.; McCrory, Jean L.; Cham, Rakié

2010-01-01

Background Anthropometry is a necessary aspect of aging-related research, especially in biomechanics and injury prevention. Little information is available on inertial parameters in the geriatric population that account for gender and obesity effects. The goal of this study was to report body segment parameters in adults aged 65 years and older, and to investigate the impact of aging, gender and obesity. Methods Eighty-three healthy old (65–75 yrs) and elderly (>75 yrs) adults were recruited to represent a range of body types. Participants underwent a whole body dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scan. Analysis was limited to segment mass, length, longitudinal center of mass position, and frontal plane radius of gyration. A mixed-linear regression model was performed using gender, obesity, age group and two-way and three-way interactions (α=0.05). Findings Mass distribution varied with obesity and gender. Males had greater trunk and upper extremity mass while females had a higher lower extremity mass. In general, obese elderly adults had significantly greater trunk segment mass with less thigh and shank segment mass than all others. Gender and obesity effects were found in center of mass and radius of gyration. Non-obese individuals possessed a more distal thigh and shank center of mass than obese. Interestingly, females had more distal trunk center of mass than males. Interpretation Age, obesity and gender have a significant impact on segment mass, center of mass and radius of gyration in old and elderly adults. This study underlines the need to consider age, obesity and gender when utilizing anthropometric data sets. PMID:20005028

Effects of Medical Interventions on Gender Dysphoria and Body Image: A Follow-Up Study.

PubMed

van de Grift, Tim C; Elaut, Els; Cerwenka, Susanne C; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; De Cuypere, Griet; Richter-Appelt, Hertha; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P C

2017-09-01

The aim of this study from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence is to investigate the status of all individuals who had applied for gender confirming interventions from 2007 to 2009, irrespective of whether they received treatment. The current article describes the study protocol, the effect of medical treatment on gender dysphoria and body image, and the predictive value of (pre)treatment factors on posttreatment outcomes. Data were collected on medical interventions, transition status, gender dysphoria (Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale), and body image (Body Image Scale for transsexuals). In total, 201 people participated in the study (37% of the original cohort). At follow-up, 29 participants (14%) did not receive medical interventions, 36 hormones only (18%), and 136 hormones and surgery (68%). Most transwomen had undergone genital surgery, and most transmen chest surgery. Overall, the levels of gender dysphoria and body dissatisfaction were significantly lower at follow-up compared with clinical entry. Satisfaction with therapy responsive and unresponsive body characteristics both improved. High dissatisfaction at admission and lower psychological functioning at follow-up were associated with persistent body dissatisfaction. Hormone-based interventions and surgery were followed by improvements in body satisfaction. The level of psychological symptoms and the degree of body satisfaction at baseline were significantly associated with body satisfaction at follow-up.

The model of children's social adjustment under the gender-roles absence in single-parent families.

PubMed

Chen, I-Jun; Zhang, Hailun; Wei, Bingsi; Guo, Zeyao

2018-01-14

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the gender-role types and child-rearing gender-role attitude of the single-parents, as well as their children's gender role traits and family socio-economic status, on social adjustment. We recruited 458 pairs of single parents and their children aged 8-18 by purposive sampling. The research tools included the Family Socio-economic Status Questionnaire, Sex Role Scales, Parental Child-rearing Gender-role Attitude Scale and Social Adjustment Scale. The results indicated: (a) single mothers' and their daughters' feminine traits were both higher than their masculine traits, and sons' masculine traits were higher than their feminine traits; the majority gender-role type of single parents and their children was androgyny; significant differences were found between children's gender-role types depending on different raiser, the proportion of girls' masculine traits raised by single fathers was significantly higher than those who were raised by single mothers; (b) family socio-economic status and single parents' gender-role types positively influenced parental child-rearing gender-role attitude, which in turn, influenced the children's gender traits, and further affected children's social adjustment. © 2018 International Union of Psychological Science.

Perceived gender in clear and conversational speech

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booz, Jaime A.

Although many studies have examined acoustic and sociolinguistic differences between male and female speech, the relationship between talker speaking style and perceived gender has not yet been explored. The present study attempts to determine whether clear speech, a style adopted by talkers who perceive some barrier to effective communication, shifts perceptions of femininity for male and female talkers. Much of our understanding of gender perception in voice and speech is based on sustained vowels or single words, eliminating temporal, prosodic, and articulatory cues available in more naturalistic, connected speech. Thus, clear and conversational sentence stimuli, selected from the 41 talkers of the Ferguson Clear Speech Database (Ferguson, 2004) were presented to 17 normal-hearing listeners, aged 18 to 30. They rated the talkers' gender using a visual analog scale with "masculine" and "feminine" endpoints. This response method was chosen to account for within-category shifts of gender perception by allowing nonbinary responses. Mixed-effects regression analysis of listener responses revealed a small but significant effect of speaking style, and this effect was larger for male talkers than female talkers. Because of the high degree of talker variability observed for talker gender, acoustic analyses of these sentences were undertaken to determine the relationship between acoustic changes in clear and conversational speech and perceived femininity. Results of these analyses showed that mean fundamental frequency (fo) and f o standard deviation were significantly correlated to perceived gender for both male and female talkers, and vowel space was significantly correlated only for male talkers. Speaking rate and breathiness measures (CPPS) were not significantly related for either group. Outcomes of this study indicate that adopting a clear speaking style is correlated with increases in perceived femininity. Although the increase was small, some changes associated with making adjustments to improve speech clarity have a larger impact on perceived femininity than others. Using a clear speech strategy alone may not be sufficient for a male speaker to be perceived as female, but could be used as one of many tools to help speakers achieve more "feminine" speech, in conjunction with more specific strategies targeting the acoustic parameters outlined in this study.

Further evidence for population specific differences in the effect of DNA markers and gender on eye colour prediction in forensics.

PubMed

Pośpiech, Ewelina; Karłowska-Pik, Joanna; Ziemkiewicz, Bartosz; Kukla, Magdalena; Skowron, Małgorzata; Wojas-Pelc, Anna; Branicki, Wojciech

2016-07-01

The genetics of eye colour has been extensively studied over the past few years, and the identified polymorphisms have been applied with marked success in the field of Forensic DNA Phenotyping. A picture that arises from evaluation of the currently available eye colour prediction markers shows that only the analysis of HERC2-OCA2 complex has similar effectiveness in different populations, while the predictive potential of other loci may vary significantly. Moreover, the role of gender in the explanation of human eye colour variation should not be neglected in some populations. In the present study, we re-investigated the data for 1020 Polish individuals and using neural networks and logistic regression methods explored predictive capacity of IrisPlex SNPs and gender in this population sample. In general, neural networks provided higher prediction accuracy comparing to logistic regression (AUC increase by 0.02-0.06). Four out of six IrisPlex SNPs were associated with eye colour in the studied population. HERC2 rs12913832, OCA2 rs1800407 and SLC24A4 rs12896399 were found to be the most important eye colour predictors (p < 0.007) while the effect of rs16891982 in SLC45A2 was less significant. Gender was found to be significantly associated with eye colour with males having ~1.5 higher odds for blue eye colour comparing to females (p = 0.002) and was ranked as the third most important factor in blue/non-blue eye colour determination. However, the implementation of gender into the developed prediction models had marginal and ambiguous impact on the overall accuracy of prediction confirming that the effect of gender on eye colour in this population is small. Our study indicated the advantage of neural networks in prediction modeling in forensics and provided additional evidence for population specific differences in the predictive importance of the IrisPlex SNPs and gender.

Gender differences in teacher-student interactions in science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, M. Gail; Wheatley, Jack

1990-12-01

Thirty physical science and 30 chemistry classes, which contained a total of 1332 students, were observed using the Brophy-Good Teacher-Child Dyadic Interaction System. Classroom interactions were examined for gender differences that may contribute to the underrepresentation of women in physics and engineering courses and subsequent careers. The Brophy-Good coding process allows for examination of patterns of interactions for individuals and groups of pupils. An analysis of variance of the data yielded a significant main effect for teacher praise, call outs, procedural questions, and behavioral warnings based on the sex of the student and a significant teacher-sex main effect for direct questions. Significant two-way interactions were found for the behavioral warning variable for teacher sex and subject by student sex. Female teachers warned male students significantly more than female students. Male teachers warned both genders with similar frequency. Male students also received significantly more behavioral warnings in physical science classes than female students. In chemistry classes, both male and female students received approximately the same number of behavioral warnings.

Exploring the effects of adolescent perceptions of parenting in free time and gender on adolescent motivation in free time

Treesearch

Clifton E., Jr. Watts; Linda L. Caldwell

2007-01-01

This study examined how gender and perceptions of parenting related to adolescent motivation during free-time. The sample consisted of 377 ninthgraders from high schools in eastern Massachusetts. Significant gender differences were found for rules enacted, with females reporting more rules in place than males. When examining the relationship between parenting practices...

Culture but not gender modulates amygdala activation during explicit emotion recognition.

PubMed

Derntl, Birgit; Habel, Ute; Robinson, Simon; Windischberger, Christian; Kryspin-Exner, Ilse; Gur, Ruben C; Moser, Ewald

2012-05-29

Mounting evidence indicates that humans have significant difficulties in understanding emotional expressions from individuals of different ethnic backgrounds, leading to reduced recognition accuracy and stronger amygdala activation. However, the impact of gender on the behavioral and neural reactions during the initial phase of cultural assimilation has not been addressed. Therefore, we investigated 24 Asians students (12 females) and 24 age-matched European students (12 females) during an explicit emotion recognition task, using Caucasian facial expressions only, on a high-field MRI scanner. Analysis of functional data revealed bilateral amygdala activation to emotional expressions in Asian and European subjects. However, in the Asian sample, a stronger response of the amygdala emerged and was paralleled by reduced recognition accuracy, particularly for angry male faces. Moreover, no significant gender difference emerged. We also observed a significant inverse correlation between duration of stay and amygdala activation. In this study we investigated the "alien-effect" as an initial problem during cultural assimilation and examined this effect on a behavioral and neural level. This study has revealed bilateral amygdala activation to emotional expressions in Asian and European females and males. In the Asian sample, a stronger response of the amygdala bilaterally was observed and this was paralleled by reduced performance, especially for anger and disgust depicted by male expressions. However, no gender difference occurred. Taken together, while gender exerts only a subtle effect, culture and duration of stay as well as gender of poser are shown to be relevant factors for emotion processing, influencing not only behavioral but also neural responses in female and male immigrants.

Unequal depression for equal work? How the wage gap explains gendered disparities in mood disorders.

PubMed

Platt, Jonathan; Prins, Seth; Bates, Lisa; Keyes, Katherine

2016-01-01

Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are more prevalent among women than men. This disparity may be partially due to the effects of structural gender discrimination in the work force, which acts to perpetuate gender differences in opportunities and resources and may manifest as the gender wage gap. We sought to quantify and operationalize the wage gap in order to explain the gender disparity in depression and anxiety disorders, using data from a 2001-2002 US nationally representative survey of 22,581 working adults ages 30-65. Using established Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methods to account for gender differences in individual-level productivity, our models reduced the wage gap in our sample by 13.5%, from 54% of men's pay to 67.5% of men's pay. We created a propensity-score matched sample of productivity indicators to test if the direction of the wage gap moderated the effects of gender on depression or anxiety. Where female income was less than the matched male counterpart, odds of both disorders were significantly higher among women versus men (major depressive disorder OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.95-3.04; generalized anxiety disorder OR: 4.11, 95% CI: 2.80-6.02). Where female income was greater than the matched male, the higher odds ratios for women for both disorders were significantly attenuated (Major Depressive Disorder OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.96-1.52) (Generalized Anxiety Disorder OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.04-2.29). The test for effect modification by sex and wage gap direction was statistically significant for both disorders. Structural forms of discrimination may explain mental health disparities at the population level. Beyond prohibiting overt gender discrimination, policies must be created to address embedded inequalities in procedures surrounding labor markets and compensation in the workplace. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unequal Depression for Equal Work? How the wage gap explains gendered disparities in mood disorders

PubMed Central

Platt, Jonathan; Prins, Seth; Bates, Lisa; Keyes, Katherine

2016-01-01

Mood disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are more prevalent among women than men. This disparity may be partially due to the effects of structural gender discrimination in the work force, which acts to perpetuate gender differences in opportunities and resources and may manifest as the gender wage gap. We sought to quantify and operationalize the wage gap in order to explain the gender disparity in depression and anxiety disorders, using data from a 2001–2002 US nationally representative survey of 22,581 working adults ages 30–65. Using established Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition methods to account for gender differences in individual-level productivity, our models reduced the wage gap in our sample by 13.5%, from 54% of men’s pay to 67.5% of men’s pay. We created a propensity-score matched sample of productivity indicators to test if the direction of the wage gap moderated the effects of gender on depression or anxiety. Where female income was less than the matched male counterpart, odds of both disorders were significantly higher among women versus men (major depressive disorder OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.95–3.04; generalized anxiety disorder OR: 4.11, 95% CI: 2.80–6.02). Where female income was greater than the matched male, the higher odds ratios for women for both disorders were significantly attenuated (Major Depressive Disorder OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.96–1.52) (Generalized Anxiety Disorder OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.04–2.29). The test for effect modification by sex and wage gap direction was statistically significant for both disorders. Structural forms of discrimination may explain mental health disparities at the population level. Beyond prohibiting overt gender discrimination, policies must be created to address embedded inequalities in procedures surrounding labor markets and compensation in the workplace. PMID:26689629

Effects of Single-Gender Middle School Classes on Science Achievement and Attitude

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brooks, Tanisha

Many girls continue to achieve below their male counterparts and portray negative attitudes towards science classes. Some school districts are using single-gender education as a way to shrink the gender gap in school achievement and science related attitude. The purpose of this study was to compare achievement and science-related attitudes of 7th grade girls in single-gender education to 7th grade girls in mixed-gender education. The theoretical base for this study included knowledge from brain-based learning and assimilation, accommodation and age factors of Piaget's theory of cognitive development. The 12-week study included 48 7th grade girls, 21 in the single-gender classroom and 14 in each mixed-gender classroom. This quantitative randomized posttest only control group design utilized the TerraNova Science Assessment and the Test of Science Related Attitudes. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine if significant differences existed in the achievement and attitudes of girls in single and mixed-gender science classes. ANOVA analyses revealed that the girls in the single-gender classroom showed a significantly higher achievement level when compared to girls in the mixed-gender classrooms. Results showed no significant difference in attitude between the two groups. The results of this study contribute to social change by raising awareness about gender issues in science achievement and attitude, addressing a deficiency in the single-gender science education literature, and assisting educational systems in decision making to address achievement gaps while moving toward adequate yearly progress and meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Neural correlates of face gender discrimination learning.

PubMed

Su, Junzhu; Tan, Qingleng; Fang, Fang

2013-04-01

Using combined psychophysics and event-related potentials (ERPs), we investigated the effect of perceptual learning on face gender discrimination and probe the neural correlates of the learning effect. Human subjects were trained to perform a gender discrimination task with male or female faces. Before and after training, they were tested with the trained faces and other faces with the same and opposite genders. ERPs responding to these faces were recorded. Psychophysical results showed that training significantly improved subjects' discrimination performance and the improvement was specific to the trained gender, as well as to the trained identities. The training effect indicates that learning occurs at two levels-the category level (gender) and the exemplar level (identity). ERP analyses showed that the gender and identity learning was associated with the N170 latency reduction at the left occipital-temporal area and the N170 amplitude reduction at the right occipital-temporal area, respectively. These findings provide evidence for the facilitation model and the sharpening model on neuronal plasticity from visual experience, suggesting a faster processing speed and a sparser representation of face induced by perceptual learning.

Effects of age, education and gender on verbal fluency.

PubMed

Mathuranath, P S; George, A; Cherian, P J; Alexander, A; Sarma, S G; Sarma, P S

2003-12-01

The objective was to study the effects of age, education and gender on verbal fluency in cognitively unimpaired, older individuals. The methods used were as follows: cognitively unimpaired elderly (55-84 years) subjects (n=153), were administered category (animal) (CF) and letter (/pa/) (LF) fluency tasks, in their native language of Malayalam. Results and conclusions were (1) Level of education, but not age or gender, significantly influence LF. (2) Level of education (directly) and in the elderly subjects, age (inversely) affect CF. (3) Age, but not education, has a differential effect on the tasks of verbal fluency, influencing CF more than LF.

The effect of an intervention to break the gender bias habit for faculty at one institution: a cluster randomized, controlled trial.

PubMed

Carnes, Molly; Devine, Patricia G; Baier Manwell, Linda; Byars-Winston, Angela; Fine, Eve; Ford, Cecilia E; Forscher, Patrick; Isaac, Carol; Kaatz, Anna; Magua, Wairimu; Palta, Mari; Sheridan, Jennifer

2015-02-01

Despite sincere commitment to egalitarian, meritocratic principles, subtle gender bias persists, constraining women's opportunities for academic advancement. The authors implemented a pair-matched, single-blind, cluster randomized, controlled study of a gender-bias-habit-changing intervention at a large public university. Participants were faculty in 92 departments or divisions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Between September 2010 and March 2012, experimental departments were offered a gender-bias-habit-changing intervention as a 2.5-hour workshop. Surveys measured gender bias awareness; motivation, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations to reduce bias; and gender equity action. A timed word categorization task measured implicit gender/leadership bias. Faculty completed a work-life survey before and after all experimental departments received the intervention. Control departments were offered workshops after data were collected. Linear mixed-effects models showed significantly greater changes post intervention for faculty in experimental versus control departments on several outcome measures, including self-efficacy to engage in gender-equity-promoting behaviors (P = .013). When ≥ 25% of a department's faculty attended the workshop (26 of 46 departments), significant increases in self-reported action to promote gender equity occurred at three months (P = .007). Post intervention, faculty in experimental departments expressed greater perceptions of fit (P = .024), valuing of their research (P = .019), and comfort in raising personal and professional conflicts (P = .025). An intervention that facilitates intentional behavioral change can help faculty break the gender bias habit and change department climate in ways that should support the career advancement of women in academic medicine, science, and engineering.

Pedometer-determined physical activity of Western Kenyan children.

PubMed

Croteau, Karen; Schofield, Grant; Towle, George; Suresh, Vijiayarani

2011-08-01

It is speculated that rural Kenyan children are more physically active than those in developed countries. The purpose of this study was to examine pedometer-measured physical activity levels of western Kenyan youth. Participants in this study were children in Levels 3 and 5 who attended a private primary school. The sample (n = 72) consisted of 43 girls and 29 boys (average age = 9.8 ± 1.1, range = 8-12 years). Age, gender, tribe, and height and weight measures were collected. Weight status category was determined according to CDC guidelines. Participants wore a sealed Yamax pedometer for 4 weekdays during the measurement period. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and 2-way ANOVA (age × gender). The total sample averaged 14558 ± 3993 daily steps. There was no significant effect for age [F(4,68) = 1.682, P = .102] nor significant age × gender interaction [F(4,68)=1.956, P = .117]. There was a significant effect for gender [F(1,68) = 4.791, P = .033], with boys (16262 ± 4698) significantly more active than girls (13463 ± 3051). The observed daily steps are higher than those observed in the U.S., similar to samples in other developed countries, but lower than Amish youth.

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.

Associations between employee and manager gender: impacts on gender-specific risk of acute occupational injury in metal manufacturing.

PubMed

Kubo, Jessica T; Cullen, Mark R; Desai, Manisha; Modrek, Sepideh

2013-11-08

Prior research has shown increased risk of injury for female employees compared to male employees after controlling for job and tasks, but have not explored whether this increased risk might be moderated by manager gender. The gender of one's manager could in theory affect injury rates among male and female employees through their managers' response to an employee's psychosocial stress or through how employees differentially report injuries. Other explanations for the gender disparity in injury experience, such as ergonomic factors or differential training, are unlikely to be impacted by supervisor gender. This study seeks to explore whether an employee's manager's gender modifies the effect of employee gender with regards to risk of acute injury. A cohort of employees and managers were identified using human resources and injury management data between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2007 for six facilities of a large US aluminum manufacturing company. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to examine the interaction between employee gender and whether the employee had female only manager(s), male only manager(s), or both male and female managers on injury risk. Manager gender category was included as a time varying covariate and reassessed for each employee at the midpoint of each year. The percentage of departments with both female and male managers increased dramatically during the study period due to corporate efforts to increase female representation in management. After adjustment for fixed effects at the facility level and shared frailty by department, manager gender category does not appear to moderate the effect of employee gender (p = 0.717). Manager category was not a significant predictor (p = 0.093) of time to first acute injury. Similarly, having at least one female manager did not modify the hazard of injury for female employees compared to males (p = 0.899) and was not a significant predictor of time to first acute injury (p = 0.601). Prior findings suggest that female manufacturing employees are at higher risk for acute injury compared to males; this analysis suggests that this relationship is not affected by the gender of the employee's manager(s).

Effects of Three Pedagogies on Learning Outcomes in a Psychology of Gender Lecture: A Quasi-Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reber, Jeffrey S.; Downs, Samuel D.; Peterson Nelson, Julie A.

2017-01-01

This study employed a quasi-experimental design to test the effects of three pedagogies on learning outcomes in a simulated psychology of gender lecture. Results showed that meaning and relational pedagogies, as well as a combination of meaning, relational, and explanatory pedagogies, significantly improved participant learning beyond self-study…

The effects of gender, ethnicity, and a close relationship theme on perceptions of persons introducing a condom.

PubMed

Castaneda, D M; Collins, B E

1998-09-01

Perceptions of persons who introduce condoms in an ongoing sexual interaction, and the effects of gender and ethnicity on these perceptions, were explored in a study involving 243 students at a large, urban university in the western US. 133 of these students identified themselves as Mexican American; the remaining students indicated they were White. A vignette methodology was used to elicit perceptions of condom introducers on six scales (Nice, Exciting, Sexually Attractive, Promiscuous, Good Relationship Partner, Unpersonable/Personable). Data were analyzed in a 2 (gender of participant) x 2 (gender of condom introducer) x 3 (low acculturated Mexican American, high acculturated Mexican American, White) x 2 (presence/absence of close relationship theme) analysis of variance and covariance. In terms of the Nice Scale, women rated condom introducers significantly higher than men, female condom introducers were rated significantly higher than male introducers, and condom introducers who expressed a care and responsibility theme while introducing a condom were rated significantly higher than those who expressed no theme. On the Exciting Scale, women condom introducers were rated significantly higher than men. Condom introducers who expressed a care and responsibility theme were rated significantly higher than those who expressed no theme on the Good Relationship Partner scale. Men rated the female condom introducer significantly higher than women on the Promiscuous scale. Low acculturated Mexicans rated the female condom introducer significantly higher than the male introducer on the Promiscuous scale and rated the condom introducer significantly higher than Whites on the Sexually Attractive scale. These findings attest that many often contradictory interpersonal gender- and ethnicity-related perceptions operate in sexual encounters.

5-HTTLPR, anxiety and gender interaction moderates right amygdala volume in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Cerasa, Antonio; Quattrone, Aldo; Piras, Fabrizio; Mangone, Graziella; Magariello, Angela; Fagioli, Sabrina; Girardi, Paolo; Muglia, Maria; Caltagirone, Carlo; Spalletta, Gianfranco

2014-10-01

Genetic variants within the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) impact the neurobiology and risk for anxiety-related behaviours. There are also gender differences in the prevalence of anxiety-related behaviours. Although numerous studies have investigated the influence of 5-HTTLPR genotype on the neural systems involved in emotional regulation, none have investigated how these effects are modulated by gender and anxiety. We investigated this issue using two complementary region of interest-based structural neuroimaging approaches (voxel-based morphometry and Freesurfer) in 138 healthy individuals categorized into 'no anxiety' and 'subclinical anxiety' groups based on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAM-A). Preliminarily, using anxiety as a continuous variable, we found a significant interaction effect of genotype by gender on anxiety. Females homozygous for the Short allele showed the highest HAM-A scores and males the lowest. In addition, a three-way significant interaction among genotype, gender and anxiety category was found for the right amygdala volume. Post hoc tests revealed that homozygous females carrying the Short variant with a subclinical anxiety condition had larger volume. The reported interaction effects demonstrate that gender strongly modulates the relationship between 5-HTTLPR genotype and subclinical expression of anxiety acting on amygdala, one region of the emotional neural network specifically involved in the anxiety-like behaviours. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Measuring Gender Dysphoria: A Multicenter Examination and Comparison of the Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale and the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults.

PubMed

Schneider, Catharina; Cerwenka, Susanne; Nieder, Timo O; Briken, Peer; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; De Cuypere, Griet; Haraldsen, Ira R; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P C; Richter-Appelt, Hertha

2016-04-01

This study examined two instruments measuring gender dysphoria within the multicenter study of the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI). The Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale (UGDS) and the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults (GIDYQ-AA) were examined for their definitions of gender dysphoria and their psychometric properties, and evaluated for their congruence in assessing the construct. The sample of 318 participants consisted of 178 male-to-females (MtF) and 140 female-to-males (FtM) who were recruited from the four ENIGI gender clinics. Both instruments were significantly correlated in the group of MtFs. For the FtM group, there was a trend in the same direction but smaller. Gender dysphoria was found to be defined differently in the two instruments, which led to slightly different findings regarding the subgroups. The UGDS detected a difference between the subgroups of early and late onset of gender identity disorder in the group of MtFs, whereas the GIDYQ-AA did not. For the FtM group, no significant effect of age of onset was found. Therefore, both instruments seem to capture not only similar but also different aspects of gender dysphoria. The UGDS focusses on bodily aspects, gender identity, and gender role, while the GIDYQ-AA addresses subjective, somatic, social, and sociolegal aspects. For future research, consistency in theory and definition of gender dysphoria is needed and should be in line with the DSM-5 diagnosis of gender dysphoria in adolescents and adults.

A Gender Analysis of the Study of the Pharmacotherapy of Psychotic Depression (STOP-PD): gender and age as predictors of response and treatment-associated changes in body mass index and metabolic measures

PubMed Central

Deligiannidis, Kristina M.; Rothschild, Anthony J.; Barton, Bruce A.; Kroll-Desrosiers, Aimee R.; Meyers, Barnett S.; Flint, Alastair J.; Whyte, Ellen M.; Mulsant, Benoit H.

2014-01-01

Background: Gender differences exist in psychiatric disorders; however gender has not been well studied in psychotic depression. This analysis of the largest clinical trial in psychotic depression examined the effects of age and gender on clinical characteristics and predictors of treatment outcome and treatment-associated changes in body mass index (BMI) and metabolic measures. Methods: Analyses were performed on data from 259 subjects aged 18-93 in the double-blind randomized controlled trial of olanzapine plus sertraline (OLZ/SERT) vs. olanzapine plus placebo (OLZ/PBO) for psychotic depression (STOP-PD). Sociodemographic factors, clinical characteristics, treatment outcome and treatment-associated changes in BMI and metabolic measures were analyzed by gender and age. Results: Female gender was associated with divorced (χ2=5.3, d.f.=1, p=0.03) or widowed (χ2=8.1, d.f.=1, p=<0.01) marital status. Co-morbid anxiety disorders were more common in females than males (χ2=4.9, d.f.=1, p=0.03). Hallucinations(χ2=7.8, d.f.=1, p=0.005) and delusions with disorganization (t-test= −2.10, d.f. =257, p=0.04) were significantly associated with female gender as were higher cholesterol measures( χ2=7.15, d.f.=1, p=0.008).There were no significant interactions between treatment and gender in terms of change in BMI. Gender was not associated with treatment response. Discussion: This is the first analysis of gender and age as predictors of treatment outcome and treatment-associated changes in BMI and metabolic adverse effects in psychotic depression. Gender differences exist in patients with psychotic depression, most notably the presence of hallucinations. Female gender was associated with metabolic measures. Future studies with larger sample sizes may detect small gender differences in treatment outcome and treatment-associated changes in BMI and metabolic measures in psychotic depression. PMID:24229753

Gender-transformative health promotion for women: a framework for action

PubMed Central

Pederson, Ann; Greaves, Lorraine; Poole, Nancy

2015-01-01

Gender inequity is a pervasive global challenge to health equity. Health promotion, as a field, has paid only limited attention to gender inequity to date, but could be an active agent of change if gender equity became an explicit goal of health promotion research, policy and programmes. As an aspect of gendered health systems, health promotion interventions may maintain, exacerbate or reduce gender-related health inequities, depending upon the degree and quality of gender-responsiveness within the programme or policy. This article introduces a framework for gender-transformative health promotion that builds on understanding gender as a determinant of health and outlines a continuum of actions to address gender and health. Gender-transformative health promotion interventions could play a significant role in improving the lives of millions of girls and women worldwide. Gender-related principles of action are identified that extend the core principles of health promotion but reflect the significance of attending to gender in the development and use of evidence, engagement of stakeholders and selection of interventions. We illustrate the framework with examples from a range of women's health promotion activities, including cardiovascular disease prevention, tobacco control, and alcohol use. The literature suggests that gender-responsiveness will enhance the acceptance, relevance and effectiveness of health promotion interventions. By moving beyond responsiveness to transformation, gender-transformative health promotion could enhance both health and social outcomes for large numbers of women and men, girls and boys. PMID:25231058

Gender identity and substance use among students in two high schools in Monterrey, Mexico

PubMed Central

Kulis, Stephen; Marsiglia, Flavio Francisco; Lingard, Erin Chase; Nieri, Tanya; Nagoshi, Julieann

2011-01-01

This study explored relationships between several hypothesized dimensions of gender identity and substance use outcomes within a non-probability sample of adolescents in Monterrey, Mexico. Based on Mexican concepts of machismo and marianismo, four gender identity constructs were measured: aggressive masculinity, assertive masculinity, affective femininity and submissive femininity. The study assessed how well these gender identity measures predicted substance use behaviors, substance use intentions, expectancies, and normative approval, and exposure and vulnerability to substance offers. Data were drawn from questionnaires completed by 327 students from 2 Monterrey secondary schools. Multivariate ordered logistic and linear regression analyses, adjusted for school level effects, indicated that aggressive masculinity was associated with higher risk of drug use on most outcomes, while affective femininity was associated with lower risk on selected outcomes. Assertive masculinity was associated with only one of the outcomes examined and submissive femininity with none of them. Most gender identity effects persisted after controlling for biological sex, academic performance, age, and other gender identity measures. For two of the outcomes, the gender identity measures had significantly stronger effects for males than for females. The findings are interpreted in light of males’ higher risk for drug use and changes in gender roles and gendered behavior that are now occurring in Mexico as in the U.S. PMID:18329826

Gender identity and substance use among students in two high schools in Monterrey, Mexico.

PubMed

Kulis, Stephen; Marsiglia, Flavio Francisco; Lingard, Erin Chase; Nieri, Tanya; Nagoshi, Julieann

2008-06-01

This study explored relationships between several hypothesized dimensions of gender identity and substance use outcomes within a non-probability sample of adolescents in Monterrey, Mexico. Based on Mexican concepts of machismo and marianismo, four gender identity constructs were measured: aggressive masculinity, assertive masculinity, affective femininity and submissive femininity. The study assessed how well these gender identity measures predicted substance use behaviors, substance use intentions, expectancies, and normative approval, and exposure and vulnerability to substance offers. Data were drawn from questionnaires completed by 327 students from 2 Monterrey secondary schools. Multivariate ordered logistic and linear regression analyses, adjusted for school level effects, indicated that aggressive masculinity was associated with higher risk of drug use on most outcomes, while affective femininity was associated with lower risk on selected outcomes. Assertive masculinity was associated with only one of the outcomes examined and submissive femininity with none of them. Most gender identity effects persisted after controlling for biological sex, academic performance, age, and other gender identity measures. For two of the outcomes, the gender identity measures had significantly stronger effects for males than for females. The findings are interpreted in light of males' higher risk for drug use and changes in gender roles and gendered behavior that are now occurring in Mexico as in the U.S.

Gender effect on discrimination of location and frequency in surface electrical stimulation.

PubMed

Geng, Bo; Paramanathan, Senthoopiya A; Pedersen, Karina F; Lauridsen, Mette V; Gade, Julie; Lontis, Romulus; Jensen, Winnie

2015-01-01

This work investigated the gender effect on discrimination of surface electrical stimulation applied on the human forearm. Three experiments were conducted to examine the abilty of discriminating stimulation frequency, location, or both parameters in 14 healthy subjects. The results indicated a statistically significant impact of gender on the discrimination performance in all the three experiments (p <; 0.01, p <; 0.01, and p <; 0.001, respectively). The female group performed noticeably better than the male group (i.e., mean difference 15.4%, 11.9%, and 16.7% in repective experiment). The findings may provide evidence of gender difference in perceiving and interpreting electrical stimulation. Considering the gender difference may improve the efficacy of electrically evoked sensory feedback in applications such as prosthetic use and pain relief.

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.

Peer influence on gender identity development in adolescence.

PubMed

Kornienko, Olga; Santos, Carlos E; Martin, Carol Lynn; Granger, Kristen L

2016-10-01

During adolescence, gender identity (GI) develops through a dialectic process of personal reflection and with input from the social environment. Peers play an important role in the socialization of gendered behavior, but no studies to-date have assessed peer influences on GI. Thus, the goal of the present study was to examine peer influences on four aspects of adolescents' GI in racially and ethnically diverse 7th- and 8th-grade students (N = 670; 49.5% boys, M age = 12.64) using a longitudinal social network modeling approach. We hypothesized stronger peer influence effects on between-gender dimensions of GI (intergroup bias and felt pressure for gender conformity) than on within-gender dimensions of GI (typicality and contentedness). Consistent with expectations, we found significant peer influence on between-gender components of GI-intergroup bias among 7th and 8th graders as well as felt pressure for gender conformity among 8th graders. In contrast, within-gender components of GI showed no evidence of peer influence. Importantly, these peer socialization effects were evident even when controlling for tendencies to select friends who were similar on gender, gender typicality, and contentedness (8th graders only). Employing longitudinal social network analyses provides insights into and clarity about the roles of peers in gender development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Two-year controlled effectiveness trial of a school-based intervention to prevent obesity in Chilean children.

PubMed

Kain, Juliana; Leyton, Barbara; Cerda, Ricardo; Vio, Fernando; Uauy, Ricardo

2009-09-01

Obesity prevalence among Chilean children is 19.4%. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a school-based obesity prevention programme. Non-randomized controlled study. The intervention included activities in nutrition and physical activity, fully applied the first year and partially in the second one. Primary outcomes were BMI Z-score (BMIZ) and obesity prevalence; secondary outcomes were waist circumference and triceps skinfold thickness. Time effects were assessed by changes in BMI-related variables by gender and period (ANOVA and Tukey test), while intervention effects were determined by comparing changes in (i) obesity prevalence by gender and period (PROC GENMOD) and (ii) BMIZ according gender, age and period (PROC MIXED). Primary schools in the Chilean cities of Casablanca (intervention group) and Quillota (control group). One thousand seven hundred and fifty-nine children from three schools (intervention group) and 671 from one school (control group). Over the two years, obesity prevalence and BMIZ declined significantly in the intervention group; from 17.0% to 12.3% and 14.1% to 10.3% in boys and girls, respectively, and from 0.62 to 0.53 and 0.64 to 0.58, respectively. In the control group, obesity remained stable at about 21% and 15%, while BMIZ increased significantly in the second year. BMIZ declined in both genders and all age categories in the intervention group during the first year (significant only in younger boys). No changes occurred during the summer, while during the second year, BMIZ increased in boys and girls from both groups (significant only in the younger control boys). Obesity declined significantly only in boys during the first year. Effectiveness was greater in the first school year and more evident in younger boys.

Relationship between affect and achievement in science and mathematics in Malaysia and Singapore

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thoe Ng, Khar; Fah Lay, Yoon; Areepattamannil, Shaljan; Treagust, David F.; Chandrasegaran, A. L.

2012-11-01

Background : The Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assesses the quality of the teaching and learning of science and mathematics among Grades 4 and 8 students across participating countries. Purpose : This study explored the relationship between positive affect towards science and mathematics and achievement in science and mathematics among Malaysian and Singaporean Grade 8 students. Sample : In total, 4466 Malaysia students and 4599 Singaporean students from Grade 8 who participated in TIMSS 2007 were involved in this study. Design and method : Students' achievement scores on eight items in the survey instrument that were reported in TIMSS 2007 were used as the dependent variable in the analysis. Students' scores on four items in the TIMSS 2007 survey instrument pertaining to students' affect towards science and mathematics together with students' gender, language spoken at home and parental education were used as the independent variables. Results : Positive affect towards science and mathematics indicated statistically significant predictive effects on achievement in the two subjects for both Malaysian and Singaporean Grade 8 students. There were statistically significant predictive effects on mathematics achievement for the students' gender, language spoken at home and parental education for both Malaysian and Singaporean students, with R 2 = 0.18 and 0.21, respectively. However, only parental education showed statistically significant predictive effects on science achievement for both countries. For Singapore, language spoken at home also demonstrated statistically significant predictive effects on science achievement, whereas gender did not. For Malaysia, neither gender nor language spoken at home had statistically significant predictive effects on science achievement. Conclusions : It is important for educators to consider implementing self-concept enhancement intervention programmes by incorporating 'affect' components of academic self-concept in order to develop students' talents and promote academic excellence in science and mathematics.

Gender mix in twins and fetal growth, length of gestation and adult cancer risk.

PubMed

Luke, Barbara; Hediger, Mary; Min, Sung-Joon; Brown, Morton B; Misiunas, Ruta B; Gonzalez-Quintero, Victor Hugo; Nugent, Clark; Witter, Frank R; Newman, Roger B; Hankins, Gary D V; Grainger, David A; Macones, George A

2005-01-01

This study evaluated the effect of gender mix (the gender combinations of twin pairs) on fetal growth and length of gestation, and reviewed the literature on the long-term effects of this altered fetal milieu on cancer risk. In singletons, it is well established that females weigh less than males at all gestations, averaging 125-135 g less at full term. This gender difference is generally believed to be the result of the effect of androgens on fetal growth. The gender difference in fetal growth is greater before the third trimester and less towards term, with males growing not only more, but also earlier than females. Plurality is a known risk factor for reduced fetal growth and birthweight. Compared with singletons, the mean birthweight percentiles of twins fall substantially (by 10% or more) below the singleton 10th percentile by 28 weeks, below the singleton 50th percentile by 30 weeks, and below the singleton 90th percentile by 34 weeks. In unlike-gender twin pairs, it has been reported that the female prolongs gestation for her brother, resulting in a higher birthweight for the male twin than that of like-gender male twins. Other researchers have demonstrated that females in unlike-gender pairs had higher birthweights than females in like-gender pairs. Analyses from our consortium on 2491 twin pregnancies with known chorionicity showed longer gestations and faster rates of fetal growth in both males and females in unlike-gender pairs compared with like-gender male or female pairs, although these differences were not statistically significant. The post-natal effects for females growing in an androgenic-anabolic environment include increased sensation-seeking behaviour and aggression, lowered visual acuity, more masculine attitudes and masculinising effects of the auditory system and craniofacial growth. In contrast, there is no evidence to suggest that there might be a similar feminising effect on males from unlike-gender pairs. This hormonal exposure in utero may influence adult body size and susceptability to breast cancer.

The effect of astaxanthin on the aging rat brain: gender-related differences in modulating inflammation.

PubMed

Balietti, Marta; Giannubilo, Stefano R; Giorgetti, Belinda; Solazzi, Moreno; Turi, Angelo; Casoli, Tiziana; Ciavattini, Andrea; Fattorettia, Patrizia

2016-01-30

Astaxanthin (Ax) is a ketocarotenoid of the xanthophyll family with activities such as antioxidation, preservation of the integrity of cell membranes and protection of the redox state and functional integrity of mitochondria. The aim of this study was to investigate potential gender-related differences in the effect of Ax on the aging rat brain. In females, interleukin 1 beta (IL1β) was significantly lower in treated rats in both cerebral areas, and in the cerebellum, treated animals also had significantly higher IL10. In males, no differences were found in the cerebellum, but in the hippocampus, IL1β and IL10 were significantly higher in treated rats. These are the first results to show gender-related differences in the effect of Ax on the aging brain, emphasizing the necessity to carefully analyze female and male peculiarities when the anti-aging potentialities of this ketocarotenoid are evaluated. The observations lead to the hypothesis that Ax exerts different anti-inflammatory effects in female and male brains. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Approaches to the study of gender in marriage and family therapy curricula.

PubMed

Filkowski, M B; Storm, C L; York, C D; Brandon, A D

2001-01-01

This study compares two accredited marriage and family therapy programs: One includes a separate course on gender, and the other integrates gender throughout the curriculum. Students from the two programs rated their own and their peers' experience of how gender education effects therapy, program culture, and personal life. Results indicate that students from the integrated program view their peers as incorporating gender ideas in therapy to a significantly greater extent (t = 2.83, p < .05) than do students in the gender course program. However, students from the program that has a gender course leaned more toward agreement with feminist concepts than did students from the integrated program. Overall, students appear to be learning about gender and integrating these concepts into their work as therapists. Discussion is included on how to choose a gender curriculum.

Smoking cue reactivity across massed extinction trials: negative affect and gender effects.

PubMed

Collins, Bradley N; Nair, Uma S; Komaroff, Eugene

2011-04-01

Designing and implementing cue exposure procedures to treat nicotine dependence remains a challenge. This study tested the hypothesis that gender and negative affect (NA) influence changes in smoking urge over time using data from a pilot project testing the feasibility of massed extinction procedures. Forty-three smokers and ex-smokers completed the behavioral laboratory procedures. All participants were over 17 years old, smoked at least 10 cigarettes daily over the last year (or the year prior to quitting) and had expired CO below 10 ppm at the beginning of the ~4-hour session. After informed consent, participants completed 45 min of baseline assessments, and then completed a series of 12 identical, 5-minute exposure trials with inter-trial breaks. Smoking cues included visual, tactile, and olfactory cues with a lit cigarette, in addition to smoking-related motor behaviors without smoking. After each trial, participants reported urge and negative affect (NA). Logistic growth curve models supported the hypothesis that across trials, participants would demonstrate an initial linear increase followed by a decrease in smoking urge (quadratic effect). Data supported hypothesized gender, NA, and gender×NA effects. Significant linear increases in urge were observed among high and low NA males, but not among females in either NA subgroup. A differential quadratic effect showed a significant decrease in urge for the low NA subgroup, but a non-significant decrease in urge in the high NA group. This is the first study to demonstrate gender differences and the effects of NA on the extinction process using a smoking cue exposure paradigm. Results could guide future cue reactivity research and exposure interventions for nicotine dependence. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

The Effects of School Entry Age and Gender on Reading Achievement Scores of Second Grade Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trapp, Carol M.

A study determined if either school entry age or gender had any effect on the reading achievement of 121 second-grade students from the Metuchen, New Jersey, public school district. The subjects were administered the California Achievement Test in the Spring of 1994. Results indicated that late starters scored significantly better than early…

Effects of Medical Interventions on Gender Dysphoria and Body Image: A Follow-Up Study

PubMed Central

van de Grift, Tim C.; Elaut, Els; Cerwenka, Susanne C.; Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T.; De Cuypere, Griet; Richter-Appelt, Hertha; Kreukels, Baudewijntje P.C.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Objective The aim of this study from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence is to investigate the status of all individuals who had applied for gender confirming interventions from 2007 to 2009, irrespective of whether they received treatment. The current article describes the study protocol, the effect of medical treatment on gender dysphoria and body image, and the predictive value of (pre)treatment factors on posttreatment outcomes. Methods Data were collected on medical interventions, transition status, gender dysphoria (Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale), and body image (Body Image Scale for transsexuals). In total, 201 people participated in the study (37% of the original cohort). Results At follow-up, 29 participants (14%) did not receive medical interventions, 36 hormones only (18%), and 136 hormones and surgery (68%). Most transwomen had undergone genital surgery, and most transmen chest surgery. Overall, the levels of gender dysphoria and body dissatisfaction were significantly lower at follow-up compared with clinical entry. Satisfaction with therapy responsive and unresponsive body characteristics both improved. High dissatisfaction at admission and lower psychological functioning at follow-up were associated with persistent body dissatisfaction. Conclusions Hormone-based interventions and surgery were followed by improvements in body satisfaction. The level of psychological symptoms and the degree of body satisfaction at baseline were significantly associated with body satisfaction at follow-up. PMID:28319558

The impact of single-gender classrooms on science achievement of middle school gifted girls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulkins, David S.

Studies indicate a gap in science achievement and positive attitudes towards science between gifted male and female students with females performing less than the males. This study investigated the impact of a single-gender classroom environment as opposed to a mixed-gender classroom, on motivation, locus of control, self-concept, and science achievement of middle school gifted girls. The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), Review of Personal Effectiveness with Locus of Control (ROPELOC), Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA), and Stanford Achievement Test 10th Edition, were used to measure the dependent variables respectively. The independent-measure t test was used to compare the differences between girls in a single-gender classroom with the ones in a mixed-gender classroom. A significant difference in the external locus of control resulted for girls in the single gender classroom. However, there were no significant differences found in science achievement, motivation, and the attitudes toward science between the two groups. The implication is that a single-gender learning environment and the use of differentiated teaching strategies can help lessen the negative effects of societal stereotypes in today's classrooms. These, along with being cognizant of the differences in learning styles of girls and their male counterparts, will result in a greater level of success for gifted females in the area of science education.

Cerebro- and Cardio-vascular Responses to Energy Drink in Young Adults: Is there a Gender Effect?

PubMed

Monnard, Cathríona R; Montani, Jean-Pierre; Grasser, Erik K

2016-01-01

Energy drinks (EDs) are suspected to induce potential adverse cardiovascular effects and have recently been shown to reduce cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) in young, healthy subjects. Gender differences in CBFV in response to EDs have not previously been investigated, despite the fact that women are more prone to cardiovascular disturbances such as neurocardiogenic syncope than men. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore gender differences in cerebrovascular and cardiovascular responses to EDs. We included 45 subjects in a retrospective analysis of pooled data from two previous randomized trials carried out in our laboratory with similar protocols. Beat-to-beat blood pressure, impedance cardiography, transcranial Doppler, and end-tidal carbon dioxide (etCO2) measurements were made for at least 20 min baseline and for 80 min following the ingestion of 355 mL of a sugar-sweetened ED. Gender and time differences in cerebrovascular and cardiovascular parameters were investigated. CBFV was significantly reduced in response to ED, with the greatest reduction observed in women compared with men (-12.3 ± 0.8 vs. -9.7 ± 0.8%, P < 0.05). Analysis of variance indicated significant time (P < 0.01) and gender × time (P < 0.01) effects. The percentage change in CBFV in response to ED was independent of body weight and etCO2. No significant gender difference in major cardiovascular parameters in response to ED was observed. ED ingestion reduced CBFV over time, with a greater reduction observed in women compared with men. Our results have potential implications for women ED consumers, as well as high-risk individuals.

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

PubMed

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

2017-12-01

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

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.

Intertwined effects of gender and migration status on persistence in SET study programmes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guenther, Elisabeth Anna; Koeszegi, Sabine Theresia

2017-11-01

This paper explores the intersectional interference of gender and migration status on students' persistence at an Austrian University of Technology. While controlling for the pre-university education and performance indicators, we estimate the odds for the persistence of male and female students, as well as of students with diverse migration statuses. We use the enrolment data of students from 1998 to 2010. The analysis reveals remarkable and significant effects of gender and migration status, as well as intersectional interference effects from both social categories on persistence. Female and students with immigration status are less likely to persist, even if performance and previous relevant experiences are controlled. A segregated analysis of the student population sheds further light on the interlocked and entangled effects of the social ascriptions underlying gender and migration status. The analysis supports the proposition of the accumulation of (dis-)advantages along students' careers. The profound quantification of gender and migration status effects can be utilised as basis for further research and purposeful policy measures to increase persistence in Science, Engineering and Technology for students with diverse backgrounds.

Effect of an Intervention to Break the Gender Bias Habit for Faculty at One Institution: A Cluster Randomized, Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Carnes, Molly; Devine, Patricia G.; Manwell, Linda Baier; Byars-Winston, Angela; Fine, Eve; Ford, Cecilia E.; Forscher, Patrick; Isaac, Carol; Kaatz, Anna; Magua, Wairimu; Palta, Mari; Sheridan, Jennifer

2014-01-01

Purpose Despite sincere commitment to egalitarian, meritocratic principles, subtle gender bias persists, constraining women’s opportunities for academic advancement. The authors implemented a pair-matched, single-blind, cluster-randomized, controlled study of a gender bias habit-changing intervention at a large public university. Method Participants were faculty in 92 departments or divisions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Between September 2010 and March 2012, experimental departments were offered a gender bias habit-changing intervention as a 2.5 hour workshop. Surveys measured gender bias awareness; motivation, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations to reduce bias; and gender equity action. A timed word categorization task measured implicit gender/leadership bias. Faculty completed a worklife survey before and after all experimental departments received the intervention. Control departments were offered workshops after data were collected. Results Linear mixed-effects models showed significantly greater changes post-intervention for faculty in experimental vs. control departments on several outcome measures, including self-efficacy to engage in gender equity promoting behaviors (P = .013). When ≥ 25% of a department’s faculty attended the workshop (26 of 46 departments), significant increases in self-reported action to promote gender equity occurred at 3 months (P = .007). Post-intervention, faculty in experimental departments expressed greater perceptions of fit (P = .024), valuing of their research (P = .019), and comfort in raising personal and professional conflicts (P = .025). Conclusions An intervention that facilitates intentional behavioral change can help faculty break the gender bias habit and change department climate in ways that should support the career advancement of women in academic medicine, science, and engineering. PMID:25374039

Psychosocial Functioning and Health-Related Quality of Life Associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Male and Female Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans: The VALOR Registry.

PubMed

Fang, Shona C; Schnurr, Paula P; Kulish, Andrea L; Holowka, Darren W; Marx, Brian P; Keane, Terence M; Rosen, Raymond

2015-12-01

Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from high rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Given the growing number of women in the military, there is a critical need to understand the nature and extent of potential gender differences in PTSD-associated psychosocial functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF)/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) veterans, which has not been studied to date. We used data from a gender-balanced national patient registry of warzone-deployed OEF/OIF veterans (Project VALOR: Veterans After-Discharge Longitudinal Registry) to determine the impact of gender on PTSD-related psychosocial functioning and HRQOL in 1,530 United States Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans (50% female) with and without PTSD. Overall psychosocial functioning was assessed with the Inventory of Psychosocial Functioning (IPF) and mental and physical HRQOL with the Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12) Mental and Physical Component Summary scores, respectively. Stratified linear regression models estimated gender-specific associations, controlling for demographic, deployment, and postdeployment factors. Interaction models tested for significant effect moderation by gender. In gender-stratified models, PTSD was strongly associated with higher IPF scores (greater functional impairment), with similar associations by gender. PTSD was also associated with lower Mental Component Summary scores (lower mental HRQOL) in both men and women, with no evidence of effect moderation by gender. PTSD was associated with lower Physical Component Summery scores in women but not men in adjusted models; however, interactions were not significant. PTSD among warzone-deployed OEF/OIF veterans is associated with significant impairments in both overall psychosocial functioning and HRQOL, with associations that are largely similar by gender. Findings support the need for thorough and continuous assessment of functional impairment and HRQOL during treatment of PTSD for both male and female OEF/OIF veterans.

Effects of gender and regional dialect on prosodic patterns in American English

PubMed Central

Clopper, Cynthia G.; Smiljanic, Rajka

2011-01-01

While cross-dialect prosodic variation has been well established for many languages, most variationist research on regional dialects of American English has focused on the vowel system. The current study was designed to explore prosodic variation in read speech in two regional varieties of American English: Southern and Midland. Prosodic dialect variation was analyzed in two domains: speaking rate and the phonetic expression of pitch movements associated with accented and phrase-final syllables. The results revealed significant effects of regional dialect on the distributions of pauses, pitch accents, and phrasal-boundary tone combinations. Significant effects of talker gender were also observed on the distributions of pitch accents and phrasal-boundary tone combinations. The findings from this study demonstrate that regional and gender identity features are encoded in part through prosody, and provide further motivation for the close examination of prosodic patterns across regional and social varieties of American English. PMID:21686317

Physical education teachers' attitudes towards children with intellectual disability: the impact of time in service, gender, and previous acquaintance.

PubMed

Ozer, D; Nalbant, S; Aǧlamıș, E; Baran, F; Kaya Samut, P; Aktop, A; Hutzler, Y

2013-11-01

This study investigated attitudes towards teaching students with intellectual disability (ID) within a representative sample of secondary school physical education (PE) teachers, and to determine the effects of age, gender, teaching experience, and having acquaintance with ID and students with ID on their attitudes. Participants were 729 secondary school PE teachers who worked in 81 major cities of Turkey. The Teachers Attitudes towards Children with Intellectual Disability Scale was administered. The statistical analysis revealed that there was no significant effect on factors and total attitudes scores of gender and having students with ID. Significant effects on factors and total attitudes score were found in teaching experiences and having acquaintance with ID. It is encouraged to maintain and further develop in-service education programmes of adapted physical activity for PE teachers. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

Lifelong consumption of sodium selenite: gender differences on blood-brain barrier permeability in convulsive, hypoglycemic rats.

PubMed

Seker, F Burcu; Akgul, Sibel; Oztas, Baria

2008-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of hypoglycemia and induced convulsions on the blood-brain barrier permeability in rats with or without lifelong administration of sodium selenite. There is a significant decrease of the blood-brain barrier permeability in three brain regions of convulsive, hypoglycemic male rats treated with sodium selenite when compared to sex-matched untreated rats (p<0.05), but the decrease was not significant in female rats (p>0.05). The blood-brain barrier permeability of the left and right hemispheres of untreated, moderately hypoglycemic convulsive rats of both genders was better than their untreated counterparts (p<0.05). Our results suggest that moderate hypoglycemia and lifelong treatment with sodium selenite have a protective effect against blood-brain barrier permeability during convulsions and that the effects of sodium selenite are gender-dependent.

Visualizing topography: Effects of presentation strategy, gender, and spatial ability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McAuliffe, Carla

2003-10-01

This study investigated the effect of different presentation strategies (2-D static visuals, 3-D animated visuals, and 3-D interactive, animated visuals) and gender on achievement, time-spent-on visual treatment, and attitude during a computer-based science lesson about reading and interpreting topographic maps. The study also examined the relationship of spatial ability and prior knowledge to gender, achievement, and time-spent-on visual treatment. Students enrolled in high school chemistry-physics were pretested and given two spatial ability tests. They were blocked by gender and randomly assigned to one of three levels of presentation strategy or the control group. After controlling for the effects of spatial ability and prior knowledge with analysis of covariance, three significant differences were found between the versions: (a) the 2-D static treatment group scored significantly higher on the posttest than the control group; (b) the 3-D animated treatment group scored significantly higher on the posttest than the control group; and (c) the 2-D static treatment group scored significantly higher on the posttest than the 3-D interactive animated treatment group. Furthermore, the 3-D interactive animated treatment group spent significantly more time on the visual screens than the 2-D static treatment group. Analyses of student attitudes revealed that most students felt the landform visuals in the computer-based program helped them learn, but not in a way they would describe as fun. Significant differences in attitude were found by treatment and by gender. In contrast to findings from other studies, no gender differences were found on either of the two spatial tests given in this study. Cognitive load, cognitive involvement, and solution strategy are offered as three key factors that may help explain the results of this study. Implications for instructional design include suggestions about the use of 2-D static, 3-D animated and 3-D interactive animations as well as a recommendation about the inclusion of pretests in similar instructional programs. Areas for future research include investigating the effects of combinations of presentation strategies, continuing to examine the role of spatial ability in science achievement, and gaining cognitive insights about what it is that students do when learning to read and interpret topographic maps.

Gender Variations in the Effects of Number of Organizational Memberships, Number of Social Networking Sites, and Grade-Point Average on Global Social Responsibility in Filipino University Students

PubMed Central

Lee, Romeo B.; Baring, Rito V.; Sta. Maria, Madelene A.

2016-01-01

The study seeks to estimate gender variations in the direct effects of (a) number of organizational memberships, (b) number of social networking sites (SNS), and (c) grade-point average (GPA) on global social responsibility (GSR); and in the indirect effects of (a) and of (b) through (c) on GSR. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from questionnaire interviews involving 3,173 Filipino university students. Based on a path model, the three factors were tested to determine their inter-relationships and their relationships with GSR. The direct and total effects of the exogenous factors on the dependent variable are statistically significantly robust. The indirect effects of organizational memberships on GSR through GPA are also statistically significant, but the indirect effects of SNS on GSR through GPA are marginal. Men and women significantly differ only in terms of the total effects of their organizational memberships on GSR. The lack of broad gender variations in the effects of SNS, organizational memberships and GPA on GSR may be linked to the relatively homogenous characteristics and experiences of the university students interviewed. There is a need for more path models to better understand the predictors of GSR in local students. PMID:27247700

Gender Variations in the Effects of Number of Organizational Memberships, Number of Social Networking Sites, and Grade-Point Average on Global Social Responsibility in Filipino University Students.

PubMed

Lee, Romeo B; Baring, Rito V; Sta Maria, Madelene A

2016-02-01

The study seeks to estimate gender variations in the direct effects of (a) number of organizational memberships, (b) number of social networking sites (SNS), and (c) grade-point average (GPA) on global social responsibility (GSR); and in the indirect effects of (a) and of (b) through (c) on GSR. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from questionnaire interviews involving 3,173 Filipino university students. Based on a path model, the three factors were tested to determine their inter-relationships and their relationships with GSR. The direct and total effects of the exogenous factors on the dependent variable are statistically significantly robust. The indirect effects of organizational memberships on GSR through GPA are also statistically significant, but the indirect effects of SNS on GSR through GPA are marginal. Men and women significantly differ only in terms of the total effects of their organizational memberships on GSR. The lack of broad gender variations in the effects of SNS, organizational memberships and GPA on GSR may be linked to the relatively homogenous characteristics and experiences of the university students interviewed. There is a need for more path models to better understand the predictors of GSR in local students.

Impact of Air Pollution on Age and Gender Related Increase in Cough Reflex Sensitivity of Healthy Children in Slovakia

PubMed Central

Demoulin-Alexikova, Silvia; Plevkova, Jana; Mazurova, Lenka; Zatko, Tomas; Alexik, Mikulas; Hanacek, Jan; Tatar, Milos

2016-01-01

Background: Numerous studies show higher cough reflex sensitivity (CRS) and cough outcomes in children compared to adults and in females compared to males. Despite close link that exists between cough and environment the potential influence of environmental air pollution on age- and gender -related differences in cough has not been studied yet. Purpose: The purpose of our study was to analyse whether the effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) from parental smoking and PM10 from living in urban area are implied in age- and gender-related differences in cough outcomes of healthy, non-asthmatic children. Assessment of CRS using capsaicin and incidence of dry and wet cough was performed in 290 children (mean age 13.3 ± 2.6 years (138 females/152 males). Results: CRS was significantly higher in girls exposed to ETS [22.3 μmol/l (9.8–50.2 μmol/l)] compared to not exposed girls [79.9 μmol/l (56.4–112.2 μmol/l), p = 0.02] as well as compared to exposed boys [121.4 μmol/l (58.2–253.1 μmol/l), p = 0.01]. Incidence of dry cough lasting more than 3 weeks was significantly higher in exposed compared to not exposed girls. CRS was significantly higher in school-aged girls living in urban area [22.0 μmol/l (10.6–45.6 μmol/l)] compared to school-aged girls living in rural area [215.9 μmol/l (87.3–533.4 μmol/l); p = 0.003], as well as compared to teenage girls living in urban area [108.8 μmol/l (68.7–172.9 μmol/l); p = 0.007]. No CRS differences were found between urban and rural boys when controlled for age group. No CRS differences were found between school-aged and teenage boys when controlled for living area. Conclusions: Our results have shown that the effect of ETS on CRS was gender specific, linked to female gender and the effect of PM10 on CRS was both gender and age specific, related to female gender and school-age. We suggest that age and gender related differences in incidence of cough and CRS might be, at least partially, ascribed to the effect of environmental pollutants. The role of age and gender in the effect of air pollution on cough strongly suggest some interplay of development with biological and behavioral factors. PMID:26941651

Impact of Air Pollution on Age and Gender Related Increase in Cough Reflex Sensitivity of Healthy Children in Slovakia.

PubMed

Demoulin-Alexikova, Silvia; Plevkova, Jana; Mazurova, Lenka; Zatko, Tomas; Alexik, Mikulas; Hanacek, Jan; Tatar, Milos

2016-01-01

Numerous studies show higher cough reflex sensitivity (CRS) and cough outcomes in children compared to adults and in females compared to males. Despite close link that exists between cough and environment the potential influence of environmental air pollution on age- and gender -related differences in cough has not been studied yet. The purpose of our study was to analyse whether the effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) from parental smoking and PM10 from living in urban area are implied in age- and gender-related differences in cough outcomes of healthy, non-asthmatic children. Assessment of CRS using capsaicin and incidence of dry and wet cough was performed in 290 children (mean age 13.3 ± 2.6 years (138 females/152 males). CRS was significantly higher in girls exposed to ETS [22.3 μmol/l (9.8-50.2 μmol/l)] compared to not exposed girls [79.9 μmol/l (56.4-112.2 μmol/l), p = 0.02] as well as compared to exposed boys [121.4 μmol/l (58.2-253.1 μmol/l), p = 0.01]. Incidence of dry cough lasting more than 3 weeks was significantly higher in exposed compared to not exposed girls. CRS was significantly higher in school-aged girls living in urban area [22.0 μmol/l (10.6-45.6 μmol/l)] compared to school-aged girls living in rural area [215.9 μmol/l (87.3-533.4 μmol/l); p = 0.003], as well as compared to teenage girls living in urban area [108.8 μmol/l (68.7-172.9 μmol/l); p = 0.007]. No CRS differences were found between urban and rural boys when controlled for age group. No CRS differences were found between school-aged and teenage boys when controlled for living area. Our results have shown that the effect of ETS on CRS was gender specific, linked to female gender and the effect of PM10 on CRS was both gender and age specific, related to female gender and school-age. We suggest that age and gender related differences in incidence of cough and CRS might be, at least partially, ascribed to the effect of environmental pollutants. The role of age and gender in the effect of air pollution on cough strongly suggest some interplay of development with biological and behavioral factors.

Gender differences in human single neuron responses to male emotional faces.

PubMed

Newhoff, Morgan; Treiman, David M; Smith, Kris A; Steinmetz, Peter N

2015-01-01

Well-documented differences in the psychology and behavior of men and women have spurred extensive exploration of gender's role within the brain, particularly regarding emotional processing. While neuroanatomical studies clearly show differences between the sexes, the functional effects of these differences are less understood. Neuroimaging studies have shown inconsistent locations and magnitudes of gender differences in brain hemodynamic responses to emotion. To better understand the neurophysiology of these gender differences, we analyzed recordings of single neuron activity in the human brain as subjects of both genders viewed emotional expressions. This study included recordings of single-neuron activity of 14 (6 male) epileptic patients in four brain areas: amygdala (236 neurons), hippocampus (n = 270), anterior cingulate cortex (n = 256), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (n = 174). Neural activity was recorded while participants viewed a series of avatar male faces portraying positive, negative or neutral expressions. Significant gender differences were found in the left amygdala, where 23% (n = 15∕66) of neurons in men were significantly affected by facial emotion, vs. 8% (n = 6∕76) of neurons in women. A Fisher's exact test comparing the two ratios found a highly significant difference between the two (p < 0.01). These results show specific differences between genders at the single-neuron level in the human amygdala. These differences may reflect gender-based distinctions in evolved capacities for emotional processing and also demonstrate the importance of including subject gender as an independent factor in future studies of emotional processing by single neurons in the human amygdala.

Age and gender differences in self-esteem-A cross-cultural window.

PubMed

Bleidorn, Wiebke; Arslan, Ruben C; Denissen, Jaap J A; Rentfrow, Peter J; Gebauer, Jochen E; Potter, Jeff; Gosling, Samuel D

2016-09-01

Research and theorizing on gender and age differences in self-esteem have played a prominent role in psychology over the past 20 years. However, virtually all empirical research has been undertaken in the United States or other Western industrialized countries, providing a narrow empirical base from which to draw conclusions and develop theory. To broaden the empirical base, the present research uses a large Internet sample (N = 985,937) to provide the first large-scale systematic cross-cultural examination of gender and age differences in self-esteem. Across 48 nations, and consistent with previous research, we found age-related increases in self-esteem from late adolescence to middle adulthood and significant gender gaps, with males consistently reporting higher self-esteem than females. Despite these broad cross-cultural similarities, the cultures differed significantly in the magnitude of gender, age, and Gender × Age effects on self-esteem. These differences were associated with cultural differences in socioeconomic, sociodemographic, gender-equality, and cultural value indicators. Discussion focuses on the theoretical implications of cross-cultural research on self-esteem. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The intellectual profile of abused and neglected children in the Philippines: An analysis of SB5 IQ scores of sexually abused, physically abused and neglected children.

PubMed

Bengwasan, Peejay D

2018-05-24

Child abuse and neglect have been associated with cognitive deficits, among other effects on child development. This study explores the prediction that child abuse and neglect has an impact on Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales 5th Edition (SB5) IQ scores, in relation to gender, age and type of abuse experienced. 300 children with experiences of abuse and neglect were included in the study, comprising 100 sexually abused, 100 physically abused and 100 neglected children. Overall, all scores on the SB5 were found to be significantly lower than the minimum average scores on the test. Verbal IQ (VIQ) scores were likewise found to be significantly lower than Nonverbal IQ (NVIQ) scores. Full Scale IQ (FSIQ) scores did not reveal heterogeneity when gender was factored in. Age and type of abuse (with a moderate effect size) on the other hand, showed significant differences among groups. Statistical analyses of SB5 Factor Index Scores revealed that abused children, in general, have significantly higher Visual-Spatial Processing (VS) and Quantitative Reasoning (QR) scores and lower scores in Knowledge (KN). There was a large effect size found in such an analysis. Age (with a large effect size), gender and type of abuse (with moderate effect sizes) give significant variations to this obtained profile. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cognitive Correlates of Adolescents' Aspirations to Leadership: A Developmental Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, Ming

1990-01-01

Examined age and gender differences in leadership aspirations among adolescents (N=130) by measuring overall leadership aspirations, valence-instrumentality expectancies for leadership outcomes, self-efficacy perceptions, and attributions of effective leadership. Found significant gender differences in valence scores and age differences in…

Effects of message framing on self-report and accelerometer-assessed physical activity across age and gender groups.

PubMed

Li, Kin-Kit; Cheng, Sheung-Tak; Fung, Helene H

2014-02-01

This study compared message-framing effects on physical activity (PA) across age and gender groups. Participants included 111 younger and 100 older adults (68% were women), randomly assigned to read gain-framed or loss-framed PA messages in promotion pamphlets, and who wore accelerometers for the following 14 days. Using regression analyses controlling for demographic and health factors, we found significant age-by-gender-by-framing interactions predicting self-report (B = -4.39, p = .01) and accelerometer-assessed PA (B = -2.44, p = .02) during the follow-up period. Gain-framed messages were more effective than loss-framed messages in promoting PA behaviors only among older men. We speculated that the age-related positivity effect, as well as the age and gender differences in issue involvement, explained the group differences in framing. In addition, more time availability and higher self-efficacy among older men might have contributed to the results.

Gender differences in the quality of life of patients with liver cirrhosis related to hepatitis C after liver transplantation.

PubMed

Bianco, Tonino; Cillo, Umberto; Amodio, Piero; Zanus, Giacomo; Salari, Annalisa; Neri, Daniele; Bombonato, Giancarlo; Schiff, Sami; Baggio, Giovannella; Ronco, Claudio; Brocca, Alessandra; Soni, Sachin; Minazzato, Lina

2013-01-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection frequently leads to chronic liver disease, which adversely affects the quality of life (QoL) of the patient. The gender of the patient may be an important variable in the way severity of the disease is perceived. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of the gender variable on QoL in HCV-positive patients. This study included a total of 52 patients (26 men and 26 women) who completed a 1-year follow-up after liver transplantation. QoL was assessed using the SF-36 questionnaire. Male subjects have significantly higher scores on physical role functioning, bodily pain and physical activity compared with females. Females have a better QoL compared to males with regard to the emotional state and mental health. These results show a significant effect of the gender variable on QoL in HCV patients. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

College drinking behaviors: mediational links between parenting styles, parental bonds, depression, and alcohol problems.

PubMed

Patock-Peckham, Julie A; Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A

2007-09-01

Mediational links between parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, permissive), parental bond (positive, negative), depression, alcohol use and abuse were tested. A 2-group, multiple-indicator, multiple-cause structural equation model with 441 (216 female, 225 male) college students was examined. In general, a poor parental bond with one's father was highly predictive of depression, a well-known predictor of alcohol abuse and related problems for both genders. In contrast, a positive parental bond with one's father significantly mediated the positive effects of authoritative fathering on depression, which then decreased alcohol use problems for both genders. For women, a negative parental bond with one's father significantly mediated the effect of having an authoritarian father on depression, which increased alcohol use problems. These findings suggest that parental influences on pathways to alcohol abuse through depression (primarily through fathers for both genders) are distinct from pathways stemming from poor impulse control (with influences primarily from the same-sex parents for both genders).

The Effect of Problem-Solving Instruction on the Programming Self-efficacy and Achievement of Introductory Computer Science Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maddrey, Elizabeth

Research in academia and industry continues to identify a decline in enrollment in computer science. One major component of this decline in enrollment is a shortage of female students. The primary reasons for the gender gap presented in the research include lack of computer experience prior to their first year in college, misconceptions about the field, negative cultural stereotypes, lack of female mentors and role models, subtle discriminations in the classroom, and lack of self-confidence (Pollock, McCoy, Carberry, Hundigopal, & You, 2004). Male students are also leaving the field due to misconceptions about the field, negative cultural stereotypes, and a lack of self-confidence. Analysis of first year attrition revealed that one of the major challenges faced by students of both genders is a lack of problem-solving skills (Beaubouef, Lucas & Howatt, 2001; Olsen, 2005; Paxton & Mumey, 2001). The purpose of this study was to investigate whether specific, non-mathematical problem-solving instruction as part of introductory programming courses significantly increased computer programming self-efficacy and achievement of students. The results of this study showed that students in the experimental group had significantly higher achievement than students in the control group. While this shows statistical significance, due to the effect size and disordinal nature of the data between groups, care has to be taken in its interpretation. The study did not show significantly higher programming self-efficacy among the experimental students. There was not enough data collected to statistically analyze the effect of the treatment on self-efficacy and achievement by gender. However, differences in means were observed between the gender groups, with females in the experimental group demonstrating a higher than average degree of self-efficacy when compared with males in the experimental group and both genders in the control group. These results suggest that the treatment from this study may provide a gender-based increase in self-efficacy and future research should focus on exploring this possibility.

Gender hormones and the progression of experimental polycystic kidney disease.

PubMed

Stringer, Kenneth D; Komers, Radko; Osman, Shukri A; Oyama, Terry T; Lindsley, Jessie N; Anderson, Sharon

2005-10-01

Male gender is a risk factor for progression of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), clinically and in the Han:SPRD rat model. Orchiectomy limits progression, but mechanisms of the detrimental effect of androgen, and/or beneficial effects of estrogen, are not known. This protocol tested the hypothesis that male gender (intact androgen status) promotes progression, while female gender (intact estrogen status) is protective; and that these disease-modifying effects are due to changes in expression of known fibrotic mediators. Studies were performed in male and female noncystic control (+/+) and cystic (+/-) rats subjected to orchiectomy, ovariectomy, or sham operation. At 12 weeks of age, renal function was measured. Blood and kidneys were taken for measurement of plasma and renal renin, endothelin (ET-1), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), using biochemical, protein expression, and immunohistochemical methods. Cystic male rats exhibited significantly reduced glomerular filtration (GFR) and effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) rates, with suppression of plasma and renal renin, up-regulation of renal ET-1 and eNOS, and down-regulation of renal VEGF expression. Orchiectomy attenuated the fall in GFR and ERPF, while numerically limiting changes in eNOS and VEGF. Female rats exhibited less cystic growth, with normal renin status, lesser elevation of renal ET-1, and proportionately lesser changes in VEGF and eNOS. Ovariectomy led to higher blood pressure and reduced GFR and ERPF, with a trend toward upregulation of ET-1, and significant down-regulation of VEGF and eNOS. Female gender is protective, but ovariectomy attenuates the protective effect of female gender, in association with changes in renal expression of ET-1, VEGF, and eNOS. The accelerated disease in male rats can be attenuated by orchiectomy and consequent changes in expression of disease mediators.

Effects of Gender Difference and Caffeine Supplementation on Anaerobic Muscle Performance.

PubMed

Chen, H-Y; Wang, H-S; Tung, K; Chao, H-H

2015-11-01

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of gender difference and caffeine supplementation to maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) and submaximal voluntary isometric contractions (T(lim)). 10 male (age: 20.10 ± 2.18 years, BMI: 22.23±1.96 kg/m(2)) and 10 female (age: 19.90±0.99 years, BMI: 21.76±2.65 kg/m(2)) elite collegiate athletes were recruited. Subjects ingested caffeine (6 mg/kg) or a placebo in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control, and counter-balanced fashion. MVIC and T(lim) were measured after supplementations. T(lim) result was calculated based on the time to exhaustion of isometric contraction with 50% MVIC. Fatigue index (FI%) referred to the MVIC tested 20 s after the cessation of T(lim) test, and was indexed by the percentage of MVIC decline. No significant interaction effect was found between the gender factor and the supplementation factor for all dependent variables. Compared to the placebo, caffeine supplementation significantly increased MVIC (5.9%) and T(lim) (15.5%) (p<0.05) whereas it had no significant effect on FI%. This study demonstrates that caffeine supplementation at a 6 mg/kg dosage facilitates performances in MVIC and T(lim). The ergogenic effect of caffeine on muscle power and muscle endurance does not show a gender bias. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effect of gender on fatigue and recovery following maximal intensity repeated sprint performance.

PubMed

Laurent, C M; Green, J M; Bishop, P A; Sjökvist, J; Schumacker, R E; Richardson, M T; Curtner-Smith, M

2010-09-01

This study investigated the effects of gender on repeated, maximal-intensity intermittent sprint exercise following variable day-to-day recovery periods. Sixteen volunteers (8 men, 8 women) performed four trials of high-intensity intermittent sprint exercise consisting of three bouts of eight 30 m sprints (total of 24 sprints). Following completion of the baseline trial, in repeated-measures design, participants were assigned, in counter-balanced order, variable recovery periods of 24, 48, and 72 h whereupon they repeated an identical exercise trial. Results from a series of 4 (trial) x 3 (bout) repeated measures ANOVAs revealed men produced significantly (P < 0.01) faster times throughout all bouts and trials of repeated sprint exercise. Additionally, women exhibited significantly lower (P < 0.05) blood lactate concentration and significantly lower (P < 0.05) decrement in performance, indicating increased resistance to fatigue during repeated exercise sessions. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) between genders for heart rate or rating of perceived exertion during or following trials. There were no significant differences for overall sprint performance within either gender among trials. These results indicate men, while able to produce higher absolute power outputs (i.e., lower sprint time), demonstrate higher decrement scores within a trial compared to women, thus suggesting women may recover faster and fatigue less. Also, gender differences affecting recovery within in a trial were observed to be diminished between trials (i.e., day-to-day recovery) of maximal intermittent sprint work evidenced by the observed stability of performance between trials following various recovery durations.

Socio-economic influences on gender inequalities in child health in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rousham, E K

1996-08-01

To investigate gender inequalities in child growth and nutritional status in relation to socio-economic status in Bangladesh. A 16-month longitudinal study of child growth measuring anthropometric and socio-economic status. A rural area of Jamalpur district, northern Bangladesh. 1366 children from 2 to 6 years of age. Child height and weight were measured monthly. Morbidity, food intake and health-seeking behaviours were assessed fortnightly. Multivariable analyses were performed on the growth and nutritional status of male and female children in relation to socio-economic factors including father's occupation, parental education, birth order and family size. There was no evidence of gender bias in farming and trading/employee households but landless female children had significantly poorer height-for-age (P < 0.001) and weight-for-age (P < 0.001) than their male counterparts. During a period of natural disaster, a statistically significant interaction was observed between father's occupation and sex (P < 0.05) such that the combination of being female and being landless was more detrimental to nutritional status than either variable alone. Over the following 16-months, catch-up-growth was apparent in landless female children who grew significantly more in height-for-age (P < 0.001) and weight-for-age (P < 0.001) than their male counterparts. Gender inequalities in health in Bangladesh varied significantly according to occupational status, such that the effect of sex was dependent upon occupation. These effects were statistically significant during the period of natural disaster but became insignificant as local conditions improved. This demonstrates both temporal and socio-economic variation in gender inequalities in health.

Gender-transformative health promotion for women: a framework for action.

PubMed

Pederson, Ann; Greaves, Lorraine; Poole, Nancy

2015-03-01

Gender inequity is a pervasive global challenge to health equity. Health promotion, as a field, has paid only limited attention to gender inequity to date, but could be an active agent of change if gender equity became an explicit goal of health promotion research, policy and programmes. As an aspect of gendered health systems, health promotion interventions may maintain, exacerbate or reduce gender-related health inequities, depending upon the degree and quality of gender-responsiveness within the programme or policy. This article introduces a framework for gender-transformative health promotion that builds on understanding gender as a determinant of health and outlines a continuum of actions to address gender and health. Gender-transformative health promotion interventions could play a significant role in improving the lives of millions of girls and women worldwide. Gender-related principles of action are identified that extend the core principles of health promotion but reflect the significance of attending to gender in the development and use of evidence, engagement of stakeholders and selection of interventions. We illustrate the framework with examples from a range of women's health promotion activities, including cardiovascular disease prevention, tobacco control, and alcohol use. The literature suggests that gender-responsiveness will enhance the acceptance, relevance and effectiveness of health promotion interventions. By moving beyond responsiveness to transformation, gender-transformative health promotion could enhance both health and social outcomes for large numbers of women and men, girls and boys. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Gender-specific and gonadectomy-specific effects upon swim analgesia: role of steroid replacement therapy.

PubMed

Romero, M T; Cooper, M L; Komisaruk, B R; Bodnar, R J

1988-01-01

Both gender-specific and gonadectomy-specific effects have been observed for the analgesic responses following continuous and intermittent cold-water swims (CCWS and ICWS respectively): female rats display significantly less analgesia than males, and gonadectomized rats display significantly less analgesia than sham-operated controls. The present study evaluated the effects of steroid replacement therapy with testosterone propionate (TP: 2 mg/kg, SC) upon CCWS and ICWS analgesia on the tail-flick and jump tests and hypothermia in sham-operated or gonadectomized male and female rats. Thirty days following surgery, rats received either no treatment, a sesame oil vehicle or TP for 14 days prior to, and then during testing. Relative to the no treatment condition, repeated vehicle injections in sham-operated rats eliminated the gender-specific, but did not affect the gonadectomy-specific effects upon CCWS and ICWS analgesia. TP reversed the deficits in CCWS and ICWS analgesia observed in both castrated and ovariectomized rats on both pain tests. TP only potentiated CCWS analgesia in sham-operated males on the tail-flick test. TP potentiated CCWS and ICWS hypothermia in gonadectomized rats and in male sham-operated rats. These data indicate that gonadal steroids play a major modulatory role in the etiology of swim analgesia, and that the observed gender effects are sensitive to possible adaptational variables.

Gender and Impulsivity: Effects on Cue-Induced Alcohol Craving.

PubMed

Yarmush, Devorah E; Manchery, Linda; Luehring-Jones, Peter; Erblich, Joel

2016-05-01

Numerous studies have demonstrated that trait impulsivity is linked to increased risk of developing alcohol-use disorders and other substance abuse. Impulsivity has also been shown in some studies to potentiate cue-induced drug cravings. Despite considerable evidence of gender differences in impulsivity and drug craving among individuals suffering from alcohol dependence and other drug use, little research has focused on these processes in healthy young men and women who may be at risk for developing alcohol-use disorders. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between impulsivity and cue-induced craving, as well as possible gender differences in these effects among healthy young adults. To that end, female (n = 22) and male (n = 14) social drinkers aged 18 to 25, recruited from an urban university campus, completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale and reported their alcohol cravings immediately before and after laboratory exposure to alcohol cues. Findings indicated that exposure to cues elicited increased alcohol cravings, but these effects did not differ by gender. Interestingly, a significant interaction of impulsivity and gender revealed that impulsivity predicted significantly higher cue-induced cravings in women, but not men. Findings underscore the importance of better understanding the interaction of situational factors (e.g., exposure to alcohol cues) and dispositional factors (e.g., impulsivity) as potential contributors to drinking motivation. Future prospective research is needed to identify gender-specific risk factors for the development of problem drinking. Copyright © 2016 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Special gender issues in psychiatry.

PubMed

Kurzthaler, Ilsemarie; Sperner-Unterweger, Barbara

2009-06-01

Significant gender differences exist in the course, manifestation and treatment of mental illness. Regardless of specific diagnosis age is one of the key factors in gender differences. Such differences between the sexes exist not only concerning origin and perpetuation of specific psychiatric diseases, they are also available and notable in specific fields of pharmacological and psychotherapeutically treatment. That review should sensitize clinicians for their responsibility to provide individualized, optimally effective, gender-specific care to patients suffering from mental diseases in some special topics. It should be a short overview considering some important gender details illustrated in concern with the epidemiological background, the symptoms and general used psychiatric treatment strategies of some frequent psychiatric diagnoses.

Gender Effects in Self-Management Training: Individual versus Cooperative Interventions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkins, Michelle; Rohrbeck, Cynthia A.

1993-01-01

Examined gender differences in individual and cooperative (small-group) self-management training programs targeting mathematics performance. Findings from 33 fifth graders revealed that girls in individual training condition improved significantly less than girls in cooperative condition and boys in individual condition. Boys in cooperative…

Differences by gender at twelve months in a brief intervention trial among Mexican-origin young adults in the emergency department.

PubMed

Bernstein, Judith; Bernstein, Edward; Hudson, Dantia; Belanoff, Candice; Cabral, Howard J; Cherpitel, Cheryl J; Bond, Jason; Ye, Yu; Woolard, Robert; Villalobos, Susana; Ramos, Rebeca

2017-01-01

In this study, we investigate the role of gender in prevalence and consequences of binge drinking and brief intervention outcomes among Mexican-origin young adults aged 18-30 years at the U.S.-Mexico border. We conducted a secondary analysis, stratified by gender, from a randomized controlled trial of a brief motivational intervention in a hospital emergency department. Intervention effects for males included reductions in drinking frequency, binge drinking, and alcohol-related consequences. For females the intervention was associated with reduction in drinking frequency and binge drinking but did not have a significant effect on alcohol-related consequences. Results suggest a new direction for tailoring interventions to gender.

Gender differences in bone turnover in 2-year-old Thoroughbreds.

PubMed

Jackson, B F; Lonnell, C; Verheyen, K; Wood, J L N; Pfeiffert, D U; Price, J S

2003-11-01

Injuries to the skeleton are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in racehorses and age, gender and season have all been shown to influence risk of injury. To use biochemical markers of bone cell activity to establish to whether cellular processes in bone underlie these described effects. Blood samples were collected monthly from 2-year-old horses in race training between November 1998 and September 1999. Mean age at the start of the study was 20 months (range 18-23 months), with no significant difference in average age between colts (n = 84) and fillies (n = 63). Three markers were measured; osteocalcin (OC, bone formation), the carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP, bone resorption) and the carboxyterminal propeptide of type I collagen (PICP), which is less 'bone-specific' than the other 2 markers. Colts had, on average, 3.62 ng/ml higher OC concentrations (P = 0.044) and 0.68 mg/l higher ICTP concentrations (P = 0.01) than fillies. The effect of gender was not statistically significant for PICP. However, in May, PICP concentrations were on average 157 mg/l higher in fillies than colts. There was no effect of age or season on marker concentrations. This study has shown that there are gender differences in bone turnover markers in 2-year-old Thoroughbreds; however, age, within the limited range studied, did not have a significant effect on bone cell activity. Lower bone marker concentrations may reflect smaller bone size and/or earlier skeletal maturation in fillies. An increase in concentrations of PICP in fillies in spring and early summer may relect an influence of sex hormones on collagen turnover. Gender differences in bone cell activity in 2-year-old colts and fillies may influence bone's adaptive responses to training and risk of injury.

Exercise intensity and gender difference of 3 different salsa dancing conditions.

PubMed

Emerenziani, G P; Guidetti, L; Gallotta, M C; Franciosi, E; Buzzachera, C F; Baldari, C

2013-04-01

The aims of this study were to estimate the difference in exercise intensity (METs), energy cost (EE) and gender difference between a typical salsa lesson (TSL), rueda de casino lesson (RCL), and salsa dancing at a night club (SDN). Subjects performed 1 pre-testing session and 3 testing conditions. During the pre-testing session height, weight and V˙O2max were assessed. During the testing conditions all subjects performed 3 different kinds of salsa dance. Heart rate was assessed during each dance condition. The exercise intensity of the 3 salsa dancing conditions was moderate ranging from 3.9 to 5.5 METs. A significant difference between genders for HRpeak (P=0.01), max%HRR (P=0.006) and mean EE (P=0.02) were observed. Significant gender×condition interactions for HRpeak (P=0.03), mean %HRR (P=0.02), mean METs (P=0.02) and mean EE (P=0.02) were found. In addition, a significant main effect for each condition was found in all variables (P<0.01). Our results showed that the exercise intensities of all 3 salsa dancing conditions were moderate. Findings showed some significant differences in exercise intensity between males and females and within conditions. Salsa dancing could be useful in achieving a significant training effect in people who have a low level of fitness. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

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

PubMed

Lorenz, Antje; Zwitserlood, Pienie

2016-01-01

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

Associations between employee and manager gender: impacts on gender-specific risk of acute occupational injury in metal manufacturing

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Prior research has shown increased risk of injury for female employees compared to male employees after controlling for job and tasks, but have not explored whether this increased risk might be moderated by manager gender. The gender of one’s manager could in theory affect injury rates among male and female employees through their managers’ response to an employee’s psychosocial stress or through how employees differentially report injuries. Other explanations for the gender disparity in injury experience, such as ergonomic factors or differential training, are unlikely to be impacted by supervisor gender. This study seeks to explore whether an employee’s manager’s gender modifies the effect of employee gender with regards to risk of acute injury. Methods A cohort of employees and managers were identified using human resources and injury management data between January 1, 2002 and December 31, 2007 for six facilities of a large US aluminum manufacturing company. Cox proportional hazards models were employed to examine the interaction between employee gender and whether the employee had female only manager(s), male only manager(s), or both male and female managers on injury risk. Manager gender category was included as a time varying covariate and reassessed for each employee at the midpoint of each year. Results The percentage of departments with both female and male managers increased dramatically during the study period due to corporate efforts to increase female representation in management. After adjustment for fixed effects at the facility level and shared frailty by department, manager gender category does not appear to moderate the effect of employee gender (p = 0.717). Manager category was not a significant predictor (p = 0.093) of time to first acute injury. Similarly, having at least one female manager did not modify the hazard of injury for female employees compared to males (p = 0.899) and was not a significant predictor of time to first acute injury (p = 0.601). Conclusions Prior findings suggest that female manufacturing employees are at higher risk for acute injury compared to males; this analysis suggests that this relationship is not affected by the gender of the employee’s manager(s). PMID:24207014

Gender equity: A study of classroom interactions of sixth-grade science teachers before and after gender equity training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giuliano, Joanne

The researcher investigated teachers' perceptions of their interactions with students in their 6th grade science classrooms and the effects of gender equity training on teachers' interactions with students. Teacher perceptions were measured at pretest and posttest using the Gender Equity Teacher-Student Interaction Questionnaire (GETSIQ). The outcomes from one day of gender equity training, using the Gender Equity Video and Instructional Guide, were measured at pretest, posttest, and follow-up using the INTERSECT scale. A non-random sample of twenty 6th grade science teachers from five middle schools participated in the study. Ten teachers were assigned to each of the control or experimental groups. The first hypothesis posited that teacher perceptions of and actions toward male and female students in sixth grade science classrooms would be different as reflected by scores on the GETSIQ. The hypothesis was partially supported. Teachers reported significantly different amounts of acknowledgment, attention in general, and attention to questions, responses, and comments for boys and girls, and different evaluations based on their expectations for a student. Following training, teachers from the experimental group obtained somewhat higher scores, though the differences were not statistically significant. Hypothesis 2 stated that gender equity training would increase equitable teacher interactions with male and female students as demonstrated by scores on the INTERSECT Checklist. This hypothesis was partially supported. A comparison of the Intersect checklist (praise, acceptance, remediation, criticism) revealed that teachers were observed to more equally give praise to boys and girls following training, male teachers engaged in more acceptance responses with girls, and female teachers had more equitable distribution of acceptance. Male teachers increased the amount of remediation to girls, and female teachers continued to provide more remediation to boys. The differences between pretest and posttest were statistically significant. There was some reversion to pretest levels interactions at follow-up. The results of the study support the effectiveness of gender equity training in facilitating increased awareness and behavioral change in teachers. However, training needs to be of longer duration for continued effectiveness.

Gender effects in alcohol dependence: an fMRI pilot study examining affective processing.

PubMed

Padula, Claudia B; Anthenelli, Robert M; Eliassen, James C; Nelson, Erik; Lisdahl, Krista M

2015-02-01

Alcohol dependence (AD) has global effects on brain structure and function, including frontolimbic regions regulating affective processing. Preliminary evidence suggests alcohol blunts limbic response to negative affective stimuli and increases activation to positive affective stimuli. Subtle gender differences are also evident during affective processing. Fourteen abstinent AD individuals (8 F, 6 M) and 14 healthy controls (9 F, 5 M), ages 23 to 60, were included in this facial affective processing functional magnetic resonance imaging pilot study. Whole-brain linear regression analyses were performed, and follow-up analyses examined whether AD status significantly predicted depressive symptoms and/or coping. Fearful Condition-The AD group demonstrated reduced activation in the right medial frontal gyrus, compared with controls. Gender moderated the effects of AD in bilateral inferior frontal gyri. Happy Condition-AD individuals had increased activation in the right thalamus. Gender moderated the effects of AD in the left caudate, right middle frontal gyrus, left paracentral lobule, and right lingual gyrus. Interactive AD and gender effects for fearful and happy faces were such that AD men activated more than control men, but AD women activated less than control women. Enhanced coping was associated with greater activation in right medial frontal gyrus during fearful condition in AD individuals. Abnormal affective processing in AD may be a marker of alcoholism risk or a consequence of chronic alcoholism. Subtle gender differences were observed, and gender moderated the effects of AD on neural substrates of affective processing. AD individuals with enhanced coping had brain activation patterns more similar to controls. Results help elucidate the effects of alcohol, gender, and their interaction on affective processing. Copyright © 2015 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Gender Effects in Alcohol Dependence: An fMRI Pilot Study Examining Affective Processing

PubMed Central

Padula, Claudia B.; Anthenelli, Robert M.; Eliassen, James C.; Nelson, Erik; Lisdahl, Krista M.

2017-01-01

Background Alcohol dependence (AD) has global effects on brain structure and function, including frontolimbic regions regulating affective processing. Preliminary evidence suggests alcohol blunts limbic response to negative affective stimuli and increases activation to positive affective stimuli. Subtle gender differences are also evident during affective processing. Methods Fourteen abstinent AD individuals (8 F, 6 M) and 14 healthy controls (9 F, 5 M), ages 23 to 60, were included in this facial affective processing functional magnetic resonance imaging pilot study. Whole-brain linear regression analyses were performed, and follow-up analyses examined whether AD status significantly predicted depressive symptoms and/or coping. Results Fearful Condition—The AD group demonstrated reduced activation in the right medial frontal gyrus, compared with controls. Gender moderated the effects of AD in bilateral inferior frontal gyri. Happy Condition—AD individuals had increased activation in the right thalamus. Gender moderated the effects of AD in the left caudate, right middle frontal gyrus, left paracentral lobule, and right lingual gyrus. Interactive AD and gender effects for fearful and happy faces were such that AD men activated more than control men, but AD women activated less than control women. Enhanced coping was associated with greater activation in right medial frontal gyrus during fearful condition in AD individuals. Conclusions Abnormal affective processing in AD may be a marker of alcoholism risk or a consequence of chronic alcoholism. Subtle gender differences were observed, and gender moderated the effects of AD on neural substrates of affective processing. AD individuals with enhanced coping had brain activation patterns more similar to controls. Results help elucidate the effects of alcohol, gender, and their interaction on affective processing. PMID:25684049

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.

Effects of gender and game type on autonomic nervous system physiological parameters in long-hour online game players.

PubMed

Lin, Tung-Cheng

2013-11-01

Online game playing may induce physiological effects. However, the physical mechanisms that cause these effects remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the physiological effects of long-hour online gaming from an autonomic nervous system (ANS) perspective. Heart rate variability (HRV), a valid and noninvasive electrocardiographic method widely used to investigate ANS balance, was used to measure physiological effect parameters. This study used a five-time, repeated measures, mixed factorial design. Results found that playing violent games causes significantly higher sympathetic activity and diastolic blood pressure than playing nonviolent games. Long-hour online game playing resulted in the gradual dominance of the parasympathetic nervous system due to physical exhaustion. Gaming workload was found to modulate the gender effects, with males registering significantly higher sympathetic activity and females significantly higher parasympathetic activity in the higher gaming workload group.

Sex-Specific Effects of Gender Identification on Pain Study Recruitment.

PubMed

Mattos Feijó, Larissa; Tarman, Guliz Zeynep; Fontaine, Charlotte; Harrison, Richard; Johnstone, Tom; Salomons, Tim

2018-02-01

Epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory studies show sex differences in pain responses, with women more sensitive to nociceptive stimulation and more vulnerable to long-term pain conditions than men. Because of evidence that men are culturally reinforced for the ability to endure (or under-report) pain, some of these findings might be explained by sociocultural beliefs about gender-appropriate behavior. One potential manifestation of these effects might be differential participation in pain studies, with men adhering to stereotypical masculine roles viewing participation as a way to demonstrate their masculinity. To test this possibility, we assessed gender identification in 137 healthy participants. At the end of the assessment, they were asked if they would like to participate in other research studies. Interested participants were then asked to participate in a study involving administration of pain-evoking stimulation. We compared individuals who agreed to participate in the pain study with those who declined. We observed a significant Sex × Participation interaction in masculine gender identification, such that men (but not women) who agreed to participate identified significantly more with masculine gender. Among masculine gender traits examined, we found that high levels of aggression and competitiveness were the strongest predictors of pain study participation. Our results suggest that men in pain studies might have higher levels of masculine gender identification than the wider male population. Taken together with previous findings of lower levels of pain sensitivity (or reporting) in masculine-identifying male participants, these results suggest an explanation for some of the sex-related differences observed in pain responses. To examine whether sex and gender affect willingness to participate in pain studies, we assessed gender identification in men and women, then attempted to recruit them to participate in a pain study. Men who agree to participate in pain studies are significantly higher in masculine gender identification than men who decline to participate or women who agree to participate. Men who agreed to participate were rated particularly high in aggressiveness and competitiveness. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Gender, personality, and serotonin-2A receptor binding in healthy subjects

PubMed Central

Soloff, Paul H.; Price, Julie C.; Mason, Neale Scott; Becker, Carl; Meltzer, Carolyn C.

2009-01-01

The vulnerability to mood disorders, impulsive-aggression, eating disorders, and suicidal behavior varies greatly with gender, and may reflect gender differences in central serotonergic function. We investigated the relationships of gender, mood, impulsivity, aggression and temperament to 5HT2A receptor binding in 21 healthy subjects using [18F]altanserin and PET neuro-imaging. Binding potentials in pre-defined Regions of Interest (ROI) were calculated using the Logan graphical method, corrected for partial volume effects, and compared by gender with age co-varied. SPM analysis was used for voxel level comparisons. Altanserin binding (BPp) was greater in male than female subjects in 9 ROIs: hippocampus (HIP) and Lt. HIP, lateral orbital frontal cortex (LOF) and Lt.LOF, left medial frontal cortex (Lt.MFC), left medial temporal cortex (Lt. MTC), left occipital cortex (Lt. OCC), thalamus (THL) and Lt. THL. Differences in Lt. HIP and Lt. MTL remained significant after Bonferroni correction. Gender differences were noted in the co-variation of psychological traits with BPp values in specific ROIs. Among males alone, aggression was negatively correlated with BPp values in Lt. LOF and Lt. MFC, and Suspiciousness positively correlated in LOF, Lt. LOF and Lt. MFC. Among female subjects alone, Negativism was positively correlated with BPp values in HIP, and Verbal Hostility in Lt. HIP. Altanserin binding in Lt. MTC was positively correlated with Persistence, with no significant gender effect. Gender differences in 5HT2A receptor function in specific ROIs may mediate expression of psychological characteristics such as aggression, suspiciousness and negativism. Future studies of 5HT2A receptor function and its relationship to behavior should control for gender. PMID:19959344

The Effect of Gender Policies on Fertility: The Moderating Role of Education and Normative Context.

PubMed

Baizan, Pau; Arpino, Bruno; Delclòs, Carlos Eric

In this paper, we aim to assess the extent to which individual-level completed fertility varies across contexts characterized by policies supporting different gender division of labor models. We examine key labor market and care policies that shape gender relations in households and in the public domain. We also consider the role of gender norms, which can act as both a moderator and a confounding factor for policy effects. We hypothesize that, by facilitating role compatibility and reducing the gendered costs of childrearing, policies that support gender equality lead to an increase in fertility levels and to a reduction in fertility differentials by the level of education. Using individual-level data from the European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions for 16 countries, combined with country-level data, we analyze completed fertility through multilevel Poisson's models. We find that the national level of childcare coverage is positively associated with fertility. Family allowances, prevalence of women's part-time employment and length of paid leaves were also found to be positively associated with completed fertility, though the associations were not statistically significant. These variables show a significant positive pattern according to education. A high number of average working hours for men are negatively associated with completed fertility and show a strong negative pattern by educational level. The prevalence of gender-egalitarian norms is highly predictive of fertility levels, yet we found no consistent evidence of a weaker association of gender-equality policies in countries where egalitarian values are less prevalent.

Gender role affects experimental pain responses: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Alabas, O A; Tashani, O A; Tabasam, G; Johnson, M I

2012-10-01

Gender role refers to the culturally and socially constructed meanings that describe how women and men should behave in certain situations according to feminine and masculine roles learned throughout life. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between gender role and experimental pain responses in healthy human participants. We searched computerized databases for studies published between January 1950 and May 2011 that had measured gender role in healthy human adults and pain response to noxious stimuli. Studies were entered into a meta-analysis if they calculated a correlation coefficient (r) for gender role and experimental pain. Searches yielded 4465 'hits' and 13 studies were eligible for review. Sample sizes were 67-235 participants and the proportion of female participants was 45-67%. Eight types of gender role instrument were used. Meta-analysis of six studies (406 men and 539 women) found a significant positive correlation between masculine and feminine personality traits and pain threshold and tolerance, with a small effect size (r = 0.17, p = 0.01). Meta-analysis of four studies (263 men and 297 women) found a significant negative correlation between gender stereotypes specific to pain and pain threshold and tolerance, with a moderate effect size (r = -0.41, p < 0.001). In conclusion, individuals who considered themselves more masculine and less sensitive to pain than the typical man showed higher pain thresholds and tolerances. Gender stereotypes specific to pain scales showed stronger associations with sex differences in pain sensitivity response than masculine and feminine personality trait scales. © 2012 European Federation of International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters.

A parent-report gender identity questionnaire for children.

PubMed

Johnson, Laurel L; Bradley, Susan J; Birkenfeld-Adams, Andrea S; Kuksis, Myra A Radzins; Maing, Dianne M; Mitchell, Janet N; Zucker, Kenneth J

2004-04-01

This paper reports on the psychometric properties of a 16-item parent-report Gender Identity Questionnaire, originally developed by P. H. Elizabeth and R. Green (1984), to aid in the assessment of children with potential problems in their gender identity development. The questionnaire, which covered aspects of the core phenomenology of gender identity disorder (GID), was completed by parents of gender-referred children (N = 325) and controls (siblings, clinic-referred, and nonreferred; N = 504), who ranged in age from 2.5-12 years (mean age, 7.6 years). Factor-analysis indicated that a one-factor solution, containing 14 of the 16 items with factor loadings > or =.30, best fit the data, accounting for 43.7% of the variance. The gender-referred children had a significantly more deviant total score than did the controls, with a large effect size of 3.70. The GIQ total score had negligible age effects, indicating that the questionnaire has utility for assessing change over time. The gender-referred children who met the complete DSM criteria for GID had a significantly more deviant total score than did the children who were subthreshold for GID, although the latter group had a mean score that was closer to the threshold cases than to the controls. With a specificity rate set at 95% for the controls, the sensitivity rate for the probands was 86.8%. It is concluded that this parent-report gender identity questionnaire has excellent psychometric properties and can serve as a useful screening device for front-line clinicians, for whom more extensive, expensive, and time-consuming assessment procedures may be precluded.

The effects of ageing on respiratory muscle function and performance in older adults.

PubMed

Watsford, Mark L; Murphy, Aron J; Pine, Matthew J

2007-02-01

The reduced physiological capacity evident with ageing may affect the ability to perform many tasks, potentially affecting quality of life. Previous research has clearly demonstrated the reduced capacity of the respiratory system with ageing and described the effect that habitual physical activity has upon this decline. This research aimed to examine the influence of age on respiratory muscle (RM) function and the relationship between RM function and physical performance within the Australian population. Seventy-two healthy older adults (50-79 years) were divided into males (n=36) and females (n=36) and examined for pulmonary function, RM strength, inspiratory muscle endurance (IME) and 1.6 km walking performance. There were no significant age by gender effects for any variables; however, ageing was significantly related to reduced RM function and walking capacity within each gender. Furthermore, regression analysis showed that the RM strength could be predicted from age. Partial correlations controlling for age indicated that expiratory muscle strength was significantly related to walking performance in males (p=0.04), whilst IME contributed significantly to walking performance in all participants. These within-gender effects and relationships indicate that RM strength is an important physiological variable to maintain in the older population, as it may be related to functional ability.

Differential effect of race, education, gender, and language discrimination on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

PubMed

Reynolds, D Brice; Walker, Rebekah J; Campbell, Jennifer A; Egede, Leonard E

2015-04-01

Discrimination has been linked to negative health outcomes, but little research has investigated different types of discrimination to determine if some have a greater impact on outcomes. We examined the differential effect of discrimination based on race, level of education, gender, and language on glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes. Six hundred two patients with type 2 diabetes from two adult primary care clinics in the southeastern United States completed validated questionnaires. Questions included perceived discrimination because of race/ethnicity, level of education, sex/gender, or language. A multiple linear regression model assessed the differential effect of each type of perceived discrimination on glycemic control while adjusting for relevant covariates, including race, site, gender, marital status, duration of diabetes, number of years in school, number of hours worked per week, income, and health status. The mean age was 61.5 years, and the mean duration of diabetes was 12.3 years. Of the sample, 61.6% were men, and 64.9% were non-Hispanic black. In adjusted models, education discrimination remained significantly associated with glycemic control (β=0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.03, 0.92). Race, gender and language discrimination were not significantly associated with poor glycemic control in either unadjusted or adjusted analyses. Discrimination based on education was found to be significantly associated with poor glycemic control. The findings suggest that education discrimination may be an important social determinant to consider when providing care to patients with type 2 diabetes and should be assessed separate from other types of discrimination, such as that based on race.

The Effects of Social Class, Gender, and Personality on Physiological Responses to Filmed Violence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frost, Richard; Stauffer, John

1987-01-01

Examines the possible factors affecting emotional arousal in response to media violence. Indicates that inner-city subjects were significantly more aroused than was a college sample by viewing 10 types of violence. Suggests that gender was not a mediating factor in arousal to violence. (NKA)

Gender Differences in Teachers' Perceptions of Students' Temperament, Educational Competence, and Teachability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

2012-01-01

Background: 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…

A Meta-Analysis on the Malleability of Automatic Gender Stereotypes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenton, Alison P.; Bruder, Martin; Sedikides, Constantine

2009-01-01

This meta-analytic review examined the efficacy of interventions aimed at reducing automatic gender stereotypes. Such interventions included attentional distraction, salience of within-category heterogeneity, and stereotype suppression. A small but significant main effect (g = 0.32) suggests that these interventions are successful but that their…

Gender Inequality and Rates of Female Homicide Victimization across U.S. Cities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Victoria E.; Smith, M. Dwayne

1995-01-01

Explores the possibility that female victimization rates are influenced by conditions of sex-based inequality. No single inequality variable was found to be a statistically significant predictor of female homicide rates when controlling for social structural effects. Found little support for gender inequality/female homicide connection. (JBJ)

The differential effects of gender, anthropometry, and prior hormonal state on frontal plane knee joint stiffness

PubMed Central

Cammarata, Martha L.; Dhaher, Yasin Y.

2012-01-01

Background Gender differences in passive frontal plane knee stiffness may contribute to the increased anterior cruciate ligament injury rate in females. Gender-based stiffness differences have been attributed to anthropometric variations, but little data exist describing this relationship. Furthermore, sex hormone levels appear to influence joint stiffness, but the differential effects of instantaneous and prior hormonal concentrations remain unknown. This study sought to explore the effect of gender, prior hormonal status, and anthropometry on passive frontal plane knee joint stiffness. Methods Twelve males and 31 females participated. Females were grouped by hormonal contraceptive use (non users [n=11], monophasic contraceptive users [n=11], and triphasic contraceptive users [n=9]) and tested at the same point in the menstrual cycle. Subjects’ right knee was passively stretched ±7° in the frontal plane at 3°/s. Stiffness was estimated at three loading levels and normalized by body size to minimize anthropometric biases. A 4 (group) × 3 (load) repeated measures analysis of variance was performed for both raw and normalized stiffness. Linear regression analyses were preformed between stiffness estimates and knee diameter and quadriceps femoris angle. Findings Males displayed significantly greater (P<0.05) frontal plane stiffness than females. When normalized, males displayed significantly greater stiffness in valgus (P<0.05), but not varus (P>0.05) than females. No significant effect (P>0.05) of prior hormonal state was found; however, when normalized, varus stiffness was significantly less for triphasic contraceptive users than the other female groups (P<0.05). Quadriceps femoris angle was negatively correlated and knee diameter was positively correlated to knee stiffness. Interpretation Consistent with earlier in vitro findings, our data may indicate that ligament material properties are gender specific. A deficit in passive knee joint stiffness may place a larger burden on the neuromuscular system to resist frontal plane loading in females. PMID:18479791

Effectiveness of Web-Based Courses on Technical Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lam, Monica

2009-01-01

The author investigated the effectiveness of Web-based courses on technical learning. The regression results show that the delivery format (Web-based or traditional classroom courses) has no significant effect on student performance. However, although gender is a significant predictor in traditional classroom courses, its effect disappears in…

Sexual Coercion in India: an exploratory analysis using demographic variables.

PubMed

Waldner, L K; Vaden-Goad, L; Sikka, A

1999-12-01

A 14-item Sexual Coercion Inventory (SCI) was administered to an urban university sample in Western India. Twenty-six percent of the sample reported a total of 160 incidents of sexual coercion ranging in severity from unwanted kissing to sexual intercourse. The most common outcome was intercourse and was followed by kissing and fondling. No gender differences were discovered regarding victim status or types of coercion tactics experienced. A MANOVA analysis found no overall gender effect, but marital status and protected class membership did have a significant effect with people who are married and protected class members reporting more sexual coercion. Reasons for the lack of an overall gender effect and limitations of this research are discussed.

Factors contributing to the effectiveness of four school-based sexual violence interventions.

PubMed

Clinton-Sherrod, A Monique; Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A; Gibbs, Deborah; Hawkins, Stephanie R; Hart, Laurie; Ball, Barbara; Irvin, Neil; Littler, Nicole

2009-01-01

This study extends past research by examining factors associated with changes in attitudes, knowledge, and intended behaviors related to sexual assault. This study included 1,182 participants from four unique multiple-session school-based sexual violence interventions. Implementation and participant factors examined include single- versus mixed-gender groups, group setting versus classroom lecture setting, and participant gender. Participants completed self-administered, paper-and-pencil pre- and postsurveys. A significant desired overall effect was found on participants' reports of positive attitudes, beliefs, and behavior regarding sexual harassment and personal boundaries and positive dating relationship norms (from pretest to posttest). There were steeper increases over time in both measures, with larger mixed-gender/single-gender differences among boys than among girls. Differences in the impact of participating in mixed- versus single-gender groups depended on classroom versus small group settings. The implications of these findings are discussed for sexual assault prevention programs.

The influence of students' gender on equity in Peer Physical Examination: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Vnuk, Anna K; Wearn, Andy; Rees, Charlotte E

2017-08-01

Peer Physical Examination (PPE) is an educational tool used globally for learning early clinical skills and anatomy. In quantitative research, there are differences in students' preferences and actual participation in PPE by gender. This novel study qualitatively explores the effect that gender has on medical students' experiences of learning physical examination through PPE. We employ an interpretative approach to uncover the PPE experiences of students from a European, graduate-entry medical school. Volunteers participated in either individual or group interviews. The data were transcribed, de-identified and analysed using thematic analysis. There was evidence of gender inequity in PPE, with students describing significant imbalances in participation. Male students adopted roles that generated significant personal discomfort and led to fewer experiences as examiners. Assumptions were made by tutors and students about gender roles: male students' ready acceptance of exposure to be examined and female students' need to be protected from particular examinations. In contrast with the first assumption, male students did feel coerced or obliged to be examined. Students described their experiences of taking action to break down the gender barrier. Importantly, students reported that tutors played a role in perpetuating inequities. These findings, whilst relating to one university, have implications for all settings where PPE is used. Educators should be vigilant about gender issues and the effect that they may have on students' participation in PPE to ensure that students are not disadvantaged in their learning.

Culture but not gender modulates amygdala activation during explicit emotion recognition

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Mounting evidence indicates that humans have significant difficulties in understanding emotional expressions from individuals of different ethnic backgrounds, leading to reduced recognition accuracy and stronger amygdala activation. However, the impact of gender on the behavioral and neural reactions during the initial phase of cultural assimilation has not been addressed. Therefore, we investigated 24 Asians students (12 females) and 24 age-matched European students (12 females) during an explicit emotion recognition task, using Caucasian facial expressions only, on a high-field MRI scanner. Results Analysis of functional data revealed bilateral amygdala activation to emotional expressions in Asian and European subjects. However, in the Asian sample, a stronger response of the amygdala emerged and was paralleled by reduced recognition accuracy, particularly for angry male faces. Moreover, no significant gender difference emerged. We also observed a significant inverse correlation between duration of stay and amygdala activation. Conclusion In this study we investigated the “alien-effect” as an initial problem during cultural assimilation and examined this effect on a behavioral and neural level. This study has revealed bilateral amygdala activation to emotional expressions in Asian and European females and males. In the Asian sample, a stronger response of the amygdala bilaterally was observed and this was paralleled by reduced performance, especially for anger and disgust depicted by male expressions. However, no gender difference occurred. Taken together, while gender exerts only a subtle effect, culture and duration of stay as well as gender of poser are shown to be relevant factors for emotion processing, influencing not only behavioral but also neural responses in female and male immigrants. PMID:22642400

Gender, sexuality, and violence in humanitarian crises.

PubMed

Hilhorst, Dorothea; Porter, Holly; Gordon, Rachel

2018-01-01

Gender, sexuality, and violence have attracted significant attention in the sphere of humanitarianism in recent years. While this shift builds on the earlier 'Gender and Development' approach and the 'Women, Peace, and Security Agenda', analytical depth is lacking in practice. Notably, 'gender' often means a singular concern for women, neglecting questions of agency and the dynamic and changing realities of gendered power relations. This introductory paper examines why this neglect occurs and proposes a more relational approach to gender. It explores how the contributions to this special issue of Disasters revisit classic gender issues pertaining to violence, livelihoods, and institutions in different settings of humanitarian emergencies, while expanding one's vision beyond them. It draws from the seven papers a number of lessons for humanitarianism, concerning the entangled nature of gender relations, the risks of the unintended effects of gender programming, and the importance of paying sustained attention to how gender relations unfold in a time of crisis. © 2018 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2018.

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

The effect of gender on transformational leadership and job satisfaction among Saudi nurses.

PubMed

Alghamdi, Mohammed G; Topp, Robert; AlYami, Mansour S

2018-01-01

To compare nurses' job satisfaction and perceptions of transformational leadership style of their manager among four different nurse/manager gender dyads in Saudi Arabia. Women and men differ on many behavioural characteristics and are influenced by the cultural environment. Understanding these differences may have an impact on leadership behaviours and job satisfaction. A descriptive analysis of one-time survey data collected in 2011 from Saudi nurses employed in six general public hospitals located in three cities. Three hundred and eight (51.3%) of 600 Saudi nurses solicited to participate completed anonymous questionnaires that measured their job satisfaction and perceptions of transformational leadership style of their manager. Factorial ANOVA tested the main effects of gender of the nurse, gender of the manager and the interaction term on the nurse's job satisfaction, and perceived transformational leadership style of their manager. These analyses indicated a main effect of gender of the manager on both job satisfaction and perceived transformational leadership style of the manager (p < .05) with no significant effect of the gender of the nurse or the interaction term on these variables. Post hoc analysis indicated that nurses regardless of their gender reported higher job satisfaction and perceived transformational leadership style of their manager when their manager was male. These findings contrast with what other researchers have reported that nurse job satisfaction and perceived leadership characteristics of their manager are independent of the gender of the manager. These perceptions of Saudi nurses may be a result of "sex-role spillover" in a male-dominated, gender-segregated society. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The effect of gender on the attitudes of undergraduates toward young-earth creationism after enrollment in an origins course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinaja, Sean Stephen

Many Christian students graduate from secondary schools and enter Christian colleges with worldviews that are unbiblical or contain unbiblical components, many of which stem from their beliefs regarding origins. Little research has been done to study the effect of gender on the role of a young-earth creationist (YEC) origins course in shaping students' worldview. Research has shown that males and females respond differently to science and religion instruction; because the origins discussion is an intersection of science and religion, the study of gender's effect in developing a Bible-based worldview is important so that Christian colleges might more effectively guide their students in developing that biblical worldview. The purpose of this causal-comparative study was to determine whether students' gender affected their YEC worldview components after enrollment in a YEC origins course while controlling for their pre-course worldviews. A sample of 315 residential students enrolled in a YEC origins course at a conservative Christian college in the Southeast completed the Creationist Worldview Scale before and after taking the course; the survey also contained a demographic questionnaire that collected information regarding students' gender, major, classification, ethnicity, and secondary schooling. The data were analyzed using a one way ANCOVA. There were no statistically significant differences between male and female students' posttest age scores or posttest science scores, but there was a significant difference between their posttest theology scores. Suggestions for further research are also included.

Physical activity intensities in youth: the effect of month of assessment.

PubMed

Silva, Pedro; Seabra, André; Saint-Maurice, Pedro; Soares-Miranda, Luisa; Mota, Jorge

2013-01-01

There is clear evidence that environmental factors play an important role regarding physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) in youth. This short report highlights seasonal differences in the amount and intensities of PA and SB, in Portuguese youth. Three hundred and eighty-seven participants (aged 14.7 ± 1.9 years), 220 girls, used the Actigraph GT1M accelerometer for 7 days (15-second epochs), between January and June in 2008. PA and SB differences were assessed using an ANCOVA. Boys had significantly higher values of PA, with the exception of Light intensity. Girls were significantly more sedentary. PA intensities and SB changed significantly according to gender and month of assessment. SB (Gender F = 16.32, p < 0.001; Month F = 2.95, p < 0.013), Light PA (Gender F = 9.30, p = 0.002; Month F = 8.37, p < 0.001; Gender*Month F = 2.24, p = 0.050), Moderate PA (Gender F = 40.04, p < 0.001), Vigorous PA (Gender F = 32.89, p < 0.001; Month F = 2.56, p = 0.027). Both genders increased PA from winter to summer months and SB decreased. Seasonality in PA intensities and SB suggest that interventions to promote PA and decrease SB must be tailored to take into consideration the month of the year they are going to be implemented and also gender characteristics.

Gender differences in human single neuron responses to male emotional faces

PubMed Central

Newhoff, Morgan; Treiman, David M.; Smith, Kris A.; Steinmetz, Peter N.

2015-01-01

Well-documented differences in the psychology and behavior of men and women have spurred extensive exploration of gender's role within the brain, particularly regarding emotional processing. While neuroanatomical studies clearly show differences between the sexes, the functional effects of these differences are less understood. Neuroimaging studies have shown inconsistent locations and magnitudes of gender differences in brain hemodynamic responses to emotion. To better understand the neurophysiology of these gender differences, we analyzed recordings of single neuron activity in the human brain as subjects of both genders viewed emotional expressions. This study included recordings of single-neuron activity of 14 (6 male) epileptic patients in four brain areas: amygdala (236 neurons), hippocampus (n = 270), anterior cingulate cortex (n = 256), and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (n = 174). Neural activity was recorded while participants viewed a series of avatar male faces portraying positive, negative or neutral expressions. Significant gender differences were found in the left amygdala, where 23% (n = 15∕66) of neurons in men were significantly affected by facial emotion, vs. 8% (n = 6∕76) of neurons in women. A Fisher's exact test comparing the two ratios found a highly significant difference between the two (p < 0.01). These results show specific differences between genders at the single-neuron level in the human amygdala. These differences may reflect gender-based distinctions in evolved capacities for emotional processing and also demonstrate the importance of including subject gender as an independent factor in future studies of emotional processing by single neurons in the human amygdala. PMID:26441597

Variant in OXTR gene and functional connectivity of the hypothalamus in normal subjects.

PubMed

Wang, Junping; Qin, Wen; Liu, Bing; Wang, Dawei; Zhang, Yunting; Jiang, Tianzi; Yu, Chunshui

2013-11-01

The oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) rs53576A has been associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). A smaller hypothalamic volume has been reported in healthy male A-allele carriers than in male GG homozygotes and in patients with ASDs than in healthy controls. These findings prompt the hypothesis that male AA homozygotes may have weaker hypothalamic functional connectivity when compared to male G-allele carriers. We calculated local functional connectivity density (FCD) using a voxel-wise data-driven approach based on resting-state functional MRI data in 270 young healthy subjects. Both the main effect of genotype and the gender-by-genotype interaction were considered. Of the whole brain, only the local FCD of the hypothalamus exhibited the main effect of genotype. Post-hoc testing revealed significantly lower local FCD in male AA homozygotes compared to male G-allele carriers although there was only a trend of significance in the gender-by-genotype interaction. We further analyzed the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the hypothalamic region that demonstrating significant genotype differences in local FCD. We found a significant gender-by-genotype interaction in rsFC between the hypothalamic region and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, but no significant main effect of genotype was found. Post-hoc testing revealed that this rsFC was significantly weaker in male AA homozygotes compared to male G-allele carriers. Our findings identify gender-dependent mechanisms of OXTR rs53576 gene variation impacting the functional connectivity of the hypothalamus in healthy individuals and suggest that these mechanisms are important for understanding ASDs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Substance Abuse Treatment Entry, Retention, and Outcome in Women: A Review of the Literature1

PubMed Central

Greenfield, Shelly F.; Brooks, Audrey J.; Gordon, Susan M.; Green, Carla A.; Kropp, Frankie; McHugh, R. Kathryn; Lincoln, Melissa; Hien, Denise; Miele, Gloria M.

2012-01-01

This paper reviews the literature examining characteristics associated with treatment outcome in women with substance use disorders. A search of the English language literature from 1975 to 2005 using Medline and PsycInfo databases found 280 relevant articles. Ninety percent of the studies investigating gender differences in substance abuse treatment outcomes were published since 1990, and of those, over 40% were published since the year 2000. Only 11.8% of these studies were randomized clinical trials. A convergence of evidence suggests that women with substance use disorders are less likely, over the lifetime, to enter treatment compared to their male counterparts. Once in treatment, however, gender is not a significant predictor of treatment retention, completion, or outcome. Gender-specific predictors of outcome do exist, however, and individual characteristics and treatment approaches can differentially affect outcomes by gender. While women-only treatment is not necessarily more effective than mixed-gender treatment, some greater effectiveness has been demonstrated by treatments that address problems more common to substance-abusing women or that are designed for specific subgroups of this population. There is a need to develop and test effective treatments for specific subgroups such as older women with substance use disorders, as well as those with co-occurring substance use and psychiatric disorders such as eating disorders. Future research on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of gender-specific versus standard treatments, as well as identification of the characteristics of women and men who can benefit from mixed-gender versus single-gender treatments, would advance the field. PMID:16759822

Gender Nonconformity, Homophobic Peer Victimization, and Mental Health: How Same-Sex Attraction and Biological Sex Matter.

PubMed

van Beusekom, Gabriël; Baams, Laura; Bos, Henny M W; Overbeek, Geertjan; Sandfort, Theo G M

2016-01-01

We assessed whether homophobic name-calling accounts for the relationship between gender nonconformity and mental health (social anxiety and psychological distress) in a sample of 1,026 Dutch adolescents (boys: n = 517) ages 11 to 16 (Mage = 13.4). We also explored whether this hypothesized mediation differs by sexual attraction and biological sex. Data were collected by means of paper-and-pencil questionnaires at five secondary schools located in urban areas in the Netherlands. Mediation analysis indicated that gender nonconformity was related to both social anxiety and psychological distress partially via homophobic name-calling. Moderated mediation analysis further showed that the mediating role of homophobic name-calling varied according to levels of same-sex attraction (SSA) and biological sex. The mediation effects increased in magnitude when levels of SSA increased and were significant only for adolescents with mean and high levels of SSA. The mediation effects were significant for boys and girls in general, although the mediation effects were stronger for boys than for girls. Our findings emphasize the importance of research and school-level interventions to focus on factors that promote acceptance of cross-gender behavior among adolescents.

Gender Nonconformity, Homophobic Peer Victimization and Mental Health: How Same-Sex Attraction and Biological Sex Matter

PubMed Central

van Beusekom, Gabriël; Baams, Laura; Bos, Henny M.W.; Overbeek, Geert J.; Sandfort, Theo G.M.

2018-01-01

We assessed whether homophobic name-calling accounts for the relationship between gender nonconformity and mental health (social anxiety and psychological distress) in a sample of 1,026 Dutch adolescents (boys: n = 517) aged 11–16 years (Mage = 13.4). We also explored whether this hypothesized mediation differs by sexual attraction and biological sex. Data were collected by means of paper–pencil questionnaires at five secondary schools located in urban areas in the Netherlands. Mediation analysis indicated that gender nonconformity was related with both social anxiety and psychological distress partially via homophobic name-calling. Moderated mediation analysis further showed that the mediating role of homophobic name-calling varied according to levels of same-sex attraction (SSA) and biological sex. The mediation effects increased in magnitude when levels of SSA increased and were significant only for adolescents with mean and high levels of SSA. The mediation effects were significant for boys and girls in general, although the mediation effects were stronger for boys than for girls. Our findings emphasize the importance of research and school-level interventions to focus on factors that promote acceptance of cross-gender behaviour among adolescents. PMID:26099017

Gynephilic Men's Self-Reported and Genital Sexual Responses to Relationship Context Cues.

PubMed

Timmers, Amanda D; Chivers, Meredith L

2018-04-01

The current study examined men's sexual responses to relationship context. Chivers and Timmers (2012) previously reported that heterosexual men's genital and self-reported sexual arousal varied by gender but not relationship context, suggesting that gender cues are more salient determinants of sexual response than relationship context cues for men. Those analyses were, however, significantly underpowered to detect relationship context effects (n = 9). The current study utilized the same paradigm as Chivers and Timmers' study, exposing a larger sample of heterosexual men (n = 26) to audio narratives describing sexual interactions that varied by partner gender (man, woman) and relationship context (stranger, friend, long-term relationship), and observing effects on genital and self-reported sexual response. Results indicated that men's genital response to relationship context cues mirrored those previously reported for heterosexual women (Chivers & Timmers, 2012); heterosexual men demonstrated less genital response to the friend than to the stranger or long-term relationship conditions. No significant effect of relationship context was found for men's self-reported sexual arousal. These data suggest that, in addition to gender cues, relationship cues may also be an important determinant of men's genital sexual responses.

Gender and the nocebo response following conditioning and expectancy.

PubMed

Klosterhalfen, Sibylle; Kellermann, Sandra; Braun, Silke; Kowalski, Axel; Schrauth, Markus; Zipfel, Stephan; Enck, Paul

2009-04-01

To investigate the role of Pavlovian conditioning and expectancy and of gender on the nocebo effects. Conditioning experiment: Forty-eight healthy male and female volunteers were investigated for 3 days using a standard rotation procedure. Subjects in the experimental group received a salient oral stimulus prior to rotation; subjects in the control group received the stimulus 12 h after rotations on Days 1 and 2; on Day 3, all subjects received the stimulus prior to rotation. Expectancy experiment: Another 48 healthy subjects were rotated 5 x 1 min once only. All subjects received the same oral stimulus immediately prior to rotation; subjects in the experimental group were told that the symptoms might worsen with the stimulus; controls did not receive additional information. In both experiments, symptom rating (SR) and rotation tolerance (RT) were determined. Conditioning significantly reduced RT (P=.015) and increased SR (P=.024). For both RT and SR, a significant "day x group x gender" effect was found (P=.044; SR: P=.011) indicating that conditioning was more effective in women. Expectancies lowered RT (P=.085) without affecting SR. There was a significant "rotation x gender" interaction on RT (P=.005) indicating that the expectancy was more effective in men. Women responded stronger to conditioning while men responded to expectancies, but to a lesser degree. It needs to be determined whether this is restricted to nausea-specific conditions or can be generalized across clinical and experimental conditions.

The Influence of Social Modeling, Gender, and Empathy on Treatment Side Effects.

PubMed

Faasse, Kate; Parkes, Bryony; Kearney, James; Petrie, Keith J

2018-05-31

Social modeling has the capacity to shape treatment outcomes, including side effects. This study investigated the influence of social modeling of treatment side effects, gender, and participant empathy, on side effects of a placebo treatment. Ninety-six participants (48 females) completed a study purportedly investigating the influence of modafinil (actually placebo) on alertness and fatigue. The participants were randomly seated with a male or female confederate and saw this confederate report experiencing side effects or no side effects. Participant empathy was assessed at baseline. Changes in modeled and general symptoms, and misattribution of symptoms, were assessed during the session and at 24-hr follow-up. During the experimental session, seeing side effect modeling significantly increased modeled symptoms (p = .023, d = 0.56) but not general or misattributed symptoms. Regardless of modeling condition, female participants seated with a female model reported significantly more general symptoms during the session. However, response to social modeling did not differ significantly by model or participant gender. At follow-up, the effect of social modeling of side effects had generalized to other symptoms, resulting in significantly higher rates of modeled symptoms (p = .023, d = 0.48), general symptoms (p = .013, d = 0.49), and misattributed symptoms (p = .022, d = 0.50). The experience of modeled symptoms in response to social modeling was predicted by participants' levels of baseline empathy. Social modeling of symptoms can increase the side effects following treatment, and this effect appears to generalize to a broader range of symptoms and symptom misattribution over time. Higher baseline empathy seems to increase response to social modeling.

Circumstances preceding the suicide of Asian Pacific Islander Americans and White Americans.

PubMed

Wong, Y Joel; Wang, Lei; Li, Shaozhuan; Liu, Huabing

2017-01-01

This study examined the circumstances preceding suicide among Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIAs) and White American decedents using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System in the United States. After controlling for gender and age, APIAs had lower rates of recent disclosure of suicide ideation, recent mental health treatment, recent mental health problems, and intimate partner problems, but higher rates of school problems than White Americans. There were also significant Race × Age moderation effects for recent mental health, financial, and school problems and a significant Race × Gender moderation effect for intimate partner problems.

Routine activities and victimization at school: the significance of gender.

PubMed

Popp, Ann Marie; Peguero, Anthony A

2011-08-01

Routine activities theory has not fully considered the role of gender in shaping victimization and yet, the research literature clearly demonstrates that gender is associated with an individual's risk of victimization. In addition to the pervasive effect of gender on victimization, gender shapes an individual's daily routines and thus may create a gender-specific relationship with victimization. This article explores the importance of gender in understanding the relationship between student's participation in extracurricular routine activities (e.g., student government, clubs, sports, and etc.) and the risk of victimization. From the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a sample of 10th-grade students was drawn for analyses. Hierarchical Generalized Linear Modeling was employed to explore the role of gender in the relationship between extracurricular routine activities and victimization at school. The results reveal that students' gender indeed interacts with several of the extracurricular routine activities creating gender-specific risks of victimization. This article highlights the importance of gender in explaining victimization and suggests researchers should consider how gender may interact with other routine activities and victimization.

Effectiveness of Prompts on Fourth-Grade Children's Dietary Recall Accuracy Depends on Retention Interval and Varies by Gender.

PubMed

Baxter, Suzanne D; Smith, Albert F; Hitchcock, David B; Guinn, Caroline H; Royer, Julie A; Collins, Kathleen L; Smith, Alyssa L; Puryear, Megan P; Vaadi, Kate K; Finney, Christopher J; Miller, Patricia H

2015-09-01

Dietary recall accuracy is related to retention interval (RI) (i.e., time between to-be-reported meals and the interview), and possibly to prompts. To the best of our knowledge, no study has evaluated their combined effect. The combined influence of RI and prompts on children's recall accuracy was investigated in this study. Two RIs [short (prior-24-h recall obtained in afternoon) and long (previous-day recall obtained in morning)] were crossed with 4 prompts [forward (distant-to-recent), meal-name (breakfast, lunch, etc.), open (no instructions), and reverse (recent-to-distant)], creating 8 conditions. Fourth-grade children (n = 480; 50% girls) were randomly selected from consenting children at 10 schools in 4 districts in a southern state during 3 school years (2011-2012, 2012-2013, and 2013-2014). Each child was observed eating school-provided breakfast and lunch, and interviewed one time under 1 of the 8 conditions. Condition assignment was constrained so that each had 60 children (30 girls). Accuracy measures were food-item omission and intrusion rates, and energy correspondence rate and inflation ratio. For each measure, linear models determined effects of RI, prompt, gender, and interactions (2-way, 3-way); race/ethnicity, school year, and district were control variables. RI (P values < 0.015) and prompt (P values < 0.005) were significant for all 4 accuracy measures. RI × prompt (P values < 0.001) was significant for 3 accuracy measures (not intrusion rate). Prompt × gender (P = 0.005) was significant for omission rate. RI × prompt × gender was significant for intrusion rate and inflation ratio (P values < 0.001). For the short vs. long RI across prompts and genders, accuracy was better by 33-50% for each accuracy measure. To obtain the most accurate recalls possible from children, studies should be designed to use a short rather than long RI. Prompts affect children's recall accuracy, although the effectiveness of different prompts depends on RI and varies by gender: at a short RI, the choice of prompts has little systematic effect on accuracy, whereas at a long RI, reverse prompts may elicit the most accurate recalls. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Pediatric normative data for the KayPENTAX phonatory aerodynamic system model 6600.

PubMed

Weinrich, Barbara; Brehm, Susan Baker; Knudsen, Courtney; McBride, Stephanie; Hughes, Michael

2013-01-01

The objectives of this study were to (1) establish a preliminary pediatric normative database for the KayPENTAX Phonatory Aerodynamic System (PAS) Model 6600 (KayPENTAX Corp, Montvale, NJ) and (2) identify whether the data obtained were age- and/or gender-dependent. Prospective data collection across groups. A sample of 60 children (30 females and 30 males) with normal voices was divided into three age groups (6.0-9.11, 10.0-13.11, 14.0-17.11 years) with equal distribution of males and females within each group. Five PAS protocols (vital capacity, maximum sustained phonation, comfortable sustained phonation, variation in sound pressure level, voicing efficiency) were used to collect 45 phonatory aerodynamic measures. Measurements for the 45 PAS parameters examined revealed 13 parameters to have a difference that was statistically significant by age and/or gender. There was a significant age×gender interaction for mean pitch in the four protocols that reported this measure. Males in the oldest group had significantly lower mean pitch values than the middle and young groups. Statistically significant main effect differences were noted for seven parameters across three age groups (expiratory volume, expiratory airflow duration, phonation time, pitch range (in 2 protocols), aerodynamic resistance, acoustic ohms). Significant main effect differences for genders (males > females) were found for expiratory volume and peak expiratory airflow. The age- and gender-related differences found for some parameters within each of the five protocols are important for the interpretation of data obtained from PAS. These results could be explained by developmental changes that occur in the male and female respiratory and laryngeal systems. Copyright © 2013 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

The moderating effects of skin color and ethnic identity affirmation on suicide risk among low-SES African American women.

PubMed

Perry, Brea L; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Oser, Carrie B

2013-03-01

This study examined the influence of concurrent racism and sexism experiences (i.e. gendered racism) on African American women's suicidal ideation and behavior in the context of disadvantaged socioeconomic status. Drawing on a stress process framework, the moderating effects of ethnic identity and skin color were explored using multiple regression analyses. Data were from 204 low-income African American women in the B-WISE (Black Women in a Study of Epidemics) project. Findings suggested that experiencing gendered racism significantly increased these women's risk for suicidal ideation or behavior, though only among women with medium or dark skin color. Also, having strong ethnic identity buffered the harmful effects of gendered racism. The moderating properties of skin color and ethnic identity affirmation likely operate through psychosocial pathways, blocking internalization of negative stereotypes and reducing the level of distress experienced in response to gendered racism.

The moderating effects of skin color and ethnic identity affirmation on suicide risk among low-SES African American women

PubMed Central

Perry, Brea L.; Stevens-Watkins, Danelle; Oser, Carrie B.

2012-01-01

This study examined the influence of concurrent racism and sexism experiences (i.e. gendered racism) on African American women’s suicidal ideation and behavior in the context of disadvantaged socioeconomic status. Drawing on a stress process framework, the moderating effects of ethnic identity and skin color were explored using multiple regression analyses. Data were from 204 low-income African American women in the B-WISE (Black Women in a Study of Epidemics) project. Findings suggested that experiencing gendered racism significantly increased these women’s risk for suicidal ideation or behavior, though only among women with medium or dark skin color. Also, having strong ethnic identity buffered the harmful effects of gendered racism. The moderating properties of skin color and ethnic identity affirmation likely operate through psychosocial pathways, blocking internalization of negative stereotypes and reducing the level of distress experienced in response to gendered racism. PMID:23459264

Gender, Ethnicity, Religiosity, and Same-sex Sexual Attraction and the Acceptance of Same-sex Sexuality and Gender Non-conformity

PubMed Central

Bos, Henny M. W.; Merry, Michael S.; Sandfort, Theo G. M.

2012-01-01

This study explored the role of gender, ethnicity, religiosity, and sexual attraction in adolescents’ acceptance of same-sex sexuality and gender non-conformity. Using an intersectionality perspective, we also tested whether the effects of gender, ethnicity, and religiosity on adolescents’ attitudes would function differently in adolescents with and without same-sex attractions. Data for this study were collected by means of a paper questionnaire completed by 1,518 secondary school students (mean age = 14.56 years, SD = 1.05) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The sample was 48.1% female and 51.9% male. Approximately one third of adolescents in the sample were of a non-Western ethnic background (32.3%, n = 491) and 7.5% of the participants (n = 114) reported experiencing same-sex attractions. Results of our analyses showed that adolescents in our sample who were male, of non-Western ethnicity, and who were more religious (as indicated by frequency of religious service attendance), were less accepting of same-sex sexuality and gender non-conformity in comparison to female, Western and less religious peers. We also found a significant interaction effect between religiosity and sexual attractions, but only in relation to evaluation of same-sex attracted, gender nonconforming females. The negative effect of religiosity on acceptance of same-sex attracted, gender non-conforming females was stronger among those adolescents who reported same-sex attractions. PMID:23687403

Gender, Ethnicity, Religiosity, and Same-sex Sexual Attraction and the Acceptance of Same-sex Sexuality and Gender Non-conformity.

PubMed

Collier, Kate L; Bos, Henny M W; Merry, Michael S; Sandfort, Theo G M

2013-06-01

This study explored the role of gender, ethnicity, religiosity, and sexual attraction in adolescents' acceptance of same-sex sexuality and gender non-conformity. Using an intersectionality perspective, we also tested whether the effects of gender, ethnicity, and religiosity on adolescents' attitudes would function differently in adolescents with and without same-sex attractions. Data for this study were collected by means of a paper questionnaire completed by 1,518 secondary school students (mean age = 14.56 years, SD = 1.05) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The sample was 48.1% female and 51.9% male. Approximately one third of adolescents in the sample were of a non-Western ethnic background (32.3%, n = 491) and 7.5% of the participants ( n = 114) reported experiencing same-sex attractions. Results of our analyses showed that adolescents in our sample who were male, of non-Western ethnicity, and who were more religious (as indicated by frequency of religious service attendance), were less accepting of same-sex sexuality and gender non-conformity in comparison to female, Western and less religious peers. We also found a significant interaction effect between religiosity and sexual attractions, but only in relation to evaluation of same-sex attracted, gender nonconforming females. The negative effect of religiosity on acceptance of same-sex attracted, gender non-conforming females was stronger among those adolescents who reported same-sex attractions.

Gender awareness among physicians--the effect of specialty and gender. A study of teachers at a Swedish medical school.

PubMed

Risberg, Gunilla; Hamberg, Katarina; Johansson, Eva E

2003-10-27

An important goal for medical education today is professional development including gender equality and awareness of gender issues. Are medical teachers prepared for this task? We investigated gender awareness among physician teachers, expressed as their attitudes towards the role of gender in professional relationships, and how it varied with physician gender and specialty. We discuss how this might be related to the gender climate and sex segregation in different specialties. Questionnaires were sent to all 468 specialists in the clinical departments and in family medicine, who were engaged in educating medical students at a Swedish university. They were asked to rate, on visual analogue scales, the importance of physician and patient gender in consultation, of preceptor and student gender in clinical tutoring and of physician gender in other professional encounters. Differences between family physicians, surgical, and non-surgical hospital doctors, and between women and men were estimated by chi-2 tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The response rate was 65 %. There were differences between specialty groups in all investigated areas mainly due to disparities among men. The odds for a male family physician to assess gender important were three times higher, and for a male non-surgical doctor two times higher when compared to a male surgical doctor. Female teachers assessed gender important to a higher degree than men. Among women there were no significant differences between specialty groups. There was an interaction between physician teachers' gender and specialty as to whether they identified gender as important in professional relationships. Male physicians, especially from the surgical group, assessed gender important to a significantly lower degree than female physicians. Physicians' degree of gender awareness may, as one of many factors, affect working climate and the distribution of women and men in different specialties. Therefore, to improve working climate and reduce segregation we suggest efforts to increase gender awareness among physicians, for example educational programs where continuous reflections about gender attitudes are encouraged.

Can a Gender Equity and Family Planning Intervention for Men Change Their Gender Ideology? Results from the CHARM Intervention in Rural India.

PubMed

Fleming, Paul J; Silverman, Jay; Ghule, Mohan; Ritter, Julie; Battala, Madhusudana; Velhal, Gajanan; Nair, Saritha; Dasgupta, Anindita; Donta, Balaiah; Saggurti, Niranjan; Raj, Anita

2018-03-01

We assess the effect of CHARM, a gender equity and family planning counseling intervention for husbands in rural India, on men's gender ideology. We used a two-armed cluster randomized control trial design and collected survey data from husbands (n=1081) at baseline, 9 months, and 18 months. We used a continuous measure of support for gender equity and a dichotomous measure of equitable attitudes toward women's role in household decision-making. To assess differences on these outcomes, we used generalized linear mixed models. After controlling for socio-demographic factors, men who received the CHARM intervention were significantly more likely than men in the control group to have equitable attitudes toward household decision-making at 9-months follow-up; there was a non-significant difference between the groups for the measure of support for gender equity. For household decision-making, differences were not sustained at 18-months follow-up. Given the role of husbands' gender ideology in women's contraceptive use, the CHARM intervention represents a promising approach for challenging root causes of women's unmet need for contraception. © 2018 The Population Council, Inc.

Gender, health, and initiation of breastfeeding.

PubMed

Colodro-Conde, Lucía; Limiñana-Gras, Rosa M; Sánchez-López, M Pilar; Ordoñana, Juan R

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the associations of health, gender, and motherhood with the decisions about breastfeeding. The sample consisted of 265 pregnant women (mean age: 32.34, SD: 4.01 years) who were recruited in healthcare centers and hospitals in southeast Spain between 2010 and 2011. Mental health was measured by the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire and gender by the Conformity to Feminine Norms Inventory. Women in our sample showed a higher conformity to gender norms than women surveyed in the adaptation of the inventory to the Spanish population (t = 11.25, p < 0.001, effect estimate (Cohen's d) = 0.59). After adjustment for covariates, women who exclusively breastfed did not differ significantly in their conformity to gender norms from those who used partial breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Although good, our expectant mothers had worse mental health than the women aged 15-44 years in the Spanish National Health Survey (t = 2.96, p < 0.001, d = 0.26). Those who partially breastfed had significantly better mental health values. Gender norms were modulators in a model of factors related to initiation of breastfeeding. This study provides information about health and social construction of gender norms.

The Effect of Prior Knowledge and Gender on Physics Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, John; Henderson, Rachel

2017-01-01

Gender differences on the Conceptual Survey in Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) have been extensively studied. Ten semesters (N=1621) of CSEM data is presented showing male students outperform female students on the CSEM posttest by 5 % (p < . 001). Male students also outperform female students on qualitative in-semester test questions by 3 % (p = . 004), but no significant difference between male and female students was found on quantitative test questions. Male students enter the class with superior prior preparation in the subject and score 4 % higher on the CSEM pretest (p < . 001). If the sample is restricted to students with little prior knowledge who answer no more than 8 of the 32 questions correctly (N=822), male and female differences on the CSEM and qualitative test questions cease to be significant. This suggests no intrinsic gender bias exists in the CSEM itself and that gender differences are the result of prior preparation measured by CSEM pretest score. Gender differences between male and female students increase with pretest score. Regression analyses are presented to further explore interactions between preparation, gender, and achievement.

The case for addressing gender and power in sexuality and HIV education: a comprehensive review of evaluation studies.

PubMed

Haberland, Nicole A

2015-03-01

Curriculum-based sexuality and HIV education is a mainstay of interventions to prevent STIs, HIV and unintended pregnancy among young people. Evidence links traditional gender norms, unequal power in sexual relationships and intimate partner violence with negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes. However, little attention has been paid to analyzing whether addressing gender and power in sexuality education curricula is associated with better outcomes. To explore whether the inclusion of content on gender and power matters for program efficacy, electronic and hand searches were conducted to identify rigorous sexuality and HIV education evaluations from developed and developing countries published between 1990 and 2012. Intervention and study design characteristics of the included interventions were disaggregated by whether they addressed issues of gender and power. Of the 22 interventions that met the inclusion criteria, 10 addressed gender or power, and 12 did not. The programs that addressed gender or power were five times as likely to be effective as those that did not; fully 80% of them were associated with a significantly lower rate of STIs or unintended pregnancy. In contrast, among the programs that did not address gender or power, only 17% had such an association. Addressing gender and power should be considered a key characteristic of effective sexuality and HIV education programs.

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.

A prospective study examining the effects of gender and sexual/physical abuse on mood outcomes in patients with co-occurring bipolar I and substance use disorders.

PubMed

Meade, Christina S; McDonald, Leah J; Graff, Fiona S; Fitzmaurice, Garrett M; Griffin, Margaret L; Weiss, Roger D

2009-06-01

Prior research suggests possible gender differences in the longitudinal course of bipolar disorder. This study prospectively examined gender differences in mood outcomes and tested the effects of sexual/physical abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Participants (49 men, 41 women) with co-occurring bipolar I and substance use disorders (92% alcohol, 42% drug) were enrolled in a group treatment trial. They were followed for eight months, with monthly assessments, yielding 32 weeks of data. Primary outcome measures were number of weeks in each mood state, recurrences of depression or mania, and polarity shifts from depression to mania or vice versa. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the effects of gender, lifetime abuse, and PTSD on these outcomes. Participants met syndromal criteria for a mood episode on a mean of 27% of 32 weeks, with depression occurring most frequently. Compared to men, women reported significantly more weeks of mixed mania [relative rate (RR) = 8.53], fewer weeks of euthymia (RR = 0.58), more recurrences of mania (RR = 1.96), and more direct polarity shifts (RR = 1.49) (all p < 0.05). Women also reported significantly higher rates of lifetime sexual or physical abuse (68% versus 33%), which partially explained the relationships between gender and mixed mania and direct polarity shifts. Participants experienced persistent mood symptoms over time. Women consistently reported poorer mood outcomes, and lifetime abuse may help explain observed gender differences in mood outcomes. Further research is necessary to better understand the treatment implications of these findings.

The Breed and Sex Effect on the Carcass Size Performance and Meat Quality of Yak in Different Muscles.

PubMed

Zhang, Li; Sun, Baozhong; Yu, Qunli; Ji, Qiumei; Xie, Peng; Li, Haipeng; Wang, Li; Zhou, Yuchun; Li, Yongpeng; Huang, Caixia; Liu, Xuan

2016-01-01

The carcass size performances and the meat quality of Gannan and Sibu yak were determined using M. supraspinatus (SU), M. longissimus thoracis (LT) and M.quadriceps femoris (QF). It is found that Sibu yak had significantly higher carcass weight (CW) than Gannan yak with difference of nearly 40 kg, as well as significantly higher eye muscle area (EMA), carcass thorax depth (CTD), round perimeter (RP), etc. The carcass performances of steer yak were significantly higher than heifer yak except meat thickness at round (MTR) (p<0.05). The results show that both yak breed and gender had significant effects on carcass performances. It could be seen that the variation of carcass size performances from breeds is as large as from gender (50.22% and 46.25% of total variation, respectively) through principal component analysis (PCA). Sibu yak had significantly higher L*, b*, WBSF, cooking loss and Fat content, while Gannan yak had significantly higher a*, press loss, protein content and moisture (p<0.05). Yak gender and muscle had insignificant effects on meat colour and water holding capacity (p>0.05). The variation of meat quality of yak from breed is up to 59.46% of total variation according to PCA. It is shown that the difference between breeds, for Gannan yak and Sibu yak, plays an important role in carcass size performance and meat quality.

The Breed and Sex Effect on the Carcass Size Performance and Meat Quality of Yak in Different Muscles

PubMed Central

Zhang, Li; Sun, Baozhong; Yu, Qunli; Ji, Qiumei; Xie, Peng; Li, Haipeng; Wang, Li; Zhou, Yuchun; Li, Yongpeng; Huang, Caixia; Liu, Xuan

2016-01-01

The carcass size performances and the meat quality of Gannan and Sibu yak were determined using M. supraspinatus (SU), M. longissimus thoracis (LT) and M.quadriceps femoris (QF). It is found that Sibu yak had significantly higher carcass weight (CW) than Gannan yak with difference of nearly 40 kg, as well as significantly higher eye muscle area (EMA), carcass thorax depth (CTD), round perimeter (RP), etc. The carcass performances of steer yak were significantly higher than heifer yak except meat thickness at round (MTR) (p<0.05). The results show that both yak breed and gender had significant effects on carcass performances. It could be seen that the variation of carcass size performances from breeds is as large as from gender (50.22% and 46.25% of total variation, respectively) through principal component analysis (PCA). Sibu yak had significantly higher L*, b*, WBSF, cooking loss and Fat content, while Gannan yak had significantly higher a*, press loss, protein content and moisture (p<0.05). Yak gender and muscle had insignificant effects on meat colour and water holding capacity (p>0.05). The variation of meat quality of yak from breed is up to 59.46% of total variation according to PCA. It is shown that the difference between breeds, for Gannan yak and Sibu yak, plays an important role in carcass size performance and meat quality. PMID:27194931

Gender difference in the effect of progesterone on neonatal hypoxic/ischemic brain injury in mouse.

PubMed

Dong, Shuyu; Zhang, Qian; Kong, Delian; Zhou, Chao; Zhou, Jie; Han, Jingjing; Zhou, Yan; Jin, Guoliang; Hua, Xiaodong; Wang, Jun; Hua, Fang

2018-08-01

This study investigated the effects of progesterone (PROG) on neonatal hypoxic/ischemic (NHI) brain injury, the differences in effects between genders, and the underlying mechanisms. NHI brain injury was established in both male and female neonatal mice induced by occlusion of the left common carotid artery followed by hypoxia. The mice were treated with PROG or vehicle. Fluoro-Jade B staining (F-JB), long term behavior testing, and brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) were applied to evaluate neuronal death, neurological function, and brain damage. The underlying molecular mechanisms were also investigated by Western blots. The results showed that, in the male mice, administration of PROG significantly reduced neuronal death, improved the learning and memory function impaired by cerebral HI, decreased infarct size, and maintained the thickness of the cortex after cerebral HI. PROG treatment, however, did not show significant neuroprotective effects on female mice subjected to HI. In addition, the data demonstrated a gender difference in the expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1), TNF receptor associated factor 6 (TRAF6), Fas associated protein with death domain (FADD), and TIR-domain-containing adapter-inducing interferon-β (TRIF) between males and females. Our results indicated that treatment with PROG had beneficial effects on NHI injured brain in acute stage and improved the long term cognitive function impaired by cerebral HI in male mice. In addition, the activation of TNF and TRIF mediated signaling in response to cerebral HI and the treatment of PROG varied between genders, which highly suggested that gender differences should be emphasized in evaluating neonatal HI brain injury and PROG effects, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential adverse effects of oseltamivir in rats: males are more vulnerable than females.

PubMed

El-Sayed, Wael M; Al-Kahtani, Mohamed Ali

2011-09-01

Oseltamivir is the most widely used antiviral drug for the treatment and prophylaxis of influenza. However, not much is known about its adverse effects. The potential side effects were investigated in male and female rats (140-170 g). Oseltamivir was administered at 2.2 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) for 5 days. For both genders, treatment with oseltamivir resulted in significant reductions in the hepatic activities of glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione S-transferase. Also for both genders, oseltamivir produced modest reductions in the hepatic activities of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, quinone oxidoreductase, thioredoxin reductase, CYP1A1/2, and CYP3A, as well as hepatic glutathione content. For both genders, neither the kidney functions nor protein profile was affected by oseltamivir. Oseltamivir also caused significant elevation in serum levels of both triacylglycerols and LDL-cholesterol and in the activity of γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, in both genders. For male animals only, oseltamivir treatment elevated the serum level of total cholesterol as well as the activity of serum alanine aminotransferase, and reduced the hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. Oseltamivir caused oxidative stress and acute toxicity in the liver, and disrupted the cholesterol and lipid metabolism but was less likely to cause serious drug interactions. There was a sexual differentiation in these adverse effects, with adverse effects being more evident in male rats.

Gender, g, Gender Identity Concepts, and Self-Constructs as Predictors of the Self-Estimated IQ

PubMed Central

Storek, Josephine

2013-01-01

In all 102 participants completed 2 intelligence tests, a self-estimated domain-masculine (DMIQ) intelligence rating (which is a composite of self-rated mathematical–logical and spatial intelligence), a measure of self-esteem, and of self-control. The aim was to confirm and extend previous findings about the role of general intelligence and gender identity in self-assessed intelligence. It aimed to examine further correlates of the Hubris–Humility Effect that shows men believe they are more intelligent than women. The DMIQ scores were correlated significantly with gender, psychometrically assessed IQ, and masculinity but not self-esteem or self-control. Stepwise regressions indicated that gender and gender role were the strongest predictors of DMIQ accounting for a third of the variance. PMID:24303578

Gender, g, gender identity concepts, and self-constructs as predictors of the self-estimated IQ.

PubMed

Storek, Josephine; Furnham, Adrian

2013-01-01

In all 102 participants completed 2 intelligence tests, a self-estimated domain-masculine (DMIQ) intelligence rating (which is a composite of self-rated mathematical-logical and spatial intelligence), a measure of self-esteem, and of self-control. The aim was to confirm and extend previous findings about the role of general intelligence and gender identity in self-assessed intelligence. It aimed to examine further correlates of the Hubris-Humility Effect that shows men believe they are more intelligent than women. The DMIQ scores were correlated significantly with gender, psychometrically assessed IQ, and masculinity but not self-esteem or self-control. Stepwise regressions indicated that gender and gender role were the strongest predictors of DMIQ accounting for a third of the variance.

Gender Equity in Physics Practice: The Indian Context & the Social Impact of Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shastri, Prajval

2015-04-01

The gender gap in the physics profession that is seen world-wide has been attributed to multiple factors. The applicability of these factors is explored in the context of physics practice in India, using available empirical investigations and theoretical insights from gender studies. Indications are that girls are as interested in science as boys at the high-school level. In the profession, however, there is a significant gender gap. Data show that it is caused not only by the discriminatory familial responsibilities that women encounter in their personal lives, but also by gender-discriminatory attitudes in the scientific workplace. Although the Government of India, which is the major funder of scientific research and higher education, has acknowledged the gender disparity and initiated several measures to address it, these measures also come from a gendered perspective, and are therefore likely to be limited in their long-term effectiveness. Policy measures must address the gender discrimination in the workplace as well in order to achieve gender equity.

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

The Relationship between Doctoral Completion Time, Gender, and Future Salary Prospects for Physical Scientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potvin, Geoff; Tai, Robert H.

2012-03-01

Drawing from a national survey of Ph.D.-holding physical scientists, we present evidence that doctoral completion time is a strong predictor of future salary prospects: each additional year in graduate school corresponds to a substantially lower average salary. This is true even while controlling for typical measures of scientific merit (grant funding and publication rates) and several other structural and career factors expected to influence salaries. Extending this picture to include gender effects, we show that women earn significantly less than men overall and experience no effect of doctoral completion time on their salaries, while men see a significant gain in salary stemming from earlier completion times. Doctoral completion time is shown to be largely unconnected to measures of prior academic success, research independence, and scientific merit suggesting that doctoral completion time is, to a great extent, out of the control of individual graduate students. Nonetheless, it can be influential on an individual's future career prospects, as can gender-related effects.

The Effect of Gender in the Publication Patterns in Mathematics.

PubMed

Mihaljević-Brandt, Helena; Santamaría, Lucía; Tullney, Marco

2016-01-01

Despite the increasing number of women graduating in mathematics, a systemic gender imbalance persists and is signified by a pronounced gender gap in the distribution of active researchers and professors. Especially at the level of university faculty, women mathematicians continue being drastically underrepresented, decades after the first affirmative action measures have been put into place. A solid publication record is of paramount importance for securing permanent positions. Thus, the question arises whether the publication patterns of men and women mathematicians differ in a significant way. Making use of the zbMATH database, one of the most comprehensive metadata sources on mathematical publications, we analyze the scholarly output of ∼150,000 mathematicians from the past four decades whose gender we algorithmically inferred. We focus on development over time, collaboration through coautorships, presumed journal quality and distribution of research topics-factors known to have a strong impact on job perspectives. We report significant differences between genders which may put women at a disadvantage when pursuing an academic career in mathematics.

The Effect of Gender in the Publication Patterns in Mathematics

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Despite the increasing number of women graduating in mathematics, a systemic gender imbalance persists and is signified by a pronounced gender gap in the distribution of active researchers and professors. Especially at the level of university faculty, women mathematicians continue being drastically underrepresented, decades after the first affirmative action measures have been put into place. A solid publication record is of paramount importance for securing permanent positions. Thus, the question arises whether the publication patterns of men and women mathematicians differ in a significant way. Making use of the zbMATH database, one of the most comprehensive metadata sources on mathematical publications, we analyze the scholarly output of ∼150,000 mathematicians from the past four decades whose gender we algorithmically inferred. We focus on development over time, collaboration through coautorships, presumed journal quality and distribution of research topics—factors known to have a strong impact on job perspectives. We report significant differences between genders which may put women at a disadvantage when pursuing an academic career in mathematics. PMID:27780266

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

PubMed

Ro, Annie E; Choi, Kyung-Hee

2009-01-01

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

The Effect of Grammatical Accuracy and Gender on Interlanguage Request Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanjaya, I. Nyoman Suka; Sitawati, Anak Agung Raka

2017-01-01

The present study was aimed at examining whether grammatical accuracy and gender were significant predictors of the use of request strategy (direct or indirect). Participants were 39 seventh semester students (29 males and 10 females) majoring in an International Business Management program at a public higher education institution in Bali. Their…

Organisational and Occupational Boundaries in Australian Universities: The Hierarchical Positioning of Female Professional Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simpson, Andrea; Fitzgerald, Tanya

2014-01-01

The effects of gender on organisational structures for professional university staff have been largely overlooked in the literature. Using data from one Australian university, we examine the location of professional female staff in the organisational hierarchy. Our analysis indicated that significant gendered segregation existed within and across…

The Role of Peers' Gender in Children's Naturally Occurring Interest in Toys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shell, Rita; Eisenberg, Nancy

1990-01-01

Examined the effect of observation of gender-related information in the peer group on preschoolers' attention to toys that were not clearly delineated as appropriate for one sex or the other. Contemporaneous peer involvement was significantly associated with children's toy adoption, but cumulative peer involvement was not. (Author/BB)

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouillon, Marvin L.; Doran, B. Michael

1992-01-01

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

Gents, Jerks, and Jocks: What Male Students Learn about Masculinity in College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Frank, III; Struve, Laura E.

2009-01-01

The academy plays a significant role in male students' experience of gender. In this article, the authors explore how educators can effectively support healthy and productive gender identity development among college men. Their goal is to provide insight into how campus cultures convey and reinforce lessons about what constitutes "normal"…

The Moderating Effect of Geographic Area on the Relationship Between Age, Gender, and Information and Communication Technology Literacy and Problematic Internet Use.

PubMed

Yu, Liang; Recker, Mimi; Chen, Shijian; Zhao, Nan; Yang, Qiuyan

2018-06-01

This study investigated the relationship between adolescents' problematic Internet use (PIU) and demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy and the moderating effect of geographic area on this relationship using a cross-sectional research design. The study sample comprised 2160 adolescents from the Chongqing area of China and consisted of 47.3 percent boys (N = 1022) and 52.7 percent girls (N = 1138). Participants anonymously completed a 38-item questionnaire that examined their Internet use, behaviors, and attitudes, ICT literacy, parents' education level, and other demographic information. The results showed that the geographic area in which respondents lived (urban vs. rural), gender, age, father's education, mother's education, and ICT literacy had significant relationships with PIU. Moreover, hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that geographic area was found to be a significant moderator for both age and gender in their relationship with PIU. These findings suggest that it is essential to address differences between urban and rural areas when seeking to mitigate PIU among adolescents.

Absence of gender effect on amygdala volume in temporal lobe epilepsy.

PubMed

Silva, Ivaldo; Lin, Katia; Jackowski, Andrea P; Centeno, Ricardo da Silva; Pinto, Magali L; Carrete, Henrique; Yacubian, Elza M; Amado, Débora

2010-11-01

Sexual dimorphism has already been described in temporal lobe epilepsy with mesial temporal sclerosis (TLE-MTS). This study evaluated the effect of gender on amygdala volume in patients with TLE-MTS. One hundred twenty-four patients with refractory unilateral or bilateral TLE-MTS who were being considered for epilepsy surgery underwent a comprehensive presurgical evaluation and MRI. Amygdalas of 67 women (27 with right; 32 with left, and 8 with bilateral TLE) and 57 men (22 with right, 30 with left, and 5 with bilateral TLE) were manually segmented. Significant ipsilateral amygdala volume reduction was observed for patients with right and left TLE. No gender effect on amygdala volume was observed. Contralateral amygdalar asymmetry was observed for patients with right and left TLE. Although no gender effect was observed on amygdala volume, ipsilateral amygdala volume reductions in patients with TLE might be related to differential rates of cerebral maturation between hemispheres. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adult normative data for phonatory aerodynamics in connected speech.

PubMed

Lewandowski, Ali; Gillespie, Amanda I; Kridgen, Samantha; Jeong, Kwonho; Yu, Lan; Gartner-Schmidt, Jackie

2018-04-01

To establish normative values for phonatory aerodynamic measurements in connected speech across adult ages and gender. Prospective data collection across group design. One hundred fifty adults aged >18 years without voice complaints were stratified into three equal-age groups (group 1 [ages 18-39 years]; group 2 [ages 40-59 years], and group 3 [ages 60 + years]) and two equal-gender groups (male and female) resulting in 25 participants in each category. Participants read the first four sentences of the Rainbow Passage at comfortable pitch and loudness to obtain a connected speech sample. The following dependent variables were analyzed: breath number, reading passage duration, mean phonatory airflow, inspiratory airflow duration, and expiratory airflow duration. A gender effect was found for mean phonatory airflow, with males showing significantly greater phonatory airflow than females during connected speech (P < .001). Number of breaths was significantly greater for group 3 than group 2 (P < .001) and group 1 (P < .001). Duration, and inspiratory and expiratory airflow durations were all significantly greater for group 3 (P < .001) than group 2 (P < .001) than group 1 (P < .001). This study provides normative data for phonatory aerodynamics in adult connected speech. Significant age and gender effects were observed. Laryngoscope, 128:909-914, 2018. © 2017 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

The Women's Recovery Group Study: a Stage I trial of women-focused group therapy for substance use disorders versus mixed-gender group drug counseling.

PubMed

Greenfield, Shelly F; Trucco, Elisa M; McHugh, R Kathryn; Lincoln, Melissa; Gallop, Robert J

2007-09-06

The aim of this Stage I Behavioral Development Trial was to develop a manual-based 12-session Women's Recovery Group (WRG) and to pilot test this new treatment in a randomized controlled trial against a mixed-gender Group Drug Counseling (GDC), an effective manual-based treatment for substance use disorders. After initial manual development, two pre-pilot groups of WRG were conducted to determine feasibility and initial acceptability of the treatment among subjects and therapists. In the pilot stage, women were randomized to either WRG or GDC. No significant differences in substance use outcomes were found between WRG and GDC during the 12-week group treatment. However, during the 6-month post-treatment follow-up, WRG members demonstrated a pattern of continued reductions in substance use while GDC women did not. In addition, pilot WRG women with alcohol dependence had significantly greater reductions in average drinks/drinking day than GDC women 6 months post-treatment (p<.03, effect size=0.81). While satisfaction with both groups was high, women were significantly more satisfied with WRG than GDC (p<.009, effect size=1.11). In this study, the newly developed 12-session women-focused WRG was feasible with high satisfaction among participants. It was equally effective as mixed-gender GDC in reducing substance use during the 12-week in-treatment phase, but demonstrated significantly greater improvement in reductions in drug and alcohol use over the post-treatment follow-up phase compared with GDC. A women-focused single-gender group treatment may enhance longer-term clinical outcomes among women with substance use disorders.

Influence of gender on mental health literacy in young Australians.

PubMed

Cotton, Sue M; Wright, Annemarie; Harris, Meredith G; Jorm, Anthony F; McGorry, Patrick D

2006-09-01

To determine the effects of gender on mental health literacy in young people between 12 and 25 years of age. Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing was employed to conduct a cross-sectional structured interview focusing on young people's awareness of depression and psychosis. The sample comprised 1207 young Australians (539 males and 668 females) between the ages of 12-25 recruited from two metropolitan and two regional areas within Victoria. Six hundred and six respondents were presented a depression vignette and 601 were presented a psychosis vignette. Female respondents (60.7%) were significantly more likely to correctly identify depression in the vignette as compared to male respondents (34.5%). No significant gender differences were noted for the psychosis vignette. Males were less significantly likely to endorse seeing a doctor or psychologist/counsellor for the treatment of psychosis. Males were also significantly more likely than females to endorse alcohol as a way of dealing with depression and antibiotics as useful for dealing with psychosis. Gender differences in mental health literacy are striking. Males showed significantly lower recognition of symptoms associated with mental illness and were more likely endorse the use alcohol to deal with mental health problems. Such factors may contribute to the delays in help seeking seen in young males. Further research is needed to delineate how these gender differences in young people may obstruct help seeking, early intervention and other aspects of mental health service delivery.

The role of gender affirmation in psychological well-being among transgender women.

PubMed

Glynn, Tiffany R; Gamarel, Kristi E; Kahler, Christopher W; Iwamoto, Mariko; Operario, Don; Nemoto, Tooru

2016-09-01

High prevalence of psychological distress, including greater depression, lower self-esteem, and suicidal ideation, has been documented across numerous samples of transgender women and has been attributed to high rates of discrimination and violence. According to the gender affirmation framework (Sevelius, 2013), access to sources of gender-affirmative support can offset such negative psychological effects of social oppression. However, critical questions remain unanswered in regards to how and which aspects of gender affirmation are related to psychological well-being. The aims of this study were to investigate the associations between three discrete areas of gender affirmation (psychological, medical, and social) and participants' reports of psychological well-being. A community sample of 573 transgender women with a history of sex work completed a one-time self-report survey that assessed demographic characteristics, gender affirmation, and mental health outcomes. In multivariate models, we found that social, psychological, and medical gender affirmation were significant predictors of lower depression and higher self-esteem while no domains of affirmation were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Findings support the need for accessible and affordable transitioning resources for transgender women in order to promote better quality of life among an already vulnerable population. As the gender affirmation framework posits, the personal experience of feeling affirmed as a transgender person results from individuals' subjective perceptions of need along multiple dimensions of gender affirmation. Personalized assessment of gender affirmation may thus be a useful component of counseling and service provision for transgender women.

Cultural and gender differences in coping strategies between Caucasian American and Korean American older people.

PubMed

Lee, HeeSoon; Mason, Derek

2014-12-01

Coping strategies have significant effects on older people's health. This study examined whether gender and ethnic differences influence the coping strategies chosen by older adults when they encounter daily life stressors. Data were collected from 444 community-dwelling people over the age of 65, including 238 Caucasian Americans and 206 Korean Americans. Results showed significant differences between the two groups. Korean Americans had higher scores on problem and emotion-focused coping strategies as well as avoidant coping strategies than Caucasian Americans. Caucasian older women employed more active coping, planning, and positive reframing skills; relied more on religion; and sought emotional support more than Caucasian men. For Korean Americans, older women utilized religion and denial; whereas older men employed instrumental support and substance abuse. The results suggest that practitioners should develop ethnic, gender-specific programs to help older adults cope more effectively with their daily life stressors.

Prediction of anthropometric foot characteristics in children.

PubMed

Morrison, Stewart C; Durward, Brian R; Watt, Gordon F; Donaldson, Malcolm D C

2009-01-01

The establishment of growth reference values is needed in pediatric practice where pathologic conditions can have a detrimental effect on the growth and development of the pediatric foot. This study aims to use multiple regression to evaluate the effects of multiple predictor variables (height, age, body mass, and gender) on anthropometric characteristics of the peripubescent foot. Two hundred children aged 9 to 12 years were recruited, and three anthropometric measurements of the pediatric foot were recorded (foot length, forefoot width, and navicular height). Multiple regression analysis was conducted, and coefficients for gender, height, and body mass all had significant relationships for the prediction of forefoot width and foot length (P < or = .05, r > or = 0.7). The coefficients for gender and body mass were not significant for the prediction of navicular height (P > or = .05), whereas height was (P < or = .05). Normative growth reference values and prognostic regression equations are presented for the peripubescent foot.

Workplace harassment, stress, and drinking behavior over time: gender differences in a national sample.

PubMed

Rospenda, Kathleen M; Fujishiro, Kaori; Shannon, Candice A; Richman, Judith A

2008-07-01

Research suggests that workplace harassment (WH) significantly predicts alcohol use and problem drinking behavior, but has generally failed to consider concurrent effects of other sources of stress. This two-wave study (n=1418) is the first to explore whether sexual harassment (SH) and generalized workplace harassment (GWH) predict increased drinking independently of the effects of job and life stress, and whether effects differ by gender, in a nationally representative sample. SH and GWH predicted increases in problem drinking one year later for men but not women, while life stress was associated with increased problem drinking for women but not men. This study confirms the importance of examining the associations between different types of stressors and drinking-related outcomes in gendered contexts.

‘I quit’ versus ‘I'm sorry I used’: A preliminary investigation of variations in narrative ending and transportation

PubMed Central

Banerjee, Smita C.; Greene, Kathryn

2016-01-01

A narrative experience can partly depend on how a narrative ends or concludes. This study examined prevention effects of personal drug use narratives varying by type of ending and gender of protagonist. Additionally, the role of transportation in the persuasion process, particularly the association between transportation and cocaine use intentions, both directly and indirectly, through the mediation of antidrug and pro-drug expectancies was assessed. A total of 500 undergraduate students at a large northern university in the UK participated in the experiment which was a 2 × 2 × 2 mixed design with ending (progressive vs. regressive) and gender of protagonist (male vs. female) as within-participants factors and participant gender (male vs. female) as between-participants factors. The results demonstrated significant main effects for ending, gender of protagonist in the narrative and participant gender, but no interaction effects. Finally, greater transportation was associated with stronger anti-cocaine expectancies, which were further associated with lower cocaine use intentions. Important theoretical and empirical implications are discussed. PMID:22519724

Gender and obesity interaction in quality of life in adults assisted by family doctor program in Niterói, Brazil.

PubMed

Torres, Karla Dala Paula; Rosa, Maria Luiza Garcia; Moscavitch, Samuel Datum

2016-05-01

Obesity impacts the quality of life (HRQL). Studies about the effects of a possible interaction between gender and body mass are rare. The objective of the present paper is to estimate the biological interaction between gender and obesity on HRQL. This was a cross-sectional study based on data from CAMELIA study with population assisted by the Family Doctor Program of Niteroi visited between June 2006 and December 2007. HRQL was assessed by the SF-36. The exposure categories were: obese women, non-obese women, obese men and non-obese men, the reference category. Obese women showed higher percentages of low overall, physical and mental quality of life with the largest associations in the physical component. The excess risk due to interaction was statistically significant in physical dimension: RERI = 1.97 (0.40-3.52) and RERIa = 1,97 (0.40-1.7). Among the Brazilian population aged 20-64 years, obesity was independently associated with low HRQL. This association differed by gender, being significant for women. The possibility of the combined effect takes greater importance in the context of increasing incidence of obesity globally. Healthcare professionals in primary care settings should pay attention to gender differences in the impact of obesity on HRQL.

Are Married Men Healthier than Single Women? A Gender Comparison of the Health Effects of Marriage and Marital Satisfaction in East Asia

PubMed Central

Chung, Woojin; Kim, Roeul

2015-01-01

Background Although Asian societies are remarkably different from Western societies in terms of sociocultural characteristics, little is known about the gender differences in the health effects of marriage and marital satisfaction in Asian countries. Methodology/Principal Findings Using a randomly sampled dataset from the 2006 East Asian Social Survey comprising 8528 individuals from China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, this study performs analyses using a multivariate logistic regression model to predict the probability for a man or a woman to report poor health. Our results differ quite significantly from those of most studies focusing on Western countries. Considering marital satisfaction, there may be no health benefits from marriage for a specific gender in a given country, because the health loss associated with a dissatisfied marriage usually supersedes the health benefits from marriage. Moreover, women may reap greater health benefits from marriage than men. Additionally, those most likely to report poor health are found to be married and dissatisfied men or women, rather than never-married individuals. Conclusion/Significance The present study argues the need to design and carry out a gender- and country-specific social health policy approach to target individuals suffering from poor health, thereby reducing the gender differences in health status. PMID:26230841

Cultural background shapes spatial reference frame proclivity

PubMed Central

Goeke, Caspar; Kornpetpanee, Suchada; Köster, Moritz; Fernández-Revelles, Andrés B.; Gramann, Klaus; König, Peter

2015-01-01

Spatial navigation is an essential human skill that is influenced by several factors. The present study investigates how gender, age, and cultural background account for differences in reference frame proclivity and performance in a virtual navigation task. Using an online navigation study, we recorded reaction times, error rates (confusion of turning axis), and reference frame proclivity (egocentric vs. allocentric reference frame) of 1823 participants. Reaction times significantly varied with gender and age, but were only marginally influenced by the cultural background of participants. Error rates were in line with these results and exhibited a significant influence of gender and culture, but not age. Participants’ cultural background significantly influenced reference frame selection; the majority of North-Americans preferred an allocentric strategy, while Latin-Americans preferred an egocentric navigation strategy. European and Asian groups were in between these two extremes. Neither the factor of age nor the factor of gender had a direct impact on participants’ navigation strategies. The strong effects of cultural background on navigation strategies without the influence of gender or age underlines the importance of socialized spatial cognitive processes and argues for socio-economic analysis in studies investigating human navigation. PMID:26073656

Gender and the Interplay of Source of Support and Peer Social Rejection on Internalizing Among Mexican American Youth

PubMed Central

Jenchura, Emily C.; Gonzales, Nancy A.; Tein, Jenn-Yun; Luecken, Linda J.

2017-01-01

Gendered interpersonal processes may explain the elevated rates of internalizing symptoms among adolescent girls relative to boys. Two such processes are peer social rejection and social support. The current study assessed for gender differences in the effect of 7th grade peer social rejection on 10th grade internalizing symptoms, as well as the moderating effects of social support from family and from friends in a sample of 749 (49% female) Mexican American adolescents, an understudied population with a unique social culture. Peer social rejection significantly predicted increased internalizing symptoms for girls. Although buffering effects of social support were not found, there were significant moderating effects of both sources of support for boys, such that at low levels of social support, peer social rejection was associated with decreased internalizing symptoms, and at high levels of social support, peer social rejection was associated with increased internalizing symptoms. The results help unpack the nuances of the interpersonal processes that lead to differential adjustment for adolescent boys and girls at this critical developmental stage. PMID:27739005

Gender interactions in the recognition of emotions and conduct symptoms in adolescents.

PubMed

Halász, József; Aspán, Nikoletta; Bozsik, Csilla; Gádoros, Júlia; Inántsy-Pap, Judit

2014-01-01

According to literature data, impairment in the recognition of emotions might be related to antisocial developmental pathway. In the present study, the relationship between gender-specific interaction of emotion recognition and conduct symptoms were studied in non-clinical adolescents. After informed consent, 29 boys and 24 girls (13-16 years, 14 ± 0.1 years) participated in the study. The parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was used to assess behavioral problems. The recognition of basic emotions was analyzed according to both the gender of the participants and the gender of the stimulus faces via the "Facial Expressions of Emotion- Stimuli and Tests". Girls were significantly better than boys in the recognition of disgust, irrespective from the gender of the stimulus faces, albeit both genders were significantly better in the recognition of disgust in the case of male stimulus faces compared to female stimulus faces. Both boys and girls were significantly better in the recognition of sadness in the case of female stimulus faces compared to male stimulus faces. There was no gender effect (neither participant nor stimulus faces) in the recognition of other emotions. Conduct scores in boys were inversely correlated with the recognition of fear in male stimulus faces (R=-0.439, p<0.05) and with overall emotion recognition in male stimulus faces (R=-0.558, p<0.01). In girls, conduct scores were shown a tendency for positive correlation with disgust recognition in female stimulus faces (R=0.376, p<0.07). A gender-specific interaction between the recognition of emotions and antisocial developmentalpathway is suggested.

Testing demographic differences for alcohol use initiation among adolescents for the decisional balance and situational temptation prevention inventories.

PubMed

Sillice, Marie A; Paiva, Andrea L; Babbin, Steven F; McGee, Heather A; Rossi, Joseph S; Redding, Colleen A; Meier, Kathryn S; Oatley, Karin; Velicer, Wayne F

2014-09-01

Alcohol use by middle school-aged students is a public health concern because of the numerous adverse social, health and psychological outcomes. Prevention programs attempt to intervene before alcohol use begins. A tailored, computer-delivered program for the prevention of alcohol use and a series of new transtheoretical model measures were developed, including decisional balance (Pros and Cons) of alcohol use and Situational Temptations to Try Alcohol. This study investigated if there were any demographic differences on these measures in a sample of 6th grade middle school students from 20 schools (N=4151) at baseline. Three factorial analysis of variance tests were conducted to explore the impact of race (whites vs. non-whites), ethnicity (Hispanics vs. Non-Hispanics) and gender (males vs. females). A significant two-way interaction effect was found between gender and ethnicity for Pros of Alcohol Use. A significant three-way interaction effect was found between gender, race and ethnicity for Cons of Alcohol Use. Main effects were found for the three demographic factors for Situational Temptations to Try Alcohol. However, the effect sizes for the interaction effects and main effects were very small (all below η(2)=.01), suggesting that race/ethnicity and gender alone may not be highly influential factors in the Decisional Balance for the Prevention of Alcohol and Situational Temptations to Try Alcohol in adolescence. The implications for these results and alcohol use prevention among this group are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing Demographic Differences for Alcohol Use Initiation among Adolescents for the Decisional Balance and Situational Temptations Prevention Inventories

PubMed Central

Sillice, Marie A.; Paiva, Andrea L.; Babbin, Steven F.; McGee, Heather A.; Rossi, Joseph R.; Redding, Colleen A.; Meier, Kathryn S.; Oatley, Karin; Velicer, Wayne F.

2014-01-01

Alcohol use by middle school-aged students is a public health concern because of the numerous adverse social, health and psychological outcomes. Prevention programs attempt to intervene before alcohol use begins. A tailored, computer-delivered program for the prevention of alcohol use and a series of new transtheoretical model measures were developed, including decisional balance (Pros and Cons) of alcohol use and Situational Temptations to Try Alcohol. This study investigated if there were any demographic differences on these measures in a sample of 6th grade middle school students from 20 schools (N=4151) at baseline. Three factorial analysis of variance tests were conducted to explore the impact of race (whites vs. non-whites), ethnicity (Hispanics vs. Non-Hispanics) and gender (males vs. females). A significant two-way interaction effect was found between gender and ethnicity for Pros of Alcohol Use. A significant three-way interaction effect was found between gender, race and ethnicity for Cons of Alcohol Use. Main effects were found for the three demographic factors for Situational Temptations to Try Alcohol. However, the effect sizes for the interaction effects and main effects were very small (all below η2=. 01), suggesting that race/ethnicity and gender alone may not be highly influential factors in the Decisional Balance for the Prevention of Alcohol and Situational Temptations to Try Alcohol in adolescence. The implications for these results and alcohol use prevention among this group are discussed. PMID:24916916

Gender differences in the effects of cathinone and the interaction with caffeine on temperature and locomotor activity in the rat.

PubMed

Alsufyani, Hadeel A; Docherty, James R

2017-08-15

We have investigated gender differences in the effects of cathinone and the interaction with caffeine on temperature and movement activity in Wistar rats. Telemetry probes were implanted in rats under isoflurane anaesthesia, and 7 days later, temperature and activity were recorded in conscious unrestrained animals. Caffeine (10mg/lkg) or vehicle, and 30min later, cathinone (5mg/kg) or vehicle, were injected subcutaneously. Cathinone produced significant and marked increases in activity, and the response to cathinone was significantly greater in female animals. The combination of caffeine and cathinone causes a short lived potentiation followed by a prolonged inhibition of the activity response to cathinone. Cathinone alone had minor effects on temperature. However, the combination of caffeine and cathinone produced a significant acute rise in temperature only in male rats in the 90min after cathinone injection. Hence, cathinone caused greater increases in activity in female than in male rats. Secondly, caffeine produced an initial potentiation followed by a prolonged inhibition of the activity response to cathinone. Thirdly, cathinone in combination with caffeine significantly raised temperature acutely in male but not female rats. These differences highlight the need to carry out gender studies of the actions of stimulants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characteristics of perceived parenting styles in Japan using the EMBU scale.

PubMed

Someya, T; Uehara, T; Kadowaki, M; Tang, S W; Takahashi, S

1999-10-01

The EMBU (Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran) is a self-report questionnaire for the assessment of one's memory of parental rearing experiences. We are interested in using this scale to determine the characteristics of perceived parenting styles in Japan. The study subjects consisted of 1320 healthy Japanese volunteers, comprising 687 males (52%) and 633 females (48%). We investigated the relationship between demographics and the EMBU scale. ANCOVA revealed that the subject's gender had a significant effect on paternal rejection scores (male > female), and both gender and birth-order position had significant effects on emotional warmth scores for both parents (female > male, and only-child > middle or last-born child). Birth-order position had significant effects on maternal over-protection, with the highest score being that of only children, and on the aspect of favouritism (favouring subjects), scores for both parents were highest from the last-born children. Rejection scores for the mother were significantly higher than those for the father from female subjects. Among both male and female subjects, emotional warmth scores and overprotection scores for the mother were significantly higher than those for the father. Among male subjects, scores for the mother on favouritism of the subject were significantly higher than those for the father. On the other hand, among female subjects, scores for the father on favouritism of the subject were higher than scores for the mother. Our results suggest that parenting styles have significant interrelationships with the gender and birth-order position of the subject.

Voice gender and the segregation of competing talkers: Perceptual learning in cochlear implant simulations

PubMed Central

Sullivan, Jessica R.; Assmann, Peter F.; Hossain, Shaikat; Schafer, Erin C.

2017-01-01

Two experiments explored the role of differences in voice gender in the recognition of speech masked by a competing talker in cochlear implant simulations. Experiment 1 confirmed that listeners with normal hearing receive little benefit from differences in voice gender between a target and masker sentence in four- and eight-channel simulations, consistent with previous findings that cochlear implants deliver an impoverished representation of the cues for voice gender. However, gender differences led to small but significant improvements in word recognition with 16 and 32 channels. Experiment 2 assessed the benefits of perceptual training on the use of voice gender cues in an eight-channel simulation. Listeners were assigned to one of four groups: (1) word recognition training with target and masker differing in gender; (2) word recognition training with same-gender target and masker; (3) gender recognition training; or (4) control with no training. Significant improvements in word recognition were observed from pre- to post-test sessions for all three training groups compared to the control group. These improvements were maintained at the late session (one week following the last training session) for all three groups. There was an overall improvement in masked word recognition performance provided by gender mismatch following training, but the amount of benefit did not differ as a function of the type of training. The training effects observed here are consistent with a form of rapid perceptual learning that contributes to the segregation of competing voices but does not specifically enhance the benefits provided by voice gender cues. PMID:28372046

Gender-related biases in evaluations of sex discrimination allegations: is perceived threat the key?

PubMed

Elkins, Teri J; Phillips, James S; Konopaske, Robert

2002-04-01

Hypotheses derived from defensive attribution theory and social identity theory were tested in 3 laboratory experiments examining the effects of plaintiff and observer gender on perceived threat, plaintiff identification, and sex discrimination. In Study 1, women differentiated plaintiffs on the basis of gender, whereas men did not. Study 2 showed that this bias occurred because employment discrimination was personally threatening to women but not to men. In Study 3, the bias was reversed in a child custody context. As predicted, men found this context to be significantly more threatening than did women and subsequently exhibited a similarity bias. Mediation analyses suggested that responsibility attributions explained most of the variance in discrimination judgments associated with the plaintiff gender by observer gender interactions.

A parent-report Gender Identity Questionnaire for Children: A cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis.

PubMed

Cohen-Kettenis, Peggy T; Wallien, Madeleine; Johnson, Laurel L; Owen-Anderson, Allison F H; Bradley, Susan J; Zucker, Kenneth J

2006-07-01

A one-factor, 14-item parent-report Gender Identity Questionnaire for Children (GIQC) was developed in a sample of 325 clinic-referred children with gender identity problems and 504 controls from Toronto, Canada (Johnson et al., 2004). In this study, we report a cross-national, cross-clinic comparative analysis of the GIQC on gender-referred children (N = 338) from Toronto and gender-referred children (N = 175) from Utrecht, The Netherlands. Across clinics, the results showed both similarities and differences. Gender-referred boys from Utrecht had a significantly higher total score (indicating more cross-gender behavior) than did gender-referred boys from Toronto, but there was no significant difference for girls. In the Toronto sample, the gender-referred girls had a significantly higher total score than the gender-referred boys, but there was no significant sex difference in the Utrecht sample. Across both clinics, gender-referred children who met the complete DSM criteria for gender identity disorder (GID) had a significantly higher cross-gender score than the gender-referred children who were subthreshold for GID (Cohen's d = 1.11). The results of this study provide the first empirical evidence of relative similarity in cross-gender behavior in a sample of gender-referred children from western Europe when compared to North American children. The results also provide some support for cross-clinic consistency in clinician-based diagnosis of GID.

Gender differences in psychotic disorders with concurrent substance use.

PubMed

Caton, Carol L M; Xie, Haiyi; Drake, Robert E; McHugo, Gregory

2014-01-01

We conducted a comparative analysis of gender differences in patients with primary psychotic disorders with concurrent substance use and in those with substance-induced psychoses. A total of 385 individuals admitted to psychiatric emergency departments with early-onset psychosis and recent substance use were interviewed at baseline and at six-month intervals for two years. Using a standardized research diagnostic assessment instrument, we classified patients at baseline into primary and substance-induced psychosis groups and analyzed the effects of gender on demographic, family, and clinical characteristics at baseline, the interaction of gender and diagnosis, and gender main effects on illness course, adjustment, and service use over the two-year follow-up period. Women had better premorbid adjustment, less misattribution of symptoms, and a later age at onset of regular drug use compared to men. Women, however, showed greater depression and histories of abuse compared to men. Men had greater arrest histories. No interactions between gender and diagnosis were significant. Both genders in the primary and substance-induced psychosis groups showed clinical and functional improvement over the follow-up period despite the overall minimal use of mental health and substance abuse treatment services. Women and men with psychosis and substance use differ on several dimensions. Our findings suggest the need for gender-specific treatment programming across both diagnostic groups.

Understanding How Sexual and Gender Minority Stigmas Influence Depression Among Trans Women and Men Who Have Sex with Men in India.

PubMed

Chakrapani, Venkatesan; Vijin, Pandara Purayil; Logie, Carmen H; Newman, Peter A; Shunmugam, Murali; Sivasubramanian, Murugesan; Samuel, Miriam

2017-06-01

Few studies have assessed how sexual and gender minority stigmas affect the mental health of trans women and self-identified men who have sex with men (MSM) in India, populations with a high HIV burden. We tested whether social support and resilient coping act as mediators of the effect of sexual and gender minority stigmas on depression as proposed by Hatzenbuehler's psychological mediation framework, or as moderators based on Meyer's minority stress theory. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among trans women (n = 300) and MSM (n = 300) recruited from urban and rural sites in India. Standardized scales were used to measure depression (outcome variable), transgender identity stigma/MSM stigma (predictor variables), and social support and resilient coping (tested as moderators and parallel mediators). The mediation and moderation models were tested separately for trans women and MSM, using Hayes' PROCESS macro in SPSS. Participants' mean age was 29.7 years (standard deviation 8.1). Transgender identity stigma and MSM stigma were significant predictors (significant total and direct effects) of depression, as were social support and resilient coping. Among trans women and MSM, social support and resilient coping mediated (i.e., significant specific indirect effects), but did not moderate, the effect of stigma on depression, supporting the psychological mediation framework. Sexual and gender minority stigmas are associated with depression, with social support and resilient coping as mediators. In addition to stigma reduction interventions at the societal level, future interventions should focus on improving social support and promoting resilience among trans women and MSM in India.

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

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

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

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

The Relationship of Gender and Self-Efficacy on Social Physique Anxiety among College Students.

PubMed

Rothberger, Sara M; Harris, Brandonn S; Czech, Daniel R; Melton, Bridget

The anxiety or fear associated with physique evaluation is defined as Social Physique Anxiety (SPA). Numerous studies have examined this construct, yet a gap exists exploring this phenomenon among current college students with SPA, self-efficacy, and gender concurrently. Therefore, the purposes of this study included quantitatively analyzing the association between SPA, gender, and self-efficacy. Participants included 237 students at a Southeastern university participating in jogging, body conditioning, or weight training courses. Analysis of Variance yielded a significant main effect for self-efficacy as well, as those with lower self-efficacy displayed higher levels of SPA ( p < 0.001). Stepwise regression analysis indicated self-efficacy and gender were both significant predictors of SPA. This information could aid in creating interventions designed to decrease the prevalence of SPA and increase levels of self-efficacy among the current college student population.

Childhood adversity and adult depression among the incarcerated: differential exposure and vulnerability by race/ethnicity and gender.

PubMed

Roxburgh, Susan; MacArthur, Kelly Rhea

2014-08-01

The relationship between childhood adversity and adult depression is well-established but less is known about the association between childhood adversity and adult depression among the incarcerated. In this paper, we examine differential exposure and vulnerability to childhood adversity by race/ethnicity and gender on adult depression among the incarcerated in the United States. We address three research questions: does exposure to childhood adverse experiences vary by race/ethnicity and gender? Is there an association between these childhood adverse events and depression and does the strength of the association vary by the specific adverse experiences? And does vulnerability to childhood adversity vary by gender and race/ethnicity? Using the 2004 Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities (SI-SFCF), we measure four key childhood adverse events - parental/caretaker substance abuse, physical assault, having been placed in foster care, and sexual assault. We use ordinary least squares regression and a series of interaction effect analyses to examine differential exposure and vulnerability to the four childhood adverse experiences by race/ethnicity and gender. Incarcerated women are more likely to report parental substance abuse, but all inmates/prisoners are similarly vulnerable to this experience. For the other three adverse experiences measured, we find that there are important racial/ethnic and gender differences in both exposure and vulnerability. African American men and women are more vulnerable to the effects of physical and sexual victimization than White and Hispanic men and women. Women are much more likely to be exposed to sexual victimization, but men who report this experience are significantly more depressed. Hispanic women and White men and women are more likely to report foster care, but all inmates/prisoners who report foster care experiences are significantly more depressed than other inmates/prisoners, with the exception of white men. The findings indicate that there are significant differences in exposure and vulnerability to childhood adversity by race/ethnicity and gender. We conclude that in order to effectively design and implement programs to decrease the probability that childhood adversity is a risk factor for adult depression interventions must be targeted toward specific, vulnerable groups according to race/ethnicity and gender. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aggressors or victims: gender and race in music video violence.

PubMed

Rich, M; Woods, E R; Goodman, E; Emans, S J; DuRant, R H

1998-04-01

To examine portrayals of violence in popular music videos for patterns of aggression and victimization by gender and race. Content analysis of 518 music videos broadcast over national music television networks, Black Entertainment Television (BET), Country Music Television (CMT), Music Television (MTV), and Video Hits-1 (VH-1) during a 4-week period at randomly selected times of high adolescent viewership. Differences in the genders and races portrayed as aggressors and victims in acts of violence. Seventy-six (14.7%) of the analyzed music videos contained portrayals of individuals engaging in overt interpersonal violence, with a mean of 6.1 violent acts per violence-containing video. Among the 462 acts of violence, the music video's main character was clearly the aggressor in 80.1% and the victim in 17.7%. In 391 (84.6%) of the violence portrayals, the gender of the aggressor or victim could be determined. Male gender was significantly associated with aggression; aggressors were 78.1% male, whereas victims were 46.3% female. This relationship was influenced by race. Among whites, 72.0% of the aggressors were male and 78.3% of the victims were female. Although blacks represent 12% of the United States population, they were aggressors in 25.0% and victims in 41.0% of music video violence. Controlling for gender, racial differences were significant among males; 29.0% of aggressors and 75.0% of victims were black. A logistic regression model did not find direct effects for gender and race, but revealed a significant interaction effect, indicating that the differences between blacks and whites were not the same for both genders. Black males were more likely than all others to be portrayed as victims of violence (adjusted odds ratio = 28.16, 95% confidence interval = 8.19, 84.94). Attractive role models were aggressors in more than 80% of music video violence. Males and females were victims with equivalent frequency, but males were more than three times as likely to be aggressors. Compared with United States demographics, blacks were overrepresented as aggressors and victims, whereas whites were underrepresented. White females were most frequently victims. Music videos may be reinforcing false stereotypes of aggressive black males and victimized white females. These observations raise concern for the effect of music videos on adolescents' normative expectations about conflict resolution, race, and male-female relationships.

Missing links in some curious auditory phenomena: a tale from the middle ear.

PubMed

Carpenter, Michelle S; Cacace, Anthony T; Mahoney, Marty J

2012-02-01

Broadband middle ear power reflectance (BMEPR) is an emerging noninvasive electroacoustic measure that evaluates transmission/reflection properties of the middle ear in high resolution. It is applicable over the entire age continuum and is rapid to perform. However, it remains to be determined if BMEPR is just an incremental step in the evolution of middle ear assessment or a major advance in the way middle ear function can be evaluated. To evaluate effects of age, gender, ear, and frequency on BMEPR measurements in adults without a history of middle ear disease and to assess whether these factors require consideration in test development; to review how these data may influence active physiologic process within the inner ear; to consider how they reconcile with previously published results; and to suggest applications for future research. Prospective, cross-sectional, multivariate analysis to evaluate the effects of age, gender, ear, and frequency on BMEPR in humans without a history of middle ear disease and no air-bone gaps exceeding 10 dB for any frequency. Fifty-six adults in two age groups (Group 1: 18-25 yr, n = 28; Group 2: ≥50 and <66 yr, n = 28). Each age group was stratified by ear and gender in a balanced design. Pure tone air conduction and bone-conduction audiometry was conducted in a commercial sound booth, using a clinical audiometer with standard earphones enclosed in supra-aural ear cushions, and a standard bone-conduction oscillator and headband to evaluate for air-bone gaps. Broadband middle ear power reflectance was measured using a calibrated, commercially available computer-controlled system that incorporated a high quality probe assembly to transduce stimuli and record acoustic responses from the ear canal. Data were analyzed with a four-way (2 × 2 × 2 × 16) repeated measures analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) to evaluate the effects of age group (young vs. old), gender (male vs. female), ear (left vs. right), and frequency (258 to 5040 Hz) on BMEPR. The ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of frequency. There were also gender × ear, gender × frequency, and age × gender × ear interactions. The three-way, age × gender × ear interaction captured the essence of results and revealed lowest power reflectance values in younger females and for right ears. This trend partially reversed in the older age group where higher power reflectance values were observed only in right ears of older females. The significant effects of age, gender, ear, and frequency on BMEPR parallel ear- and gender-related differences in hearing sensitivity, ear, and gender differences in the prevalence of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (OAEs), gender differences in the magnitude of transient evoked OAEs, and ear differences in transient evoked contralateral OAE suppression effects reported in the literature. While original discussions of these aforementioned effects focused primarily on endocochlear and olivocochlear mechanisms, the BMEPR measurements reported herein suggest that middle ear transmission characteristics may also play a role. American Academy of Audiology.

The relationship between sources of motivation and level of practice in young Portuguese swimmers.

PubMed

Salselas, V; Gonzalez-Boto, R; Tuero, C; Marquez, S

2007-06-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between participation motives and level of practice in young Portuguese swimmers and to investigate whether swimmers with a different expertise differ in their reasons for participation involvement. A total of 155 subjects (68 male and 87 female), aged 7 to 18 years, responded to the Portuguese versions of the Participation Motivation Inventory. The subjects were divided into those participating in learn-to swim programs (n=40), advanced programs (n=49) or competition (n=56). A significant multivariate effect was obtained for level of practice, with children involved in learn-to swim programs rating fitness, competition, general affiliation, technical skills and fun significantly lower in importance than the other two groups. A 2 (subject gender) x3 (practice level) MANCOVA, with age at dropout, revealed that the effect of the covariate itself was not significant, but a main effect was found for gender, differing boys and girls only in the emotion factor. A significant interaction was also detected between gender and participation level, with a higher importance given to general affiliation by girls in comparison to boys in the advanced programs and competition categories. Our results in a sample of Portuguese swimmers indicate the existence of multiple motives for participation and significant differences in motivational factors in relation to the practice level.

Effects of Partial Vibration on Morphological Changes in Bone and Surrounding Muscle of Rats Under Microgravity Condition: Comparative Study by Gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Ji Hyung; Seo, Dong-Hyun; Cho, Seungkwan; Kim, Seo-Hyun; Eom, Sinae; Kim, Han Sung

2015-09-01

Musculoskeletal disorders during and after spaceflight are considered as a serious health issue. In space, weight-bearing exercise recognized as the main countermeasure to bone loss, since many anti-resorptive medications have not yet been approved for spaceflight or have been unsuccessful in their limited application. We need to investigate a complementary or alternative way to prevent bone loss and muscle atrophy resulting from microgravity condition. Partial vibration was chosen because it is one of the most feasible ways to adopt safely and effectively. Moreover, although the influence of hind-limb suspension has been studied in both male and female rodents, only rarely are both genders evaluated in the same study. Thus, to further extend our knowledge, the present study performed comparative analysis between genders. A total of 36 12-week-old male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were used and were randomly assigned to control (CON), hind-limb suspension without vibration stimulus (HS), and hind-limb suspension with vibration stimulus (HV) groups. Hind-limb suspension has led to increasing the rate of bone loss and muscle atrophy regardless of gender. The rates of bone loss in male group obviously increased than that of female group. All structural parameters were showed significant difference between HS and HV ( p < 0.05) in male group whereas there are no significant differences in female group. In female, the muscle volume with treatment of partial vibration stimulus significantly increased which compared with that of hind-limb suspension ( p < 0.05) whereas there are no significant differences in male group. Thus partial vibration could prevent bone loss of tibia in males and muscle atrophy in females induced by hind-limb suspension. In other words, partial vibration has positive effects on damaged musculoskeletal tissues that differ based on gender.

The effects of a shared, Intranet science learning environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Mary Jo

This study investigated the effects of a shared, Intranet science environment on the academic behaviors of problem-solving and metacognitive reflection. Seventy-eight subjects included 9th and 10th grade male and female biology students. A quasi-experimental design with pre- and post-test data collection and randomization occurring through assignment of biology classes to traditional or shared, Intranet learning groups was employed. Pilot, web-based distance education software (CourseInfo) created the Intranet learning environment. A modified ecology curriculum provided contextualization and content for traditional and shared learning environments. The effect of this environment on problem-solving, was measured using the standardized Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal test. Metacognitive reflection, was measured in three ways: (a) number of concepts used, (b) number of concept links noted, and (c) number of concept nodes noted. Visual learning software, Inspiration, generated concept maps. Secondary research questions evaluated the pilot CourseInfo software for (a) tracked user movement, (b) discussion forum findings, and (c) difficulties experienced using CourseInfo software. Analysis of problem-solving group means reached no levels of significance resulting from the shared, Intranet environment. Paired t-Test of individual differences in problem-solving reached levels of significance. Analysis of metacognitive reflection by number of concepts reached levels of significance. Metacognitive reflection by number of concept links noted also reach significance. No significance was found for metacognitive reflection by number of concept nodes. No gender differences in problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection emerged. Lack of gender differences in the shared, Intranet environment strongly suggests an equalizing effect due to the cooperative, collaborative nature of Intranet environments. Such environments appeal to, and rank high with, the female gender. Tracking learner movements in web-based, science environments has metacognitive and problem-solving learner implications. CourseInfo software offers one method of informing instruction within web-based learning environments focusing on academic behaviors. A shared, technology-supported learning environment may pose one model which science classrooms can use to create equitable scientific study across gender. The lack of significant differences resulting from this environment presents one model for improvement of individual problem-solving ability and metacognitive reflection across gender.

Gender, Vertical Height and Horizontal Distance Effects on Single-Leg Landing Kinematics: Implications for Risk of non-contact ACL Injury.

PubMed

Ali, Nicholas; Rouhi, Gholamreza; Robertson, Gordon

2013-01-01

There is a lack of studies investigating gender differences in whole-body kinematics during single-leg landings from increasing vertical heights and horizontal distances. This study determined the main effects and interactions of gender, vertical height, and horizontal distance on whole-body joint kinematics during single-leg landings, and established whether these findings could explain the gender disparity in non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rate. Recreationally active males (n=6) and females (n=6) performed single-leg landings from a takeoff deck of vertical height of 20, 40, and 60 cm placed at a horizontal distance of 30, 50 and 70 cm from the edge of a force platform, while 3D kinematics and kinetics were simultaneously measured. It was determined that peak vertical ground reaction force (VGRF) and the ankle flexion angle exhibited significant gender differences (p=0.028, partial η(2)=0.40 and p=0.035, partial η(2)=0.37, respectively). Peak VGRF was significantly correlated to the ankle flexion angle (r= -0.59, p=0.04), hip flexion angle (r= -0.74, p=0.006), and trunk flexion angle (r= -0.59, p=0.045). Peak posterior ground reaction force (PGRF) was significantly correlated to the ankle flexion angle (r= -0.56, p=0.035), while peak knee abduction moment was significantly correlated to the knee flexion angle (r= -0.64, p=0.03). Rearfoot landings may explain the higher ACL injury rate among females. Higher plantar-flexed ankle, hip, and trunk flexion angles were associated with lower peak ground reaction forces, while higher knee flexion angle was associated with lower peak knee abduction moment, and these kinematics implicate reduced risk of non-contact ACL injury.

AIDS prevention and college students: male and female responses to "fear-provoking" messages.

PubMed

Johnson, K; LaTour, M S

1991-01-01

This study was designed to examine the effects of fear appeals in AIDS prevention messages and to determine whether or not males and females differ in their response to these appeals. MANOVA results from a sample of 179 junior and senior business students at a mid-Atlantic urban university indicate that significant differences in message effects were associated with type of appeal, gender of the respondent, and the interaction between appeal and gender.

The importance of body mass normalisation for ultrasound measurements of the morphology of oblique abdominis muscles: the effect of age, gender, and sport practice.

PubMed

Linek, P

2018-01-01

Some studies have not considered body mass as a confounder in analysis of oblique abdominis muscles (OAM) (including the oblique externus [OE] and oblique internus [OI]), which may have led to improper interpretation of results. To assess the differences in the effect of age, gender, and physical activity between normalised for body mass and actual values of the OAM as well as to establish the effect of age, gender, and physical activity on normalised for body mass OAM thicknesses in adolescents. A real-time ultrasound was used to obtain images of the OAM. Body mass normalisation for OAM thicknesses was performed with allometric scaling and the following equations: Allometric-scaled OE = OE thickness/body mass0.88; Allometric-scaled OI = OI thickness/body mass0.72. Analysis showed that boys have significantly thicker OAM than girls, and those who practise sports have thicker OAM than non-active individuals. For allometric-scaled OAM, there was only a significant gender effect, where boys have thicker allometric-scaled OAM than girls. There was a significant correlation between participants' age and the actual value of the OAM. The correlations between age and allometric-scaled OAM were insignificant. An analysis of OAM without body mass normalisation can lead to improper interpretation of study results. Thus, future studies should analyse OE and OI thickness measurements after normalisation rather than actual values. In the adolescent population, there is no effect of age and physical activity on allometric-scaled OAM; males have thicker allometric-scaled OAM than females. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 123-130).

Gender Differences in the Effect of Tobacco Use on Brain Phosphocreatine Levels in Methamphetamine Dependent Subjects

PubMed Central

Sung, Young-Hoon; Yurgelun-Todd, Deborah A.; Kondo, Douglas G.; Shi, Xian-Feng; Lundberg, Kelly J.; Hellem, Tracy L.; Huber, Rebekah S.; McGlade, Erin C.; Jeong, Eun-Kee; Renshaw, Perry F.

2015-01-01

Background A high prevalence of tobacco smoking has been observed in methamphetamine users, but there have been no in vivo brain neurochemistry studies addressing gender effects of tobacco smoking in methamphetamine users. Methamphetamine addiction is associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety in females. There is increasing evidence that selective analogues of nicotine, a principal active component of tobacco smoking, may improve depression and cognitive performance in animals and humans. Objectives To investigate the effects of tobacco smoking and gender on brain phosphocreatine (PCr) levels, a marker of brain energy metabolism reported to be reduced in methamphetamine-dependent subjects. Methods Thirty female and twenty-seven male methamphetamine-dependent subjects were evaluated with phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-MRS) to measure PCr levels within the pregenual anterior cingulate, which has been implicated in methamphetamine neurotoxicity. Results Analysis of covariance revealed that there were statistically significant slope (PCr versus lifetime amount of tobacco smoking) differences between female and male methamphetamine-dependent subjects (p=0.03). In females, there was also a statistically significant interaction between lifetime amounts of tobacco smoking and methamphetamine in regard to PCr levels (p=0.01), which suggests that tobacco smoking may have a more significant positive impact on brain PCr levels in heavy, as opposed to light to moderate, methamphetamine-dependent females. Conclusion These results indicate that tobacco smoking has gender-specific effects in terms of increased anterior cingulate high energy PCr levels in methamphetamine-dependent subjects. Cigarette smoking in methamphetamine-dependent women, particularly those with heavy methamphetamine use, may have a potentially protective effect upon neuronal metabolism. PMID:25871447

Gender effects on age-related changes in brain structure.

PubMed

Xu, J; Kobayashi, S; Yamaguchi, S; Iijima, K; Okada, K; Yamashita, K

2000-01-01

Previous reports have suggested that brain atrophy is associated with aging and that there are gender differences in brain atrophy with aging. These reports, however, neither exclude silent brain lesions in "healthy subjects" nor divide the brain into subregions. The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of gender on age-related changes in brain subregions by MR imaging. A computer-assisted system was used to calculate the brain matter area index (BMAI) of various regions of the brain from MR imaging of 331 subjects without brain lesions. There was significantly more brain atrophy with aging in the posterior parts of the right frontal lobe in male subjects than there was in female subjects. Age-related atrophy in the middle part of the right temporal lobe, the left basal ganglia, the parietal lobe, and the cerebellum also was found in male subjects, but not in female subjects. In the temporal lobe, thalamus, parieto-occipital lobe, and cerebellum, brain volume in the left hemisphere is significantly smaller than in the right hemisphere; sex and age did not affect the hemisphere differences of brain volume in these regions. The effect of gender on brain atrophy with aging varied in different subregions of the brain. There was more brain atrophy with aging in male subjects than in female subjects.

The Importance of Field in Understanding Persistence among Science and Engineering Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wyer, Mary

Many contemporary studies of persistence in science and engineering majors find that students' gender is an important explanatory variable in understanding why students leave and stay in their majors. This study revisits an earlier report by this author to explore the relative impact of gender on persistence when field of major is held constant, using the same data as the earlier work, drawing on survey responses from 285 students in required biology and engineering courses. The author argues two points: that effects of field on students' persistence are often misinterpreted as gender effects and that gender is too often understood in the narrow sense of students' sex. The author finds that when field is taken into account, students' sex has little explanatory power for understanding persistence rates. In contrast, students' positive experiences with and positive attitudes about gender equity significantly enhance commitments to science and engineering majors, advanced degrees, and careers. The results suggest the need for field-specific interventions to promote the advancement of undergraduate women in science and engineering.

A Growing Role for Gender Analysis in Air Pollution Epidemiology

PubMed Central

Clougherty, Jane E.

2010-01-01

Objective Epidemiologic studies of air pollution effects on respiratory health report significant modification by sex, although results are not uniform. Importantly, it remains unclear whether modifications are attributable to socially derived gendered exposures, to sex-linked physiological differences, or to some interplay thereof. Gender analysis, which aims to disaggregate social from biological differences between males and females, may help to elucidate these possible sources of effect modification. Data sources and data extraction A PubMed literature search was performed in July 2009, using the terms “respiratory” and any of “sex” or “gender” or “men and women” or “boys and girls” and either “PM2.5” (particulate matter ≥ 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) or “NO2” (nitrogen dioxide). I reviewed the identified studies, and others cited therein, to summarize current evidence of effect modification, with attention to authors’ interpretation of observed differences. Owing to broad differences in exposure mixes, outcomes, and analytic techniques, with few studies examining any given combination thereof, meta-analysis was not deemed appropriate at this time. Data synthesis More studies of adults report stronger effects among women, particularly for older persons or where using residential exposure assessment. Studies of children suggest stronger effects among boys in early life and among girls in later childhood. Conclusions The qualitative review describes possible sources of difference in air pollution response between women and men, which may vary by life stage, coexposures, hormonal status, or other factors. The sources of observed effect modifications remain unclear, although gender analytic approaches may help to disentangle gender and sex differences in pollution response. A framework for incorporating gender analysis into environmental epidemiology is offered, along with several potentially useful methods from gender analysis. PMID:20123621

Effect of gender and hand laterality on pain processing in human neonates.

PubMed

Ozawa, Mio; Kanda, Katsuya; Hirata, Michio; Kusakawa, Isao; Suzuki, Chieko

2011-01-01

Previous studies in adults have reported that handedness and gender can affect pain perception. However, it is currently unclear when these differences emerge in human development. Therefore, we examined prefrontal responses to pain stimulation among newborns during their first acute pain experience after birth. Forty newborns at 4-6 days postnatal age were observed during clinically required blood sampling while prefrontal activation was measured with near infrared spectroscopy. Blood sampling in this study was the first experience of a procedure involving skin breaking for these infants. We divided subjects into a right-hand stimulation group (n=21) and a left-hand stimulation group (n=19), depending on whether blood was sampled from the right or the left hand. A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the effects of several variables on the magnitude of the oxy-Hb value in response to pain stimulus, including stimulus side (right hand or left hand), gender (male or female), recording side (right prefrontal area or left prefrontal area) and interactions between these variables. The data revealed a significant effect of stimulus side (F (1, 72)=9.892, P=0.002), showing that the right-hand stimulation induced a greater prefrontal activation than the left-hand stimulation. No significant gender difference or interactions were found. Our findings suggest that hand laterality affects pain perception even in neonates. However, gender differences in pain perception did not appear to occur during the neonatal period. Further investigations using brain-imaging techniques are required to identify laterality- or gender-related differences in pain processing in humans. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Electroconvulsive therapy clinical database: Influence of age and gender on the electrical charge.

PubMed

Salvador Sánchez, Javier; David, Mónica Delia; Torrent Setó, Aurora; Martínez Alonso, Montserrat; Portella Moll, Maria J; Pifarré Paredero, Josep; Vieta Pascual, Eduard; Mur Laín, María

The influence of age and gender in the electrical charge delivered in a given population was analysed using an electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) clinical database. An observational, prospective, longitudinal study with descriptive analysis was performed using data from a database that included total bilateral frontotemporal ECT carried out with a Mecta spECTrum 5000Q ® in our hospital over 6 years. From 2006 to 2012, a total of 4,337 ECT were performed on 187 patients. Linear regression using mixed effects analysis was weighted by the inverse of the number of ECT performed on each patient per year of treatment. The results indicate that age is related with changes in the required charge (P=.031), as such that the older the age a higher charge is needed. Gender is also associated with changes in charge (P=.014), with women requiring less charge than men, a mean of 87.3mC less. When the effects of age and gender are included in the same model, both are significant (P=.0080 and P=.0041). Thus, for the same age, women require 99.0mC less charge than men, and in both genders the charge increases by 2.3mC per year. From our study, it is concluded that the effect of age on the dosage of the electrical charge is even more significant when related to gender. It would be of interest to promote the systematic collection of data for a better understanding and application of the technique. Copyright © 2015 SEP y SEPB. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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

PubMed

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

2013-01-01

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

Gender interactions and success.

PubMed

Wiggins, Carla; Peterson, Teri

2004-01-01

Does gender by itself, or does gender's interaction with career variables, better explain the difference between women and men's careers in healthcare management? US healthcare managers were surveyed regarding career and personal experiences. Gender was statistically interacted with explanatory variables. Multiple regression with backwards selection systematically removed non-significant variables. All gender interaction variables were non-significant. Much of the literature proposes that work and career factors impact working women differently than working men. We find that while gender alone is a significant predictor of income, it does not significantly interact with other career variables.

Home environmental consequences of commute travel impedance.

PubMed

Novaco, R W; Kliewer, W; Broquet, A

1991-12-01

The physical and perceptual dimensions of commuting travel impedance were again found to have stressful consequences in a study of 99 employees of two companies. This quasi-experimental replication study, which focuses here on home environment consequences, investigated the effects of physical impedance and subjective impedance on multivariate measures of residential satisfaction and personal affect in the home. Both sets of residential outcome measures were significantly related to the two impedance dimensions. As predicted, gender was a significant moderator of physical impedance effects. Women commuting on high physical impedance routes were most negatively affected. Previously found subjective impedance effects on negative home mood, regardless of gender, were strongly replicated with several methods and were buttressed by convergent results with objective indices. The theoretical conjecture that subjective impedance mediates the stress effects of physical impedance was supported by the personal affect cluster but only for one variable in the residential satisfaction cluster. Traffic congestion has increased in metropolitan areas nationwide, and commuters, families, and organizations are absorbing associated hidden costs. The results are reviewed in terms of our ecological model, and the moderating effects of gender are discussed in terms of choice and role constraints.

Cigarette Smoking and the Risk of Bladder Cancer in Men and Women

PubMed Central

Quirk, Jeffrey T; Li, Qiang; Natarajan, Nachimuthu; Mettlin, Curtis J; Cummings, K Michael

2004-01-01

Although cigarette smoking is a principal risk factor for bladder cancer in both men and women, few studies have statistically evaluated whether gender modifies the effect of smoking on bladder cancer risk. We initiated the present case-control study at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, U.S., to provide further data on this important issue. We observed similar risk estimates for men and women with comparable smoking exposures, but did not observe a statistically significant interaction between gender and lifetime smoking exposure. We conclude that cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for bladder cancer in both sexes, but that gender does not modify the effect of smoking on bladder cancer risk.

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 Ideologies, Socioeconomic Opportunities, and HIV/STI-related Vulnerability among Female, African-American Adolescents

PubMed Central

Andrinopoulos, Katherine; Chung, Shang-en; Glass, Barbara; Ellen, Jonathan

2008-01-01

The importance of gender within HIV/STI prevention has become widely recognized. However, gender ideologies associated with vulnerability to HIV/STI are often examined and addressed without sufficient attention to the larger socioeconomic context within which they arise and evolve. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 155 female, African-American adolescents recruited from two health clinics in Baltimore, Maryland. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to assess the relationships between HIV/STI vulnerability resulting from male partner concurrency, adherence to traditional female gender norms, using a measure of hyperfemininity, and perceived socioeconomic opportunity structures. The likelihood of reported partner concurrency increased significantly among participants reporting higher levels of hyperfemininity (OR = 2.08; 95%CI = 1.01–4.30). Hyperfeminine thinking and behavior was significantly lower in the context of higher perceived socioeconomic opportunity structures (OR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.79–0.95). Interventions seeking to promote gender equity and reduce HIV/STI may be more effective when the socioeconomic context of gender ideologies is assessed and addressed. Programs and policies to increase educational and professional opportunity structures, particularly among marginalized communities, should be actively integrated into HIV/STI prevention planning. PMID:18553223

Gender Norms, Gender Role Conflict/Stress and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Men in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

PubMed

Gottert, Ann; Barrington, Clare; McNaughton-Reyes, Heath Luz; Maman, Suzanne; MacPhail, Catherine; Lippman, Sheri A; Kahn, Kathleen; Twine, Rhian; Pettifor, Audrey

2018-06-01

Men's gender role conflict and stress (GRC/S), the psychological strain they experience around fulfilling expectations of themselves as men, has been largely unexplored in HIV prevention research. We examined associations between both men's gender norms and GRC/S and three HIV risk behaviors using data from a population-based survey of 579 18-35 year-old men in rural northeast South Africa. Prevalence of sexual partner concurrency and intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in the last 12 months were 38.0 and 13.4%, respectively; 19.9% abused alcohol. More inequitable gender norms and higher GRC/S were each significantly associated with an increased odds of concurrency (p = 0.01; p < 0.01, respectively), IPV perpetration (p = 0.03; p < 0.01), and alcohol abuse (p = 0.02; p < 0.001), controlling for demographic characteristics. Ancillary analyses demonstrated significant positive associations between: concurrency and the GRC/S sub-dimension subordination to women; IPV perpetration and restrictive emotionality; and alcohol abuse and success, power, competition. Programs to transform gender norms should be coupled with effective strategies to prevent and reduce men's GRC/S.

Influence of gender and stress on the volatile sulfur compounds and stress biomarkers production.

PubMed

Lima, P O; Calil, C M; Marcondes, F K

2013-05-01

Stress and menstrual cycle have been described as factors influencing bad breath, as they can alter oral homeostasis and contribute to the production of volatile sulfur compounds (VSC). Considering that the experimenter's and volunteer's gender may influence the volunteer's responses to stress, the aim of this work was to evaluate the influence of stress and gender on the production of VSC and salivary biomarkers. The experimental acute stress was induced by the Video-Recorded Stroop Color-Word Test (VRSCWT). The VSC, salivary proteins, and cardiovascular parameters were measured before and after VRSCWT. The VRSCWT induced significant increase in total VSC, hydrogen sulfide, and blood pressure values in men and women. Women presented higher values of both these compounds than men. The increase in systolic blood pressure was more pronounced when subjects were evaluated by an experimenter of the opposite gender. When women were evaluated by a member of the opposite gender, they showed significant increases in salivary alpha-amylase and cortisol compared with baseline values. Thus, the results showed that VRSCWT induced acute stress, which increased VSC production, and these effects were shown to be influenced by the gender. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Gender ideologies, socioeconomic opportunities, and HIV/STI-related vulnerability among female, African-American adolescents.

PubMed

Kerrigan, Deanna; Andrinopoulos, Katherine; Chung, Shang-en; Glass, Barbara; Ellen, Jonathan

2008-09-01

The importance of gender within HIV/STI prevention has become widely recognized. However, gender ideologies associated with vulnerability to HIV/STI are often examined and addressed without sufficient attention to the larger socioeconomic context within which they arise and evolve. We conducted a cross-sectional survey with 155 female, African-American adolescents recruited from two health clinics in Baltimore, Maryland. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to assess the relationships between HIV/STI vulnerability resulting from male partner concurrency, adherence to traditional female gender norms, using a measure of hyperfemininity, and perceived socioeconomic opportunity structures. The likelihood of reported partner concurrency increased significantly among participants reporting higher levels of hyperfemininity (OR = 2.08; 95%CI = 1.01-4.30). Hyperfeminine thinking and behavior was significantly lower in the context of higher perceived socioeconomic opportunity structures (OR = 0.87; 95%CI = 0.79-0.95). Interventions seeking to promote gender equity and reduce HIV/STI may be more effective when the socioeconomic context of gender ideologies is assessed and addressed. Programs and policies to increase educational and professional opportunity structures, particularly among marginalized communities, should be actively integrated into HIV/STI prevention planning.

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-dependent association of a β(2)-adrenergic gene variant with obesity parameters in Malaysian Malays.

PubMed

Apalasamy, Yamunah Devi; Ming, Moy Foong; Rampal, Sanjay; Bulgiba, Awang; Mohamed, Zahurin

2015-03-01

Recent findings have shown that the rs1042714 (Gln27Glu) single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the β2-adrenoceptor gene may predispose to obesity. The findings from other studies carried on different populations, however, have been inconsistent. The authors investigated the association between the rs1042714 SNP with obesity-related parameters. DNA of 672 Malaysian Malays was analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses revealed significant associations between rs1042714 and diastolic blood pressure in the pooled Malaysian Malay subjects under additive and recessive models. After gender stratification, however, a significant association was found between the rs1042714 and triglyceride and the rs1042714 and log-transformed high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in Malaysian Malay men. No significant association was found between the SNP and log-transformed body mass index. This polymorphism may have an important role in the development of obesity-related traits in Malaysian Malays. Gender is an effect modifier for the effect of the rs1042714 polymorphism on obesity-related traits in Malaysian Malays. © 2011 APJPH.

Comparison of visual and emotional continuous performance test related to sequence of presentation, gender and age.

PubMed

Markovska-Simoska, S; Pop-Jordanova, N

2009-07-01

(Full text is available at http://www.manu.edu.mk/prilozi). Continous Performance Tests (CPTs) form a group of paradigms for the evaluation of attention and, to a lesser degree, the response inhibition (or disinhibition) component of executive control. The object of this study was to compare performance on a CPT using both visual and emotional tasks in 46 normal adult subjects. In particular, it was to examine the effects of the type of task (VCPT or ECPT), sequence of presentation, and gender/age influence on performance as measured errors of omission, errors of commission, reaction time and variation of reaction time. From the results we can assume that there are significantly worse performance parameters for ECPT than VCPT tasks, with a probable explanation of the influence of emotional stimuli on attention and information-processing and no significant effect of order of presentation and gender on performance. Significant differences with more omission errors for older groups were obtained, showing better attention in younger subjects. Key words: VCPT, ECPT, omission errors, commission errors, reaction time, variation of reaction time, normal adults.

Workplace harassment, stress, and drinking behavior over time: Gender differences in a national sample

PubMed Central

Rospenda, Kathleen M.; Fujishiro, Kaori; Shannon, Candice A.; Richman, Judith A.

2008-01-01

Research suggests that workplace harassment (WH) significantly predicts alcohol use and problem drinking behavior, but has generally failed to consider concurrent effects of other sources of stress. This two-wave study (n=1418) is the first to explore whether sexual harassment (SH) and generalized workplace harassment (GWH) predict increased drinking independently of the effects of job and life stress, and whether effects differ by gender, in a nationally representative sample. SH and GWH predicted increases in problem drinking one year later for men but not women, while life stress was associated with increased problem drinking for women but not men. This study confirms the importance of examining the associations between different types of stressors and drinking-related outcomes in gendered contexts. PMID:18384975

The effect of warming and enhanced ultraviolet radiation on gender-specific emissions of volatile organic compounds from European aspen.

PubMed

Maja, Mengistu M; Kasurinen, Anne; Holopainen, Toini; Julkunen-Tiitto, Riitta; Holopainen, Jarmo K

2016-03-15

Different environmental stress factors often occur together but their combined effects on plant secondary metabolism are seldom considered. We studied the effect of enhanced ultraviolet (UV-B) (31% increase) radiation and temperature (ambient +2 °C) singly and in combination on gender-specific emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from 2-year-old clones of European aspen (Populus tremula L.). Plants grew in 36 experimental plots (6 replicates for Control, UV-A, UV-B, T, UV-A+T and UV-B+T treatments), in an experimental field. VOCs emitted from shoots were sampled from two (1 male and 1 female) randomly selected saplings (total of 72 saplings), per plot on two sampling occasions (June and July) in 2014. There was a significant UV-B×temperature interaction effect on emission rates of different VOCs. Isoprene emission rate was increased due to warming, but warming also modified VOC responses to both UV-A and UV-B radiation. Thus, UV-A increased isoprene emissions without warming, whereas UV-B increased emissions only in combination with warming. Warming-modified UV-A and UV-B responses were also seen in monoterpenes (MTs), sesquiterpenes (SQTs) and green leaf volatiles (GLVs). MTs showed also a UV × gender interaction effect as females had higher emission rates under UV-A and UV-B than males. UV × gender and T × gender interactions caused significant differences in VOC blend as there was more variation (more GLVs and trans-β-caryophyllene) in VOCs from female saplings compared to male saplings. VOCs from the rhizosphere were also collected from each plot in two exposure seasons, but no significant treatment effects were observed. Our results suggest that simultaneous warming and elevated-UV-radiation increase the emission of VOCs from aspen. Thus the contribution of combined environmental factors on VOC emissions may have a greater impact to the photochemical reactions in the atmosphere compared to the impact of individual factors acting alone. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender discrimination may be worse than you think: testing ordinal interactions in power research.

PubMed

Elias, Steven M; Cropanzano, Russell

2006-04-01

The authors reanalyze the data of a study by S. M. Elias and R. J. Loomis (2004), which aimed to determine how an instructor's gender may influence his or her ability to gain student compliance. S. M. Elias and R. J. Loomis observed few significant gender effects using traditional multivariate analyses of variance. The authors reanalyze this data using the more appropriate statistical techniques for detecting ordinal interactions recommended by M. J. Strube and P. Bobko (1989) and S. M. Elias (2004). An ordinal interaction occurs when 1 cell of a 2 x 2 design is responsible for a significant interaction (e.g., female instructors suffering only when rated by male students). Reanalysis of the data resulted in more robust findings.

The effect of breed, time spent with dam and late pregnancy induction of parturition on behavioural development in dairy calves.

PubMed

Lauber, M C; Hemsworth, P H; Barnett, J L

2009-11-01

Three experiments examined the impact of breed, time spent with dam (TWD), gender, and late pregnancy induction of parturition and caesarean on the behavioural and heart rate responses of dairy calves at 2 and 6 weeks of age to Open field, Novel object and Startle tests and a Learning task. In Experiment 1 with male Jersey, Friesian and Friesian x Angus calves, there were some significant breed effects on responses to the Open field and the Novel object tests; Jersey calves appeared more curious and less fearful than Friesian x Angus calves. In Experiment 2, in which male and female Friesian calves were removed from their dams either between 0 and 12h or 12 and 24h after birth, there were no significant effects of gender or TWD. In Experiment 3, which studied the effect of induction of parturition using a long-acting glucocorticoid combined with short-acting progesterone 10 days prior to due calving date, there were no significant effects of late pregnancy induction of parturition. Across all three experiments, age at testing was the main factor influencing the responses of the calves. However, a number of interactions suggest that gender, time spent with dam and late pregnancy induction of parturition modified some of the responses to the tests as the calves developed.

The effect of race and gender on pediatric surgical outcomes within the United States.

PubMed

Stone, Matthew L; Lapar, Damien J; Kane, Bartholomew J; Rasmussen, Sara K; McGahren, Eugene D; Rodgers, Bradley M

2013-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine risk-adjusted associations between race and gender on postoperative morbidity, mortality, and resource utilization in pediatric surgical patients within the United States. 101,083 pediatric surgical patients were evaluated using the U.S. national KID Inpatient Database (2003 and 2006): appendectomy (81.2%), pyloromyotomy (9.8%), intussusception (6.2%), decortication (1.9%), congenital diaphragmatic hernia repair (0.7%), and colonic resection for Hirschsprung's disease (0.2%). Patients were stratified according to gender (male: 63.1%, n=63,783) and race: white (n=58,711), Hispanic (n=26,118), black (n=9,103), Asian (n=1,582), Native American (n=474), and other (n=5,096). Multivariable logistic regression modeling was utilized to evaluate risk-adjusted associations between race, gender, and outcomes. After risk adjustment, race was independently associated with in-hospital death (p=0.02), with an increased risk for black children. Gender was not associated with mortality (p=0.77). Postoperative morbidity was significantly associated with gender (p<0.001) and race (p=0.01). Gender (p=0.003) and race (p<0.001) were further associated with increased hospital length of stay. Importantly, these results were dependent on operation type. Race and gender significantly affect postoperative outcomes following pediatric surgery. Black patients are at disproportionate risk for postoperative mortality, while black and Hispanic patients have increased morbidity and hospital resource utilization. While gender does not affect mortality, gender is a determinant of both postoperative morbidity and increased resource utilization. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender Differences in the Effects of Job Control and Demands on the Health of Korean Manual Workers.

PubMed

Kim, HeeJoo; Kim, Ji Hye; Jang, Yeon Jin; Bae, Ji Young

2016-01-01

We used the job-demand-control model to answer our two research questions concerning the effects of working conditions on self-rated health and gender differences and the association between these working conditions and health among Korean manual workers. Since a disproportionate representation of women in nonstandard work positions is found in many countries, including Korea, it is important to examine how working conditions explain gender inequality in health. We used data from the 2008-2009 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and analyzed a total sample of 1,482 men and 1,350 women using logistic regression. We found that job control was positively related to self-rated health, while both physical and mental job demands were negatively related to self-rated health. We also found significant interaction effects of job demands, control, and gender on health. Particularly, female workers' health was more vulnerable to mentally demanding job conditions. We discussed theoretical and practice implications based on these findings.

Associations between alcohol-use and depression symptoms in adolescence: Examining gender differences and pathways over time

PubMed Central

Danzo, Sarah; Connell, Arin M.; Stormshak, Elizabeth A.

2017-01-01

Several studies examining alcohol use and depression in youth have focused on documenting prevalence of overlap, or temporal ordering in longitudinal samples. Fewer studies have examined pathways connecting alcohol use and depression over time. This study examined gender differences between depression and alcohol use across adolescence while examining peer and family pathways as possible mediators of effects. Data was collected longitudinally from 593 families from three urban public middle schools in the United States. Participants were recruited in 6th grade and followed through 9th grade. We examined gender differences using a nested model comparison approach. Results indicated the association between depression and alcohol use differs by gender. For males, depression and alcohol use were independent across adolescence, and no significant indirect pathways were observed. For females, bidirectional effects were found between alcohol use and depression, as well as an indirect effect from depression to alcohol use via peer deviance. PMID:28167374

The CAT: A Gender-Inclusive Measure of Controlling and Abusive Tactics.

PubMed

Hamel, John; Jones, Daniel N; Dutton, Donald G; Graham-Kevan, Nicola

2015-01-01

Research has consistently found that partner violence, defined as physical abuse between married, cohabitating, or dating partners, is not the only type of abuse with long-term deleterious effects on victims. Male and female victims alike report that emotional abuse, along with controlling behaviors, are often as or more traumatic. Existing instruments used to measure emotional abuse and control have either been limited to male-perpetrated behaviors, as conceived in the well-known Duluth "Power and Control" wheel, or field tested on dating or general population samples. This study discusses the genesis and evolution of a gender-inclusive instrument, the Controlling and Abusive Tactics (CAT) Questionnaire, which was field tested on males and females with both a clinical and general population sample. For perpetration, a preliminary comparison across gender found no significant differences across gender for the great majority of items, with women reporting significantly higher rates on 9 items, and men reporting significantly higher rates on 6 items. Women reported higher rates of received abuse than men on 28 of 30 items in which gender differences were found to be significant, but both males and females reported higher victimization than perpetration rates on all items. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in the CAT-2, a valid and reliable instrument appropriate for clinical use by treatment providers as well as for research purposes.

Seasonal and gender-related differences in morphometric features and cellular and biochemical parameters of Carcinus aestuarii from the Lagoon of Venice.

PubMed

Matozzo, Valerio; Boscolo, Alice; Marin, Maria Gabriella

2013-08-01

In this study, the seasonal variations in the morphometric features and in the cellular and biochemical parameters of the haemolymph were investigated in both male and female crabs (Carcinus aestuarii). Crabs were seasonally (November 2010-August 2011) collected from the Lagoon of Venice, and the moult stage, weight, width and length of the carapace, and width and length of the bigger chela were evaluated. In addition, the total haemocyte count (THC), haemocyte diameter and volume, haemolymph glucose and total protein levels, and haemolymph phenoloxidase (PO) and N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase (NAG) activities were measured. The results demonstrated that the collected crabs were all in the intermoult stage and that the males were bigger than the females. A two-way ANOVA revealed a significant effect of season on the THC and the haemocyte volume and a significant influence of gender on the haemocyte diameter. Season and gender significantly affected the haemolymph glucose concentration, whereas haemolymph protein levels were dependent only on the season. In addition, both season and gender significantly influenced the PO and NAG activities in the haemolymph. Overall, the results demonstrated that crab morphometric features as well as haemolymph cellular and biochemical parameters varied markedly as a function of both season and gender. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Association between liver function and metabolic syndrome in Chinese men and women

PubMed Central

Wang, Sen; Zhang, Jie; Zhu, Li; Song, Linlin; Meng, Zhaowei; Jia, Qiang; Li, Xue; Liu, Na; Hu, Tianpeng; Zhou, Pingping; Zhang, Qing; Liu, Li; Song, Kun; Jia, Qiyu

2017-01-01

Metabolic syndrome (MS) could be associated with liver function. Our study aimed to investigate the association between liver function and MS in a large cohort of Chinese men and women. We enrolled 32,768 ostensibly healthy participants. The associations between liver function and MS of both genders were analyzed separately after dividing total bilirubin (TBIL), gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) into quartiles. Young males had significantly higher MS prevalence than females, yet after menopause, females had higher MS prevalence. We used TBIL, GGT and ALT quartiles as categorical variables in binary logistic regression models. Significantly decreased MS risks were demonstrated in TBIL quartiles 2 to 4 for males, and quartiles 3 to 4 for females. As to GGT and ALT, significantly increased MS risks were shown in high quartiles for both genders. Aging also resulted in significantly higher MS risks in both genders except for young females. This study displayed close associations between liver function and MS, which were influenced by gender and age. A high TBIL level had protective effect against MS, while high GGT and ALT levels were risk factors for MS. It is meaningful that liver function is used as clinical risk predictors for MS. PMID:28317840

Family demands, social support and caregiver burden in Taiwanese family caregivers living with mental illness: the role of family caregiver gender.

PubMed

Hsiao, Chiu-Yueh

2010-12-01

The purpose of this study was to assess gender effects on family demands, social support and caregiver burden as well as to examine contributing factors of caregiver burden in caring for family members with mental illness. Providing continued care and support for people with mental illness is demanding and challenging. Findings of earlier caregiving studies on the role of caregiver gender in response to caregiver burden and caregiving-related factors have been inconsistent. Little research has been undertaken to examine gender effect on family demands, social support and caregiver burden in Taiwanese family caregivers of individuals with mental illness. Cross-sectional, descriptive correlation design. Data from 43 families, including at least one male and female family caregiver in each family, were analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component analysis and mixed linear modelling. Demographic data, Perceived Stress Scale, Perceived Social Support and Caregiver Burden Scale-Brief were used to collect data. Female family caregivers perceived less social support and experienced higher degrees of caregiver burden compared with male family caregivers. In contrast, no significant gender effect was associated with family demands. Family caregivers with greater family demands and less social support experienced higher degrees of caregiver burden. The results reinforced those of previously published studies that caregiver burden is highly prevalent among female family caregivers. Caregiver gender appears to be highly valuable for explaining family demands, social support and caregiver burden. Health care professionals should continue to collaborate with family caregivers to assess potential gender effects on available support and design gender-specific interventions to alleviate caregiver burden. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Gender Difference in Health-Care Expenditure: Evidence from India Human Development Survey.

PubMed

Saikia, Nandita; Moradhvaj; Bora, Jayanta Kumar

2016-01-01

While the gender disparity in health and mortality in various stages of life in India is well documented, there is limited evidence on female disadvantage in health-care expenditure (HCE). Examine the gender difference in HCE in short-term and major morbidity in India, and understand the role of factors underlying the difference. Using two rounds of nationally representative panel data-the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2004-2005 and 2011-2012 (IHDS I & II)-we calculate morbidity prevalence rate and mean HCE by gender, and examine the adjusted effect of gender on major morbidity-related HCE by using a two-part regression model. Further, we performed Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of the gender gap in HCE in major morbidity to understand the contribution of demographic and socio-economic factors. Health-care expenditure on females was systematically lower than on males across all demographic and socio-economic groups. Multivariate analysis confirms that female HCE is significantly lower than male HCE even after controlling demographic and socio-economic factors (β = -0.148, p = 0.000, CI:-0.206-0.091). For both short-term and major morbidity, a female disadvantage on HCE increased from IHDS I to IHDS II. For instance, the male-female gap in major morbidity related expenditure increased from INR 1298 to INR 4172. A decomposition analysis of gender gap in HCE demonstrates that about 48% of the gap is attributable to differences in demographic and socio-economic factors (endowment effect), whereas 50% of the gap is due to the differential effect of the determinants (coefficient effect). Indians spend less on female health care than on male health care. Most of the gender gap in HCE is not due to differential distribution of factors affecting HCE.

Extending Findings of a Relation between Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation among African American Individuals: A Preliminary Examination of the Moderating Role of Gender

PubMed Central

Weiss, Nicole H; Tull, Matthew T; Dixon-Gordon, Katherine L; Gratz, Kim L

2014-01-01

Although previous literature highlights the robust relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and emotion dysregulation across diverse racial/ethnic populations, few studies have examined factors that may influence levels of emotion dysregulation among African American individuals with PTSD. The goal of the current study was to extend previous findings by examining the moderating role of gender in the relationship between PTSD and emotion dysregulation in an African American sample. Participants were 107 African American undergraduates enrolled in a historically black college in the southern United States who reported exposure to a Criterion A traumatic event. Participants with probable PTSD (vs. no PTSD) reported significantly greater emotion dysregulation, both overall and across many of the specific dimensions. Although the main effect of gender on emotion dysregulation was not statistically significant, results revealed a significant interaction between gender and probable PTSD status for overall emotion dysregulation and the specific dimensions of difficulties controlling impulsive behaviors when distressed, limited access to emotion regulation strategies perceived as effective, and lack of emotional clarity. Specifically, post-hoc analyses revealed a significant association between probable PTSD and heightened emotion dysregulation among African American women but not African American men, with African American women with probable PTSD reporting significantly higher levels of these dimensions of emotion dysregulation than all other groups. Findings highlight the relevance of emotion dysregulation to PTSD among African American women in particular, suggesting the importance of assessing and treating emotion dysregulation within this population. PMID:25392846

Relationships between attitudes toward and achievement in science for rural middle school students: Patterns across gender

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattern, Nancy Page Garland

Four causal models describing the relationships between attitudes and achievement have been proposed in the literature. The cross-effects, or reciprocal effects, model highlights the effects of prior attitudes on later achievement (over and above the effect of previous achievement) and of prior achievement on later attitudes (above the effect of previous attitudes). In the achievement predominant model, the effect of prior achievement on later attitudes is emphasized, controlling for the effect of previous attitudes. The effect of prior attitudes on later achievement, controlling for the effect of previous achievement, is emphasized in the attitudes predominant model. In the no cross-effects model there are no significant cross paths from prior attitudes to later achievement or from prior achievement to later attitudes. To determine the best-fitting model for rural seventh and eighth grade science girls and boys, the causal relationships over time between attitudes toward science and achievement in science were examined by gender using structural equation modeling. Data were collected in two waves, over one school year. A baseline measurement model was estimated in simultaneous two-group solutions and was a good fit to the data. Next, the four structural models were estimated and model fits compared. The three models nested within the structural cross-effects model showed significant decay of fit when compared to the fit of the cross-effects model. The cross-effects model was the best fit overall for middle school girls and boys. The cross-effects model was then tested for invariance across gender. There was significant decay of fit when model form, factor path loadings, and structural paths were constrained to be equal for girls and boys. Two structural paths, the path from prior achievement to later attitudes, and the path from prior attitudes to later attitudes, were the sources of gender non-invariance. Separate models were estimated for girls and boys, and the fits of nested models were compared. The no cross-effects model was the best-fitting model for rural middle school girls. The new no attitudes-path model was the best-fitting model for boys. Implications of these findings for teaching middle school students were discussed.

Physician and patient gender concordance and the delivery of comprehensive clinical preventive services.

PubMed

Flocke, Susan A; Gilchrist, Valerie

2005-05-01

Understanding the role of patient- and physician-gender on delivery of preventive services has important implications for identifying strategies to increase preventive service delivery. We attempt to overcome methodological limitations of previous studies in examining the association of the patient-physician gender interaction on the delivery of preventive screening, counseling, and immunization services. In this cross-sectional study, research nurses directly observed 3256 consecutive adult patient visits to 138 family physicians. Delivery of gender neutral US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended screening, health behavior counseling, and immunization services was assessed by direct observation and medical record review. Multilevel regression analyses were used to test the interaction effect of physician and patient gender with preventive service delivery, controlling for patient age, insurance type, number of office visits in the past 2 years and physician age. The interaction effect of physician and patient gender was not significantly associated with delivery of gender neutral screening, counseling, or immunizations. Patients of female physicians were more up-to-date on counseling services (P < 0.01) and immunizations (P < 0.05) than patients of male physicians. Male patients, independent of physician gender, were more up-to-date on counseling and immunizations (P < 0.01). Physician-patient gender concordance is not associated with delivery of more preventive services. Rather, female physicians provide more counseling and immunization services to all of their patients. Previous research showing higher rates of gender-specific screening achieved by women physicians may have been an indication of an overall greater prevention orientation among women physicians rather than a specific benefit of gender concordance.

Mediating Effects of Social Support on Firefighters' Sense of Community and Perceptions of Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowman, Shaun E.; Ferrari, Joseph R.; Liao-Troth, Matthew

2004-01-01

This study examined the relationship between psychological sense of community, social-support networks, and care-giver stress and satisfaction among firefighters. No significant gender differences were obtained, but zero-order correlates demonstrated significant relationships among all four variables. In examining the mediating effects of…

Association between gender inequality index and child mortality rates: a cross-national study of 138 countries.

PubMed

Brinda, Ethel Mary; Rajkumar, Anto P; Enemark, Ulrika

2015-03-09

Gender inequality weakens maternal health and harms children through many direct and indirect pathways. Allied biological disadvantage and psychosocial adversities challenge the survival of children of both genders. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recently developed a Gender Inequality Index to measure the multidimensional nature of gender inequality. The global impact of Gender Inequality Index on the child mortality rates remains uncertain. We employed an ecological study to investigate the association between child mortality rates and Gender Inequality Indices of 138 countries for which UNDP has published the Gender Inequality Index. Data on child mortality rates and on potential confounders, such as, per capita gross domestic product and immunization coverage, were obtained from the official World Health Organization and World Bank sources. We employed multivariate non-parametric robust regression models to study the relationship between these variables. Women in low and middle income countries (LMICs) suffer significantly more gender inequality (p < 0.001). Gender Inequality Index (GII) was positively associated with neonatal (β = 53.85; 95% CI 41.61-64.09), infant (β = 70.28; 95% CI 51.93-88.64) and under five mortality rates (β = 68.14; 95% CI 49.71-86.58), after adjusting for the effects of potential confounders (p < 0.001). We have documented statistically significant positive associations between GII and child mortality rates. Our results suggest that the initiatives to curtail child mortality rates should extend beyond medical interventions and should prioritize women's rights and autonomy. We discuss major pathways connecting gender inequality and child mortality. We present the socio-economic problems, which sustain higher gender inequality and child mortality in LMICs. We further discuss the potential solutions pertinent to LMICs. Dissipating gender barriers and focusing on social well-being of women may augment the survival of children of both genders.

Toys, sociocognitive traits, and occupations: Italian children's endorsement of gender stereotypes.

PubMed

De Caroli, Maria Elvira; Sagone, Elisabetta

2007-06-01

In a sample of 136 Italian children ages 8 to 12 years (M = 9.6, SD = 1.2; 68 boys, 68 girls), gender stereotypes related to gender-typed toys, traits, and occupational choices were examined, using the forced-choice technique between a male and a female silhouette. Stereotypy was established considering boys' and girls' choices for the 70%-100% range. Differences in gender stereotyping for age and sex of participants were verified. Analysis indicated children attributed toys prevalently connected with aesthetic aspect and domestic activities to the female silhouette, while technology, warfare, locomotion, and construction toys were attributed to the male. Children attributed physical and verbal aggressiveness and dominance to the male silhouette; the female profile was exclusively characterized by sweetness. The occupational stereotypical male model was structured in both practical-manual activities and of highly cultural and specialist relevance, while for the female model the number of activities, mainly of a domestic type, were reduced. Significant main effect of sex of children was found, but no significant age-related differences in the three domains. Results were discussed within the framework of gender-stereotype theories.

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

PubMed Central

Ro, Annie E.; Choi, Kyung-Hee

2009-01-01

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

Gender Differences in Mathematics Achievement among High School Students in the United Arab Emirates, 1991-2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alkhateeb, Haitham M.

2001-01-01

Explores gender differences in the mathematics achievement of students in the last grade of high school and changes in these differences over a 10-year period in the United Arab Emirates. Indicates no significant overall differences but in the last six years females scored higher, although effect sizes were small. (Contains 28 references.)…

A Critical Discourse Analysis of ELT Materials in Gender Representation: A Comparison of "Summit" and "Top Notch"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samadikhah, Mehran; Shahrokhi, Mohsen

2015-01-01

In spite of the crucial importance of textbooks, their increasing development day by day, and their significant effects on saving time, energy, and budgets, only few studies have been done on textbooks evaluation from a critical discourse analysis perspective. This study aimed to analyze and compare the gender representation in "Top…

Benefits beyond Achievement? A Comparison of Academic Attitudes and School Satisfaction for Adolescent Girls in Single-Gender and Coeducational Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hart, Laura C.

2015-01-01

Overall, the research on the effectiveness of single-gender education is inconclusive. However, research also indicates that some benefits beyond academic achievement may be possible. These findings may be significant for middle school girls, who often struggle with social interactions related to adolescence that create barriers in successfully…

Comparison of side effects of pentagastrin test and calcium stimulation test in patients with increased basal calcitonin concentration: the gender-specific differences.

PubMed

Ubl, Philipp; Gincu, Tatiana; Keilani, Mohammad; Ponhold, Lothar; Crevenna, Richard; Niederle, Bruno; Hacker, Marcus; Li, Shuren

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to compare the side effects of the pentagastrin test and the calcium stimulation test in patients with increased basal calcitonin concentration, especially the gender-specific differences of side effects. A total of 256 patients (123 females and 133 males, mean age of 56 ± 27 years, range 21-83 years) had both pentagastrin and calcium stimulation tests. All patients filled in a questionnaire regarding the side effects within 30 min after completion of the stimulation tests. The differences of side effects between female and male patients as well as between the pentagastrin stimulation test and the calcium stimulation test were evaluated. Warmth feeling was the most frequent occurring side effect in all patients who had both pentagastrin and calcium stimulation tests, followed by nausea, altered gustatory sensation, and dizziness. The incidences of urgency to micturate (p < 0.05) and dizziness (p < 0.05) were significantly increased in the female patients as compared to male patients by calcium stimulation test. Significant higher incidences of urgency to micturate (p < 0.05) and warmth feeling (p < 0.05) were found by calcium stimulation test as compared with those by pentagastrin test in female patients. The incidences of nausea (p < 0.05) and abdominal cramping (p < 0.05) in male patients were significantly higher by pentagastrin stimulation test than by calcium stimulation test. There is a significant gender-specific difference in side effects induced by calcium stimulation test. Female patients have fewer side effects by pentagastrin test than by calcium stimulation test. Male patients may tolerate the calcium stimulation test better than the pentagastrin test.

Gender differences in neural correlates of stress-induced anxiety.

PubMed

Seo, Dongju; Ahluwalia, Aneesha; Potenza, Marc N; Sinha, Rajita

2017-01-02

Although gender differences have been identified as a crucial factor for understanding stress-related anxiety and associated clinical disorders, the neural mechanisms underlying these differences remain unclear. To explore gender differences in the neural correlates of stress-induced anxiety, the current study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain responses in 96 healthy men and women with commensurable levels of trait anxiety as they engaged in a personalized guided imagery paradigm to provoke stress and neutral-relaxing experiences. During the task, a significant gender main effect emerged, with men displaying greater responses in the caudate, cingulate gyrus, midbrain, thalamus, and cerebellum. In contrast, women showed greater responses in the posterior insula, temporal gyrus, and occipital lobe. Additionally, a significant anxiety ratings × gender interaction from whole-brain regression analyses was observed in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, left inferior parietal lobe, left temporal gyrus, occipital gyrus, and cerebellum (P < 0.05, whole-brain family-wise error corrected), with positive associations between activity in these regions and stress-induced anxiety in women, but negative associations in men, indicating that men and women differentially use neural resources when experiencing stress-induced anxiety. The findings suggest that in response to stress, there is a greater use of the medial prefrontal-parietal cortices in experiencing subjective anxiety in women, while decreased use of this circuit was associated with increased subjective anxiety states in men. The current study has implications for understanding gender-specific differences in stress-induced anxiety and vulnerability to stress-related clinical disorders, and for developing more effective treatment strategies tailored to each gender. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Examining gender salary disparities: an analysis of the 2003 multistate salary survey.

PubMed

Brown, Lawrence M; Schommer, Jon C; Mott, Dave; Gaither, Caroline A; Doucette, William R; Zgarrick, Dave P; Droege, Marcus

2006-09-01

Pharmacist salary and wage surveys have been conducted at the state and national level for more than 20 years; however, it is not known to what extent, if any, wage disparities due to gender still exist. The overall objective of this study was to determine if wage disparities exist among male and female pharmacists at the multistate and individual state level for each of 6 states studied. A secondary objective was to explore the effect of various demographic variables on the hourly wages of pharmacists. Data were collected from 1,688 pharmacists in 6 states during 2003 using a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. A multiple regression analysis on hourly wage testing the effects of state of practice, practice setting, position, terminal degree, and years in practice was conducted. Subsequent multiple regression analyses were conducted individually for each of the 6 states to test the effects of the above variables on hourly wage for both male and female pharmacists, followed by state-level analyses for male and female pharmacists, respectively. For the pooled data, all variables were found to be significant predictors of hourly wage, except for earning a PharmD degree without a residency or graduate degree. Gender was not a significant predictor of wage disparities in the state-level analyses. Position was the only significant predictor of wage disparities in all states (except Tennessee) such that pharmacists in management positions make significantly higher salaries than those in staff positions. The results of these analyses suggest that wage disparities due to gender do not exist at the state level for the 6 states surveyed, when controlling for practice setting, position, terminal degree, and years in practice. The larger number of men in management positions may explain lower wages for female pharmacists.

Gender effect on public stigma changes towards psychosis in the Hong Kong Chinese population: a comparison between population surveys of 2009 and 2014.

PubMed

Chan, S K W; Lee, K W; Hui, C L M; Chang, W C; Lee, E H M; Chen, E Y H

2017-03-01

Public stigma is an important barrier to the recovery of patients with psychosis. The current study aimed to investigate the change in stigma towards psychosis and knowledge about psychosis between 2009 and 2014 among the Chinese population in Hong Kong, with a specific focus on gender role. Random telephone survey of general population in Hong Kong was conducted in 2009 and 2014. Stigma was measured with the revised Link's Perceived Discrimination-Devaluation Scale (LPDDS). Logistic regression was used to explore the effect of time on the change of knowledge of psychosis, and linear regression was used to explore the effect of time on the change of stigma. Change of knowledge and stigma based on gender was specifically explored. In total, 1016 and 1018 subjects completed the survey in 2009 and 2014, respectively. Significantly, more people agreed with medication treatment for psychosis and fewer people had misunderstanding about psychosis. However, there was no significant change in stigma levels. Males were found to have a significant deterioration of stigma (B = 0.099, SE = 0.033, β = 0.100, p = 0.003) but not females. Significantly, more males endorsed medication treatment for psychosis (χ 2  = 5.850, df = 1, p = 0.016) but no change for females (χ 2  = 1.401, df = 1, p = 0.238). Results of this study suggested that there was an improvement in the biological understanding of psychosis but no change of public stigma within the Hong Kong Chinese population. The specific role of gender in relation to stigma and level of knowledge about psychosis indicates that this should be a consideration in designing future anti-stigma campaigns.

Familial liability to psychosis is a risk factor for multimorbidity in people with psychotic disorders and their unaffected siblings.

PubMed

Islam, M A; Khan, M F H; Quee, P J; Snieder, H; van den Heuvel, E R; Bruggeman, R; Alizadeh, B Z

2017-09-01

Multimorbidity may impose an overwhelming burden on patients with psychosis and is affected by gender and age. Our aim is to study the independent role of familial liability to psychosis as a risk factor for multimorbidity. We performed the study within the framework of the Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) project. Overall, we compared 1024 psychotic patients, 994 unaffected siblings and 566 controls on the prevalence of 125 lifetime diseases, and 19 self-reported somatic complaints. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of two or more complaints/diseases in the same individual. Generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) were used to investigate the effects of gender, age (adolescent, young, older) and familial liability (patients, siblings, controls) and their interactions on multimorbidity. Familial liability had a significant effect on multimorbidity of either complaints or diseases. Patients had a higher prevalence of multimorbidity of complaints compared to siblings (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.79-2.69, P<0.001) and to controls (3.05, 2.35-3.96, P<0.001). In physical health multimorbidity, patients (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.05-1.75, P=0.018), but not siblings, had significantly higher prevalence than controls. Similar finding were observed for multimorbidity of lifetime diseases, including psychiatric diseases. Significant results were observed for complaints and disease multimorbidity across gender and age groups. Multimorbidity is a common burden, significantly more prevalent in patients and their unaffected siblings. Familial liability to psychosis showed an independent effect on multimorbidity; gender and age are also important factors determining multimorbidity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Impact of a program to diminish gender insensitivity and sexual harassment at a medical school.

PubMed

Jacobs, C D; Bergen, M R; Korn, D

2000-05-01

To measure the effect of an intervention to reduce gender insensitivity and sexual harassment at one medical school. Stanford University School of Medicine undertook a multifaceted program to educate faculty and students regarding gender issues and to diminish sexual harassment. The authors developed a survey instrument to assess the faculty's perceptions regarding environment (five scales) and incidences of sexual harassment. Faculty were surveyed twice during the interventions (1994 and 1995). Between the two years, the authors measured significant improvements in mean ratings for positive climate (p = .004) and cohesion (p = .006) and decreases in the faculty's perceptions of sexual harassment (p = 0006), gender insensitivity (p = .001), and gender discrimination (p = .004). The faculty also reported fewer observations of harassing behavior during the study period. An intervention program to diminish gender insensitivity and sexual harassment can measurably improve a medical school's environment.

Differing levels of gender salience in preschool classrooms: effects on children's gender attitudes and intergroup bias.

PubMed

Hilliard, Lacey J; Liben, Lynn S

2010-01-01

Developmental intergroup theory posits that when environments make social-group membership salient, children will be particularly likely to apply categorization processes to social groups, thereby increasing stereotypes and prejudices. To test the predicted impact of environmental gender salience, 3- to 5-year-old children (N = 57) completed gender attitude, intergroup bias, and personal preference measures at the beginning and end of a 2-week period during which teachers either did or did not make gender salient. Observations of peer play were also made at both times. After 2 weeks, children in the high- (but not low-) salience condition showed significantly increased gender stereotypes, less positive ratings of other-sex peers, and decreased play with other-sex peers. Children's own activity and occupational preferences, however, remained unaffected. © 2010 The Authors. Child Development © 2010 Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Interaction of duration of homelessness and gender on adolescent sexual health indicators.

PubMed

Rew, Lynn; Grady, Matthew; Whittaker, Tiffany A; Bowman, Katherine

2008-01-01

The purpose of this analysis was to determine the effects of duration of homelessness and gender on personal and social resources, cognitive-perceptual factors, and sexual health behaviors among homeless youth. Cross-sectional analysis of data collected at baseline from 461 homeless adolescents who participated in a sexual health intervention study was done. Data were collected via laptop computers from homeless adolescents (mean age=19.52+1.91 years) in both comparison and intervention groups before the initiation of the intervention. Significant interaction effects were found for personal and social resources F (4, 426)=2.83, p<.05. Male participants who had been homeless<6 months had significantly higher scores on social connectedness than did male participants who were homeless>1 year. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that both boys and girls who had been homeless>1 year had greater AIDS knowledge, F (1, 441)=7.91, p<.01, reported significantly more sexual risk-taking behaviors, F (1, 396)=9.93, p<.05, and engaged in fewer safe-sex behaviors, F (1, 396)=12.05, p<.05, than did those who had been homeless<6 months. Univariate ANOVA indicated that female participants had significantly lower levels of perceived health status, F (1, 429)=12.08, p<.01, significantly greater sexual self-care behaviors, F (1, 396)=16.29, p<.01, and significantly higher levels of assertive communication F (1, 396)=4.03, p<.05 than did male participants, regardless of duration of homelessness. The duration of homelessness and gender has both direct and interaction effects on cognitive-perceptual and behavioral outcomes associated with sexual health. Nurses and other healthcare providers working with homeless youth recognize the need to develop brief interventions that address health-risk behaviors. Findings from this study indicate that gender-specific interventions should be provided to youth soon after they become homeless.

[Gender and DSM: a historical review, controversies and perspectives].

PubMed

Gaviria, Silvia Lucía

2008-01-01

The study of gender and its effects on mental health is a fascinating and growing field of clinical research aimed at obtaining benefits for both men and women. The exclusion of women in most clinical studies has resulted in significant gaps in our knowledge about the effects of disease and treatments in women. We try to understand how the disease develops as a result of a complex matrix of factors that affect each patient. One of these factors is the genre. Many other factors also play a role, as recent experiences and early life, the availability of social support or genetic influences. This article provides some ideas on the relationship between gender and vulnerability to mental disorders. It is an historical overview of the evolution of gender and its impact on mental health, and its inclusion in the DSM. An analysis documented through recent publications, and a look towards the next version: the DSM V.

Effects of gender and hand dominance on size of the lower trapezius muscle.

PubMed

Uthaikhup, Sureeporn; Wannaprom, Nipaporn; Kummaung, Panuwat

2015-10-01

The influence of gender and hand dominance on the size of the lower trapezius muscle has not been studied. We aimed to identify the effects of gender and hand dominance on thickness of this muscle. Thirty healthy subjects (15 men and 15 women) were recruited for the study. The thickness of the lower trapezius muscles was measured bilaterally at the level of T8 at rest and with contraction at 130° of shoulder abduction using ultrasound imaging. Men had significantly greater thickness of the lower trapezius muscle than women, both at rest and with contraction (P < 0.01). Greater lower trapezius muscle thickness was found on the dominant side compared with the non-dominant side (P < 0.05). Gender and side dominance differences should be controlled for when investigating lower trapezius muscle thickness. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Athletic Participation and Seat Belt Omission among U.S. High School Students

PubMed Central

Melnick, Merrill J.; Miller, Kathleen E.; Sabo, Donald F.; Barnes, Grace M.; Farrell, Michael P.

2013-01-01

Although seat belts save lives, adolescents may be disproportionately likely to omit their use. Using data from the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a national survey of over 16,000 U.S. public and private high school students, we employed a series of logical regression analyses to examine cross-sectional associations between past-year athletic participation and regular seat belt omission. Controlling for the effects of gender, age, race, parental education, and school urbanicity, student athletes were significantly less likely than nonathletes to report seat belt omission. Separate gender-specific analyses showed that this effect was significant for girls but only marginally significant for boys; in addition, the effect was strongest for adolescents who participated on three or more school or community sports teams. Possible explanations for the relationship between athletic participation and seat belt omission, including Jessor’s problem behavior syndrome, prosocial sport subcultures, and sensation seeking, are considered. PMID:19797539

The promotive effects of peer support and active coping on the relationship between bullying victimization and depression among chinese boarding students.

PubMed

Yin, Xue-Qin; Wang, Li-Hui; Zhang, Guo-Dong; Liang, Xiao-Bing; Li, Jason; Zimmerman, Marc A; Wang, Jin-Liang

2017-10-01

We examined the relationship between bully victimization experience and depression in rural adolescents and analyzed the moderating roles of peer support and active coping in male and female students. The sample comprised N=755 adolescents (376 females) with a mean age of 13.52 years. Through structural model and multi-group analysis, the results indicated: (1) a significant gender difference on the positive association between bullying victimization and depression; (2) peer support had a directly negative effect on depression among all boarding adolescents; and (3) significant moderating effect of active coping on the association between victimization and depression, without significant gender difference. We discuss enhancing active coping and peer support as a prevention strategy to reduce adverse mental health outcomes in adolescents due to bullying victimization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Athletic participation and seatbelt omission among u.s. High school students.

PubMed

Melnick, Merrill J; Miller, Kathleen E; Sabo, Donald F; Barnes, Grace M; Farrell, Michael P

2010-02-01

Although seatbelts save lives, adolescents may be disproportionately likely to omit their use. Using data from the 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, a national survey of more than 16,000 U.S. public and private high school students, the authors employed a series of logistic regression analyses to examine cross-sectional associations between past year athletic participation and regular seatbelt omission. Controlling for the effects of gender, age, race, parental education, and school urbanicity, student athletes were significantly less likely than nonathletes to report seatbelt omission. Separate gender-specific analyses showed that this effect was significant for girls but only marginally significant for boys; in addition, the effect was strongest for adolescents who participated on three or more school or community sports teams. Possible explanations for the relationship between athletic participation and seatbelt omission, including Jessor's problem behavior syndrome, prosocial sport subcultures, and sensation seeking, are considered.

Behavioral Intervention in the Overweight and Obese Employee: The Challenge of Promoting Weight Loss and Physical Activity

PubMed Central

Maniwa, Rumi; Iwamoto, Mamiko; Nogi, Akiko; Yamasaki, Masayuki; Yang, Jian-jun; Hanaoka, Hideaki; Shiwaku, Kuninori

2012-01-01

Effects of gender and employment situation on weight loss and lifestyle modification were assessed in a 3-month intervention study done for overweight and obesity. A total of 384 individuals in Izumo City Japan, participated from 2000 to 2006. Lifestyle modifications were quantitatively evaluated by calculating calories of energy intake and expenditure. Eleven men and 15 women failed to complete the intervention; they were significantly younger in both genders, and the women had a higher rate of employment than the completing group (91 men and 267 women). Intervention induced a weight loss of 1.9 kg for men and 1.6 kg for women, with no significant differences by gender. Significant differences were found in changes in energy intake and expenditure in both genders, but these disappeared after adjusting for weight. There were significant decreases in weight (1.6 kg in unemployed, 2.5 kg in employed) in men. Increases in walking and exercise for the employed were smaller than those for the unemployed. The relationship between changes in weight and energy balance by employment status was independently significant using multiple regression analysis. Employment is associated with difficulty in losing weight due to limited exercise time in behavioral intervention. PMID:25648082

Work experience and gender differences in chronic disease risk in older Mexicans.

PubMed

Salinas, Jennifer J; Peek, M Kristen

2008-08-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between labor force participation and gender differences in the prevalence of arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension. The Mexican Health and Aging Survey (MHAS) data is nationally representative sample of older Mexicans 50 years and older. Binomial logistic regression models were performed to examine differences between older Mexican men and women in the prevalence of arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension. Interaction effects were also estimated between gender and occupation, length of time in the labor force, and pension eligibility. Older Mexican women have a significantly greater risk of having arthritis, diabetes, and hypertension. Findings from this study suggest that within the same occupational classification, women suffer from the damaging effects on health to a greater extent than men. Interaction effects show that women who work in services or in client's home are particularly susceptible to arthritis. Moreover, women who work in sales were at a significantly greater risk of hypertension than men. Older Mexican women are at greater risk of chronic disease and part of their vulnerability is a result of the type of work that they do.

Parental mediation and cyberbullying - a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Chng, Grace S; Liau, Albert; Khoo, Angeline; Li, Dongdong

2014-01-01

Parents use active and restrictive mediation strategies to guide and regulate children's online participation and the online risks they encounter. However, changes in parental mediation do occur over time and the effectiveness of these strategies on cyberbullying demands for further empirical investigation. The current study addresses these issues with a sample of 1084 students (49% girls) in a longitudinal, three-wave design. Gender differences were tested via multi-group analyses. Longitudinal growth models showed that parental use of both active and restrictive mediation decreased over time. For both types of mediation, the mean rate of change had a significant effect on boys' engagement in cyberbullying, but not for girls. Initial levels of restrictive mediation, but not active mediation, were found to be significantly predictive of cyberbullying in both genders. Girls had higher initial levels of both parental mediation types in comparison to boys. The results reveal that the effectiveness of active and restrictive mediation in relation to students' cyberbullying differs and informs us on gender differences. The implications of these results for parental education in online mediation are discussed.

Situated Self-efficacy in Introductory Physics Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henderson, Rachel; DeVore, Seth; Michaluk, Lynnette; Stewart, John

2017-01-01

Within the general university environment, students' perceived self-efficacy has been widely studied and findings suggest it plays a role in student success. The current research adapted a self-efficacy survey, from the ``Self-Efficacy for Learning Performance'' subscale of the Motivated Learning Strategies Questionnaire and administered it to the introductory, calculus-based physics classes (N=1005) over the fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters. This assessment measured students' self-efficacy in domains including the physics class, other science and mathematics classes, and their intended future career. The effect of gender was explored with the only significant gender difference (p < . 001) existing within the physics domain. A hierarchical linear regression analysis indicated that this gender difference was not explained by a student's performance which was measured by test average. However, a mediation analysis showed that students' overall academic self-efficacy, measured by their math and science self-efficacy, acts as a mediator for the effect of test average on self-efficacy towards the physics class domain. This mediation effect was significant for both female (p < . 01) and male students (p < . 001) however, it was more pronounced for male students.

Effects of induced rumination on body dissatisfaction: Is there any difference between men and women?

PubMed

Rivière, Julie; Rousseau, Amélie; Douilliez, Céline

2018-05-19

Rumination is a factor in the development and maintenance of body dissatisfaction. However, no study has yet investigated the impact of the type of rumination on body image. The first aim of this study was to examine whether the induction of analytic-abstract vs. concrete-experiential rumination affects body dissatisfaction following an induction of negative body image. The second objective was to examine gender differences in these effects. Following induction of negative body image, 102 university undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions-distraction, concrete rumination or abstract rumination. As expected, there were significant main effects of gender and condition, and a significant interaction between gender and condition on change in body dissatisfaction. In women abstract rumination predicted the highest increase in body dissatisfaction, whereas concrete rumination predicted the highest increase in body dissatisfaction in men. Given that our sample consisted of undergraduate students, our findings cannot be generalized to clinical sample suffering from eating disorder. The different types of rumination seem to impact differentially body dissatisfaction in men and women. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Alzheimer's disease: effects of gender, butyrylcholinesterase genotype and rivastigmine treatment

PubMed Central

Ferris, Steven; Nordberg, Agneta; Soininen, Hilkka; Darreh-Shori, Taher; Lane, Roger

2014-01-01

Objective Evaluate the influence of gender and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) genotype on incidence of progression to AD, rate of cognitive and functional decline, and response to rivastigmine treatment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subjects. Methods This retrospective exploratory analysis from a 3–4 year, randomized, placebo-controlled study of rivastigmine in MCI subjects included participants who consented to pharmacogenetic testing. Results Of 1018 total patients, 490 (253 [52%] female) were successfully genotyped for BuChE. In subjects receiving placebo, the BuChE wt/wt genotype was associated with a statistically significantly higher rate of progression to AD and functional decline in women, compared with men with the BuChE wt/wt genotype. In subjects with a BuChE-K allele receiving placebo, incidence of progression to AD and rate of functional decline were not significantly different by gender, however cognitive decline was significantly faster in men. Statistically significant benefits of rivastigmine treatment on progression to AD, functional decline, ventricular volume expansion, whole brain atrophy and white matter loss were evident in female BuChE wt/wt. Conclusion Gender appears to differentially influence the type of decline in MCI subjects according to BuChE genotype, with more rapid progression of cognitive decline in male BuChE-K, and more rapid progression to AD and functional decline in female BuChE wt/wt. Cognitive decline in male BuChE-K and functional decline and progression to AD in female BuChE wt/wt were significantly attenuated by rivastigmine. Rivastigmine treatment also significantly reduced ventricular expansion, whole brain atrophy rate and white matter loss in female BuChE wt/wt, suggesting a possible disease-modifying effect. PMID:19617863

Large arterial elasticity varies as a function of gender and racism-related vigilance in black youth.

PubMed

Clark, Rodney; Benkert, Ramona A; Flack, John M

2006-10-01

This exploratory study examined the relationship of gender and racism-related vigilance to baseline and task-induced changes in large arterial elasticity (LAE). The convenience sample consisted of 153 black youth (M age = 11.5 years, SD = 1.4) who were normotensive. Large arterial elasticity was measured via pulse wave contour analysis, before, during, and after a sequentially administered digit forward and digit backward task. Racism-related vigilance was reported by participants. Although findings from general linear models indicated that the independent effects of gender and racism-related vigilance were not significantly related to LAE (baseline, reactivity, or recovery) (all p > .05), these analyses showed that gender and racism-related vigilance interacted to predict baseline LAE (p < .02) and task-induced changes (reactivity only) in LAE (p < .006). Follow-up regression analyses explicating the pattern of these interaction effects indicated that 1) racism-related vigilance was marginally and inversely related to baseline LAE among boys (p < .06) but not in girls (p > .21); and, 2) racism-related vigilance was positively and significantly associated with task-induced changes (reactivity) in LAE among boys (p < .008) but not in girls (p > .30). The relationship between racism-related vigilance and LAE varies as a function of gender, and may have longer-term implications for between and within-group disparities in cardiovascular health.

A suspended act: increased reflectivity and gender-dependent electrophysiological change following Quadrato Motor Training.

PubMed

Ben-Soussan, Tal Dotan; Berkovich-Ohana, Aviva; Glicksohn, Joseph; Goldstein, Abraham

2014-01-01

Quadrato Motor Training (QMT) is a specifically-structured walking meditation, aimed at improving reflectivity and lowering habitual thought and movement. Here we set out to examine the possible effect of QMT on reflectivity, employing the Hidden Figures Test (HFT), which assesses both spatial performance (measured by correct answers) as well as reflectivity (interpolated from correct answers and reaction time). In the first study (n = 24, only females), we showed that QMT significantly improves HFT performance, compared to two groups, controlling for cognitive or motor aspects of the QMT: Verbal Training (identical cognitive training with verbal response) and Simple Motor Training (similar motor training with reduced choice requirements). These results show that QMT improves HFT performance above the pre-post expected learning. In the second study, building on previous literature showing gender-dependent effects on cognitive performance, we conducted a preliminary pilot examining gender-dependent effect of training on reflectivity and its electrophysiological counterparts. EEG analyses focused on theta, alpha and gamma coherence. HFT performance and resting-state EEG were measured in 37 participants (20 males), using a within-subject pre-post design. Following training, HFT performance improved in both genders. However, we found a gender-dependent difference in functional connectivity: while theta and alpha intra-hemispheric coherence was enhanced in females, the opposite pattern was found in males. These results are discussed in relation to neuronal efficiency theory. Together, the results demonstrate that QMT improves spatial performance, and may involve a gender-dependent electrophysiological effect. This study emphasizes both the importance of studying gender-related training effects within the contemplative neuroscience endeavor, as well as the need to widen its scope toward including "contemplation in action."

Gender and psychiatric diagnosis: a 5-year retrospective study in a Nigerian Federal Medical Centre.

PubMed

Agbir, T M; Oyigeya, M; Audu, M; Dapap, D D; Goar, S G

2010-01-01

The role of gender in psychiatry disorders is becoming increasingly important. This study is therefore, aimed at identifying gender pattern of admissions to a public mental health centre with regards to demographic characteristic, psychiatry diagnosis and length of stay on admission. In this retrospective study Hospital records of 388 patients admitted at the psychiatric section of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Makurdi, between January, 2004 and December, 2008 were studied for gender differences regarding demographic attributes, length of stay and psychiatry diagnoses. Findings revealed that more men than women were admitted overall. Most men (56%) were less than 30 years old whereas 60.6% of women were within 30-59 years aged bracket. For men the main diagnosis was schizophrenia (30.5%), followed by substance related disorders (16.5%) then depression (14.0%); for women the main diagnosis was also schizophrenia (30.3%), this was followed by depression (24.5%), only one woman was diagnosed with substance related disorder. A statistically significant association was also found between having a personality disorder and being a male (p = 0.009). Most female were single and belong to the lowest occupational group. There was no significant difference in the gender distribution of patients with respect to length of stay on admission (p = 0.161). The results revealed how psychiatry diagnosis is significantly influence by gender issues. We therefore recommend that; for a more effective psychiatry formulation, it is imperative to pay attention to gender issues that may affect the development of psychopathology.

Gender differences in injury severity risks in crashes at signalized intersections.

PubMed

Obeng, K

2011-07-01

This paper analyzes gender differences in crash risk severities using data for signalized intersections. It estimates gender models for injury severity risks and finds that driver condition, type of crash, type of vehicle driven and vehicle safety features have different effects on females' and males' injury severity risks. Also, it finds some variables which are significantly related to females' injury severity risks but not males' and others which affect males' injury severity risks but not females'. It concludes that better and more in-depth information about gender differences in injury severity risks is gained by estimating separate models for females and males. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender differences in self-conscious emotional experience: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Else-Quest, Nicole M; Higgins, Ashley; Allison, Carlie; Morton, Lindsay C

2012-09-01

The self-conscious emotions (SCE) of guilt, shame, pride, and embarrassment are moral emotions, which motivate adherence to social norms and personal standards and emerge in early childhood following the development of self-awareness. Gender stereotypes of emotion maintain that women experience more guilt, shame, and embarrassment but that men experience more pride. To estimate the magnitude of gender differences in SCE experience and to determine the circumstances under which these gender differences vary, we meta-analyzed 697 effect sizes representing 236,304 individual ratings of SCE states and traits from 382 journal articles, dissertations, and unpublished data sets. Guilt (d = -0.27) and shame (d = -0.29) displayed small gender differences, whereas embarrassment (d = -0.08), authentic pride (d = -0.01), and hubristic pride (d = 0.09) showed gender similarities. Similar to previous findings of ethnic variations in gender differences in other psychological variables, gender differences in shame and guilt were significant only for White samples or samples with unspecified ethnicity. We found larger gender gaps in shame with trait (vs. state) scales, and in guilt and shame with situation- and scenario-based (vs. adjective- and statement-based) items, consistent with predictions that such scales and items tend to tap into global, nonspecific assessments of the self and thus reflect self-stereotyping and gender role assimilative effects. Gender differences in SCE about domains such as the body, sex, and food or eating tended to be larger than gender differences in SCE about other domains. These findings contribute to the literature demonstrating that blanket stereotypes about women's greater emotionality are inaccurate. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

Coping strategies: gender differences and development throughout life span.

PubMed

Meléndez, Juan Carlos; Mayordomo, Teresa; Sancho, Patricia; Tomás, José Manuel

2012-11-01

Development during life-span implies to cope with stressful events, and this coping may be done with several strategies. It could be useful to know if these coping strategies differ as a consequence of personal characteristics. This work uses the Coping with Stress Questionnaire with this aim using a sample of 400 participants. Specifically, the effects of gender and age group (young people, middle age and elderly), as well as its interaction on coping strategies is studied. With regard to age, on one hand, it is hypothesised a decrement in the use of coping strategies centred in problem solving and social support seeking as age increases. On the other hand, the use of emotional coping is hypothesised to increase with age. With respect to gender, it is hypothesised a larger use of emotional coping and social support seeking within women, and a larger use of problem solving within men. A MANOVA found significant effects for the two main effects (gender and age) as well as several interactions. Separate ANOVAs allowed us to test for potential differences in each of the coping strategies measured in the CAE. These results partially supported the hypotheses. Results are discussed in relation to scientific literature on coping, age and gender.

Relations among Temperament, Self-regulatory Strategies and Gender in Predicting Delay of Gratification.

PubMed

Hong, Fang; Doan, Stacey N; Lopez, Angelica; Evans, Gary W

2017-01-01

Self-regulation is associated with many positive outcomes, but there is limited information about individual difference regarding children's spontaneous use of strategies to self-regulate and the relative success of those strategies. In the current study, we examined whether temperament and gender are associated with self-regulation and explored the types of spontaneous strategies children use during Mischel's delay of gratification protocol. In addition, we investigated whether spontaneous strategy use during the task could moderate the effects of temperament on self-regulation and whether temperament would mediate the effect of gender on self-regulation. Participants were 349 9-year-olds (182 boys, M age = 9.18, SD = 1.17). Mothers reported on children's temperament and the Delay of Gratification task was used to assess self-regulation. Both temperament and child's gender were significantly associated with children's delay time. Girls were able to delay longer than boys, and children scoring high on activity level were less able to delay. Activity level also mediated the relationship between gender and delay time. Finally, we found an interaction effect between activity level and certain strategies in relation to self-regulatory behavior.

Gender, Families, and Science: Influences on Early Science Training and Career Choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanson, Sandra L.

This research examines the effects of gender and a number of family experiences on young people's chances of going into postsecondary science training and science occupations in the years immediately following high school. Data came from the nationally representative, longitudinal High School and Beyond survey. Results show that gender plays a significant role in choices involving early science training and occupations - especially training. Amongst young men and women with comparable resources and qualifications, young women are less likely to make the science choice. The family experiences and expectations examined here are not a major factor in understanding gender differences in access to science training and occupations. Although much of the literature describes the domains of science and of family as being at odds, results from this research suggest that family experiences play a rather minimal role in predicting who will enter science training or occupations in the early post-high school years. When family variables do have an effect, they are not always negative and the nature of the effect varies by the time in the life cycle that the family variable is measured, by type of family experience (orientation vs. procreation), by outcome (science major vs. science occupation), and by gender.

Relations among Temperament, Self-regulatory Strategies and Gender in Predicting Delay of Gratification

PubMed Central

Hong, Fang; Doan, Stacey N.; Lopez, Angelica; Evans, Gary W.

2017-01-01

Self-regulation is associated with many positive outcomes, but there is limited information about individual difference regarding children’s spontaneous use of strategies to self-regulate and the relative success of those strategies. In the current study, we examined whether temperament and gender are associated with self-regulation and explored the types of spontaneous strategies children use during Mischel’s delay of gratification protocol. In addition, we investigated whether spontaneous strategy use during the task could moderate the effects of temperament on self-regulation and whether temperament would mediate the effect of gender on self-regulation. Participants were 349 9-year-olds (182 boys, Mage = 9.18, SD = 1.17). Mothers reported on children’s temperament and the Delay of Gratification task was used to assess self-regulation. Both temperament and child’s gender were significantly associated with children’s delay time. Girls were able to delay longer than boys, and children scoring high on activity level were less able to delay. Activity level also mediated the relationship between gender and delay time. Finally, we found an interaction effect between activity level and certain strategies in relation to self-regulatory behavior. PMID:29163300

[Analysis the epidemiological features of 3,258 patients with allergic rhinitis in Yichang City].

PubMed

Chen, Bo; Zhang, Zhimao; Pei, Zhi; Chen, Shihan; Du, Zhimei; Lan, Yan; Han, Bei; Qi, Qi

2015-02-01

To investigate the epidemiological features in patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) in Yichang city, and put forward effective prevention and control measures. Collecting the data of allergic rhinitis in city proper from 2010 to 2013, input the data into the database and used statistical analysis. In recent years, the AR patients in this area increased year by year. The spring and the winter were the peak season of onset. The patients was constituted by young men. There was statistically significant difference between the age, the area,and the gender (P < 0.01). The history of allergy and the diseases related to the gender composition had statistical significance difference (P < 0.05). The allergens and the positive degree in gender, age structure had statistically significant difference (P < 0.01). Need to conduct the healthy propaganda and education, optimizing the environment, change the bad habits, timely medical treatment, standard treatment.

Masculine Discrepancy Stress and Psychosocial Maladjustment: Implications for Behavioral and Mental Health of Adolescent Boys.

PubMed

Reidy, Dennis E; Smith-Darden, Joanne P; Vivolo-Kantor, Alana M; Malone, Carolyn A; Kernsmith, Poco D

2017-01-01

Gender role discrepancy (GRD), or nonconformity to socially prescribed gender roles, has been linked to a multitude of adverse mental and behavioral health outcomes. Masculine discrepancy stress (MDS), stress about being perceived not to conform to one's gender role, may explain the relationship between GRD and deleterious health outcomes. However, research on MDS has primarily been restricted to adult males. This leaves a critical gap pertaining to the potential effect of MDS on adolescent boys, who may be more malleable and susceptible to the influence and pressures of gender socialization. In the current study, data are drawn from a sample of adolescent male students ( N = 592) who completed self-report questionnaires. We employed structural equation modeling to test the effects of GRD and MDS on psychosocial maladjustment measured via sexual behavior, substance use, violence, mood disorder symptoms, and hopelessness. In addition, we controlled for critical risk factors including sociodemographic characteristics, adverse childhood experiences, trauma symptoms, and neighborhood disorganization. Findings indicate significant potentiating effects of MDS on maladjustment while there were direct protective effects of GRD. These data suggest that developing prevention strategies that incorporate social norms pertaining to gender socialization may have an impact on multiple behavioral and mental health problems.

Gender Identification Using High-Frequency Speech Energy: Effects of Increasing the Low-Frequency Limit.

PubMed

Donai, Jeremy J; Halbritter, Rachel M

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of normal-hearing listeners to use high-frequency energy for gender identification from naturally produced speech signals. Two experiments were conducted using a repeated-measures design. Experiment 1 investigated the effects of increasing high-pass filter cutoff (i.e., increasing the low-frequency spectral limit) on gender identification from naturally produced vowel segments. Experiment 2 studied the effects of increasing high-pass filter cutoff on gender identification from naturally produced sentences. Confidence ratings for the gender identification task were also obtained for both experiments. Listeners in experiment 1 were capable of extracting talker gender information at levels significantly above chance from vowel segments high-pass filtered up to 8.5 kHz. Listeners in experiment 2 also performed above chance on the gender identification task from sentences high-pass filtered up to 12 kHz. Cumulatively, the results of both experiments provide evidence that normal-hearing listeners can utilize information from the very high-frequency region (above 4 to 5 kHz) of the speech signal for talker gender identification. These findings are at variance with current assumptions regarding the perceptual information regarding talker gender within this frequency region. The current results also corroborate and extend previous studies of the use of high-frequency speech energy for perceptual tasks. These findings have potential implications for the study of information contained within the high-frequency region of the speech spectrum and the role this region may play in navigating the auditory scene, particularly when the low-frequency portion of the spectrum is masked by environmental noise sources or for listeners with substantial hearing loss in the low-frequency region and better hearing sensitivity in the high-frequency region (i.e., reverse slope hearing loss).

Association Between Socio-Demographic Background and Self-Esteem of University Students.

PubMed

Haq, Muhammad Ahsan Ul

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to scrutinize self-esteem of university students and explore association of self-esteem with academic achievement, gender and other factors. A sample of 346 students was selected from Punjab University, Lahore Pakistan. Rosenberg self-esteem scale with demographic variables was used for data collection. Besides descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression and t test were used for analysing the data. Significant gender difference was observed, self-esteem was significantly higher in males than females. Logistic regression indicates that age, medium of instruction, family income, student monthly expenditures, GPA and area of residence has direct effect on self-esteem; while number of siblings showed an inverse effect.

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

PubMed

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

2015-06-01

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

Factors That Impact Evaluation of Left Ventricular Systolic Parameters in Myocardial Perfusion Gated SPECT with 16 Frame and 8 Frame Acquisition Models.

PubMed

Ansari, Mojtaba; Hashemi, Hoda; Soltanshahi, Mehdi; Qutbi, Mohsen; Azizmohammadi, Zahra; Tabeie, Faraj; Javadi, Hamid; Jafari, Esmail; Barekat, Maryam; Assadi, Majid

2018-06-07

Evaluating the effects of heart cavity volume, presence and absence of perfusion defect, gender and type of study (stress and rest) on the difference of systolic parameters of myocardial perfusion scan in 16 and 8 framing gated SPECT imaging. Cardiac gated SPECT in both 16 and 8 framing simultaneously and both stress and rest phases at one-day protocol was performed for 50 patients. Data have been reconstructed by filter back projection (FBP) method and left ventricular (LV) systolic parameters were calculated by using QGS software. The effect of some factors such as LV cavity volume, presence and absence of perfusion defect, gender and type of study on data difference between 8 and 16 frames were evaluated. The differences in ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) in both stress and rest were statistically significant. Difference in both framing was more in stress for EF and ESV, and was more in rest for EDV. Study type had a significant effect on differences in systolic parameters while gender had a significant effect on differences in EF and ESV in rest between both framings. In conclusion, results of this study revealed that difference of both 16 and 8 frames data in systolic phase were statistically significant and it seems that because of better efficiency of 16 frames, it cannot be replaced by 8 frames. Further well-designed studies are required to verify these findings.

Workplace bullying could play important roles in the relationships between job strain and symptoms of depression and sleep disturbance.

PubMed

Takaki, Jiro; Taniguchi, Toshiyo; Fukuoka, Etsuko; Fujii, Yasuhito; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Nakajima, Kazuo; Hirokawa, Kumi

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess whether workplace bullying mediates between job strain, evaluated by the job demand-control model, and symptoms of depression and sleep disturbance. The subjects in this cross-sectional study were recruited from all the workers (N=2,634) at 50 organizations in Japan. Due to missing data, the numbers of subjects included in the analyses varied from 1,646 to 2,062 (response rates varied from 62.5% to 78.2%). Job strain and workplace social support, workplace bullying, depression, and sleep disturbance were assessed using the Japanese versions of the Job Content Questionnaire, the Negative Acts Questionnaire, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Mediation analysis followed the approach outlined by Baron and Kenny. We quantitatively estimated the mediation effects and tested their significance after adjustment for various combinations of demographic variables and workplace social support. Total effects of job strain index on depression or sleep disturbance were all positive and significant (p<0.05) in both genders. Mediation effects of workplace bullying were also all positive and significant (p<0.05) in both genders. Even after adjustment for workplace social support, the mediation effects were decreased, especially in women, but remained significant (p<0.05). Workplace bullying seems to play important roles in the relationships of job strain with depression or sleep disturbance in both genders.

Effects of Gender and Personality on First Impression

PubMed Central

Marzocchi, Michele; Vicari, Alba

2015-01-01

The present study explores whether and to what extent individual differences (i.e., gender and personality traits of perceiver) predict inferences of trustworthiness from emotionally neutral unfamiliar faces and the related confidence in judgment. Four hundred and ten undergraduate students participated in the study. Personality was assessed using the Big Five model (i.e., Extraversion, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness to experience) and measures of trait anxiety and aggression. The results suggest that trustworthiness judgments are affected by the gender of the perceiver, although this effect depends on the valence of the face. Women tend to judge trustworthy-looking faces as significantly more trustworthy than men do, and this is particularly pronounced for judgments of female faces. There were no gender differences for judgments of untrustworthy-looking or neutral faces. Gender also seems to affect the confidence in judgment. Specifically, women were generally less confident than men in judging trustworthiness of unfamiliar faces. Personality also affected judgment. Both low agreeable individuals and high trait aggressive individuals tend to perceive unfamiliar faces as less trustworthy. The present findings suggest that both gender and personality traits are relevant for understanding how people evaluate the trustworthiness of others. Whom we decide to trust is a function not only of their facial features but also of gender and individual differences in personality traits. PMID:26331610

Effects of Gender and Personality on First Impression.

PubMed

Mattarozzi, Katia; Todorov, Alexander; Marzocchi, Michele; Vicari, Alba; Russo, Paolo Maria

2015-01-01

The present study explores whether and to what extent individual differences (i.e., gender and personality traits of perceiver) predict inferences of trustworthiness from emotionally neutral unfamiliar faces and the related confidence in judgment. Four hundred and ten undergraduate students participated in the study. Personality was assessed using the Big Five model (i.e., Extraversion, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness to experience) and measures of trait anxiety and aggression. The results suggest that trustworthiness judgments are affected by the gender of the perceiver, although this effect depends on the valence of the face. Women tend to judge trustworthy-looking faces as significantly more trustworthy than men do, and this is particularly pronounced for judgments of female faces. There were no gender differences for judgments of untrustworthy-looking or neutral faces. Gender also seems to affect the confidence in judgment. Specifically, women were generally less confident than men in judging trustworthiness of unfamiliar faces. Personality also affected judgment. Both low agreeable individuals and high trait aggressive individuals tend to perceive unfamiliar faces as less trustworthy. The present findings suggest that both gender and personality traits are relevant for understanding how people evaluate the trustworthiness of others. Whom we decide to trust is a function not only of their facial features but also of gender and individual differences in personality traits.

Gender Differences in Psychotic Disorders with Concurrent Substance Use

PubMed Central

Caton, Carol L.M.; Xie, Haiyi; Drake, Robert E.; McHugo, Gregory

2015-01-01

Objective We conducted a comparative analysis of gender differences in patients with primary psychotic disorders with concurrent substance use and in those with substance-induced psychoses. Methods A total of 385 individuals admitted to psychiatric emergency departments with early onset psychosis and recent substance use were interviewed at baseline and at 6-month intervals for two years. Using a standardized research diagnostic assessment instrument, we classified patients at baseline into primary and substance-induced psychosis groups and analyzed the effects of gender on demographic, family, and clinical characteristics at baseline, the interaction of gender and diagnosis, and gender main effects on illness course, adjustment, and service use over the two-year follow-up period. Results Women had better premorbid adjustment, less misattribution of symptoms, and a later age of onset of regular drug use compared to men. Women, however, showed greater depression and histories of abuse compared to men. Men had greater arrest histories. No interactions between gender and diagnosis were significant. Both genders in the primary and substance-induced psychosis groups showed clinical and functional improvement over the follow-up period despite the overall minimal use of mental health and substance abuse treatment services. Conclusions Women and men with psychosis and substance use differ on several dimensions. Our findings suggest the need for gender-specific treatment programming across both diagnostic groups. PMID:25391275

Comparing the Effects of Various Whole-Body Vibration Accelerations on Counter-Movement Jump Performance

PubMed Central

Bazett-Jones, David M.; Finch, Holmes W.; Dugan, Eric L.

2008-01-01

While it seems that whole body vibration (WBV) might be an effective modality to enhance physical performance, the proper prescription of WBV for performance enhancement remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effect of various WBV accelerations on counter movement jump (CMJ) height, the duration of any effect, and differences between men and women. Forty-four participants (33 men, 11 women) participated in no less than four CMJ familiarization sessions and completed all vibration sessions. Participants performed a pre-test (three maximal CMJs), followed randomly by one of five WBV accelerations; 1g (no-WBV control), 2.16g, 2.80g, 4.87g, and 5.83g. Participants performed three maximal CMJs immediately, five, and 10 minutes following each 45 sec WBV session. The mean of the three performances was used and calculated as a percentage of the pre-vibration mean value. A Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA; acceleration x time x gender) model was used to analyze the data. The two-way interactions of acceleration-gender (p = 0.033) and time-gender (p = 0.050) were significant. Women performed significantly better following the 2.80g (p = 0.0064) and 5.83g (p = 0. 0125) WBV sessions compared to the 1g (control) session. Men, however, did not experience performance enhancing effects following any of the vibration sessions. While significant differences did not occur between time in either gender, the effects of the 45 sec WBV session in women were transient, lasting approximately five minutes. During the prescription of WBV, gender should be considered given that the results of this study seem to indicate that men and women respond differently to WBV. The results of this study suggest that WBV might be a useful modality as applied during the pre-competition warm-up. Key points WBV accelerations of 2.80g (40 Hz, 2-4 mm) and 5.83g (50 Hz, 4-6 mm) seem to elicit a performance enhancement effect following short-duration (45 sec) exposure in untrained women. The performance enhancement effect of a short-duration is transient, lasting less than 10 minutes following exposure. Men and women might differ in their response to the WBV stimulus, as measured by countermovement jump. PMID:24150147

Effects of wi-fi signals on the p300 component of event-related potentials during an auditory hayling task.

PubMed

Papageorgiou, Charalabos C; Hountala, Chrissanthi D; Maganioti, Argiro E; Kyprianou, Miltiades A; Rabavilas, Andreas D; Papadimitriou, George N; Capsalis, Christos N

2011-06-01

The P300 component of event-related potentials (ERPs) is believed to index attention and working memory (WM) operation of the brain. The present study focused on the possible gender-related effects of Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) electromagnetic fields (EMF) on these processes. Fifteen male and fifteen female subjects, matched for age and education level, were investigated while performing a modified version of the Hayling Sentence Completion test adjusted to induce WM. ERPs were recorded at 30 scalp electrodes, both without and with the exposure to a Wi-Fi signal. P300 amplitude values at 18 electrodes were found to be significantly lower in the response inhibition condition than in the response initiation and baseline conditions. Independent of the above effect, within the response inhibition condition there was also a significant gender X radiation interaction effect manifested at 15 leads by decreased P300 amplitudes of males in comparison to female subjects only at the presence of EMF. In conclusion, the present findings suggest that Wi-Fi exposure may exert gender-related alterations on neural activity associated with the amount of attentional resources engaged during a linguistic test adjusted to induce WM.

Routine Activities and Criminal Victimization: The Significance of Gendered Spaces.

PubMed

Savard, Dennis M; Kelley, Thomas M; Merolla, David M

2017-07-01

Gender is arguably the most prominent correlate of criminal victimization. Few studies, however, examine gender-specific dynamics that might help advance criminology's understanding of the persistent gender gap in criminal victimization. We attempt to help fill this research void by examining data from the 2012 National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) through the lens of routine activity theory to investigate the relationship between "gendered spaces" and criminal victimization. We propose that gendered spaces constructed by people's routine activities may increase their exposure to motivated offenders, which in turn may increase their risk of victimization. Our findings appear to support our proposition and to shed new light on the nature of the victimization gender gap. The results showed that females were significantly more likely than males to be victimized at each of the three "feminine gendered spaces" (i.e., bank, shopping center, and grocery store). However, the relationship between gendered space and criminal victimization varied by crime type. Females were significantly more likely than males to be robbed at each of the three feminine gendered spaces. For sexual assault and aggravated assault, females were significantly more likely than males to be victimized at a "masculine gendered space" (i.e., bar/nightclub). For simple assault, females were significantly less likely than males to be victimized at two of the three feminine gendered spaces (i.e., bank and shopping center). Our findings appear to highlight the importance of gendered spaces in helping explain the gender gap in criminal victimization and suggest that future researchers should investigate how other gendered spaces formed by people's routine activities affect their risk of victimization.

CLIMATE VARIABILITY, LAND OWNERSHIP AND MIGRATION: EVIDENCE FROM THAILAND ABOUT GENDER IMPACTS

PubMed Central

Curran, Sara R.; Meijer-Irons, Jacqueline

2016-01-01

Scholars point to climate change, often in the form of more frequent and severe drought, as a potential driver of migration in the developing world, particularly for places where populations rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. To date, however, there have been few large-scale, longitudinal studies that explore the relationship between climate change and migration. This study significantly extends current scholarship by evaluating distinctive effects of climatic variation and models these effects on men’s and women’s responsiveness to drought and rainfall. Our study also investigates how land ownership moderates these effects. We find small, but significant, increases in migration above existing migratory levels during periods of prolonged climatic stress, and that these patterns differ both by gender and land tenure. PMID:27547492

[Occupational contact dermatitis in metal workers and gender effect].

PubMed

Filon, F Larese; Marzioti, G; Fortina, A Belloni; Peserico, A; De Toni, A; Corradini, M T; Carrabba, E; Fiorito, A

2007-01-01

Contact dermatitis is more frequent among women for anatomical reasons and for extraprofessional exposure to irritants and detergents during homeworks. In addition sensitisation to contact haptens is different in sexes. The aim of our work was to evaluate the association between patch test skin sensitizations and professional exposure to metals analyzing data for gender. Of the 15.217 patients patch tested for dermatitis, 678 were metalworkers. The statistical analysis revealed a significant association between dermatitis and sensitisation to nickel in professional exposed women (OR = 1.68; LC50% 1.11-6.50) while metal sensitisation (Cr.Ni and Co) was not relevant in men: for them a significant association between dermatitis and sensitisation was found to quaternium (OR = 3.91; LC95% 1.18-12.9), to mercaptobenzothiazole (OR = 2.69; LC50% 1.11-6.50) and to ethylendiamine dichloride (OR = 2.53; LC95% 1-6.41). The authors stress the need to evaluate patch test sensitisation considering gender effects.

Gender differences in the effects of exposure to intimate partner violence on adolescent violence and drug use.

PubMed

Fagan, Abigail A; Wright, Emily M

2011-07-01

This study investigated the long-term effects of exposure to intimate partner violence in the home on adolescent violence and drug use and gender differences in these relationships. Although the general relationship between exposure to IPV and negative outcomes for youth has been demonstrated in past research, gender differences in the effects of IPV on adolescents have been rarely assessed using longitudinal data. Longitudinal data was obtained from 1,315 adolescents and their primary caregivers participating in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN). The sample was 51% female and ethnically diverse (45% Hispanic, 37% African-American, and 14% Caucasian). Two waves of data were assessed to examine the effects of exposure to IPV, reported by caregivers when their children were aged 12 and 15, on violence and drug use, reported by adolescents 3 years later. Multivariate statistical models were employed to control for a range of child, parent, family, and neighborhood risk factors. Exposure to IPV did not significantly predict subsequent violence among males or females in multivariate analyses. IPV exposure was significantly related to the frequency of drug use for females but did not predict drug use among males. This gender difference was not statistically significant, however, which suggests more similarities than differences in the relationship between exposure to IPV and subsequent violence and drug use. This study supports prior research indicating that exposure to IPV can negatively impact adolescent development, but it suggests that these effects may be more likely to influence some outcomes (e.g., drug use) than others (e.g., interpersonal violence). The findings also emphasize the need for additional research examining the overall impact of IPV on adolescent problem behaviors and gender differences in these relationships, including longitudinal studies and investigations that control for a range of other important predictors. A better understanding of these relationships can help inform intervention efforts aimed at ensuring that adolescents living in violent households receive timely and appropriate services to help prevent the occurrence of future problem behaviors. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of Sequential Fluoxetine and Gender on Pre-quit Depressive Symptoms, Affect, Craving, and Quit Day Abstinence in Smokers with Elevated Depressive Symptoms: A Growth Curve Modeling Approach

PubMed Central

Minami, Haruka; Kahler, Christopher W.; Bloom, Erika Litvin; Prince, Mark A.; Abrantes, Ana M.; Strong, David R.; Niaura, Raymond; Miller, Ivan W.; Palm Reed, Kathleen M.; Price, Lawrence H.; Brown, Richard A.

2015-01-01

While the important roles of post-quit affect and withdrawal symptoms in the process of smoking cessation have been well established, little is known about the relations between pre-quit affective trajectories and cessation outcome on the target quit date (TQD). This study examined whether a 16-week course of fluoxetine initiated 8 weeks pre-quit (“sequential” fluoxetine) improved TQD abstinence relative to placebo through its effects on pre-quit depressive symptoms, affect (withdrawal-relevant negative affect, general negative affect, and positive affect), and craving to smoke among 206 smokers with elevated depressed symptoms. The moderating effects of gender were also examined. A total of 83 smokers (40%) failed to achieve abstinence on TQD, with no difference between treatment conditions or gender. Overall structural equation models showed that fluoxetine had significant indirect effects on TQD abstinence through changes in pre-quit withdrawal-relevant negative affect and craving, but not depressive symptoms. However, multigroup analyses revealed gender differences. Sequential fluoxetine reduced pre-quit depressive symptoms, withdrawal-relevant negative affect, and craving only among women. Reduction in pre-quit depressive symptoms and craving among women, and withdrawal-relevant negative affect among men was associated with TQD abstinence. Moreover, exploratory analysis showed negative trend-level indirect effects of fluoxetine on TQD abstinence via increased side effects, regardless of gender. This study demonstrated the importance of considering gender when examining treatment efficacy. Identifying ways to further reduce pre-quit depressive symptoms and craving for women and withdrawal-relevant negative affect for men while alleviating side effects may help smokers with elevated depressed symptoms achieve the first smoking cessation milestone. PMID:25089930

Cigarette Smoking and the Risk of Bladder Cancer in Men and Women

PubMed Central

Quirk, Jeffrey T; Li, Qiang; Natarajan, Nachimuthu; Mettlin, Curtis J; Cummings, K Michael

2004-01-01

Although cigarette smoking is a principal risk factor for bladder cancer in both men and women, few studies have statistically evaluated whether gender modifies the effect of smoking on bladder cancer risk. We initiated the present case-control study at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York, U.S., to provide further data on this important issue. We observed similar risk estimates for men and women with comparable smoking exposures, but did not observe a statistically significant interaction between gender and lifetime smoking exposure. We conclude that cigarette smoking is a major risk factor for bladder cancer in both sexes, but that gender does not modify the effect of smoking on bladder cancer risk. PMID:19570280

Does the Aging Process Significantly Modify the Mean Heart Rate?

PubMed Central

Santos, Marcos Antonio Almeida; Sousa, Antonio Carlos Sobral; Reis, Francisco Prado; Santos, Thayná Ramos; Lima, Sonia Oliveira; Barreto-Filho, José Augusto

2013-01-01

Background The Mean Heart Rate (MHR) tends to decrease with age. When adjusted for gender and diseases, the magnitude of this effect is unclear. Objective To analyze the MHR in a stratified sample of active and functionally independent individuals. Methods A total of 1,172 patients aged ≥ 40 years underwent Holter monitoring and were stratified by age group: 1 = 40-49, 2 = 50-59, 3 = 60-69, 4 = 70-79, 5 = ≥ 80 years. The MHR was evaluated according to age and gender, adjusted for Hypertension (SAH), dyslipidemia and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Several models of ANOVA, correlation and linear regression were employed. A two-tailed p value <0.05 was considered significant (95% CI). Results The MHR tended to decrease with the age range: 1 = 77.20 ± 7.10; 2 = 76.66 ± 7.07; 3 = 74.02 ± 7.46; 4 = 72.93 ± 7.35; 5 = 73.41 ± 7.98 (p < 0.001). Women showed a correlation with higher MHR (p <0.001). In the ANOVA and regression models, age and gender were predictors (p < 0.001). However, R2 and ETA2 < 0.10, as well as discrete standardized beta coefficients indicated reduced effect. Dyslipidemia, hypertension and DM did not influence the findings. Conclusion The MHR decreased with age. Women had higher values of MHR, regardless of the age group. Correlations between MHR and age or gender, albeit significant, showed the effect magnitude had little statistical relevance. The prevalence of SAH, dyslipidemia and diabetes mellitus did not influence the results. PMID:24029962

Unilateral prefrontal direct current stimulation effects are modulated by working memory load and gender.

PubMed

Meiron, Oded; Lavidor, Michal

2013-05-01

Recent studies revealed that anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) may improve verbal working memory (WM) performance in humans. In the present study, we evaluated executive attention, which is the core of WM capacity, considered to be significantly involved in tasks that require active maintenance of memory representations in interference-rich conditions, and is highly dependent on DLPFC function. We investigated verbal WM accuracy using a WM task that is highly sensitive to executive attention function. We were interested in how verbal WM accuracy may be affected by WM load, unilateral DLPFC stimulation, and gender, as previous studies showed gender-dependent brain activation during verbal WM tasks. We utilized a modified verbal n-Back task hypothesized to increase demands on executive attention. We examined "online" WM performance while participants received transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and implicit learning performance in a post-stimulation WM task. Significant lateralized "online" stimulation effects were found only in the highest WM load condition revealing that males benefit from left DLPFC stimulation, while females benefit from right DLPFC stimulation. High WM load performance in the left DLPFC stimulation was significantly related to post-stimulation recall performance. Our findings support the idea that lateralized stimulation effects in high verbal WM load may be gender-dependent. Further, our post-stimulation results support the idea that increased left hemisphere activity may be important for encoding verbal information into episodic memory as well as for facilitating retrieval of context-specific targets from semantic memory. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. 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

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.

The effect of gender on the early results of coronary artery bypass surgery in the younger patients' group

PubMed Central

Uncu, Hasan; Acipayam, Mehmet; Altinay, Levent; Doğan, Pinar; Davarcı, Isil; Özsöyler, İbrahim

2014-01-01

Introduction In this retrospective study, we aimed to determine the risk factors for coronary artery bypass surgery in patients under 45 years of age, and evaluate the early postoperative results and the effect of gender. Methods A total of 324 patients under 45 years of age who undergone on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery between April 12, 2004 and January 10, 2012 were included to the study. Patients divided into groups as follows: Group 1 consisted of 269 males (mean age 41.3), Group 2 consisted of 55 females (mean age 41.6). Preoperative risk factors, intraoperative and postoperative data and early mortality rates of the groups were compared. Results Smoking rate was significantly higher in Group 1. Diabetes mellitus incidence and body mass index were significantly higher in Group 2 (P values P=0.01; P=0.0001; P=0.04 respectively). The aortic cross-clamping and cardiopulmonary bypass time and number of grafts per patient were significantly higher in Group 1 (P values P=0.04; P=0.04; P=0.002 respectively). There were no deaths in either group. Conclusion We found that gender has no effect on early mortality rates of the coronary bypass surgery patients under 45 years. PMID:25714211

Caregiving burden and psychological distress in Chinese spousal caregivers: gender difference in the moderating role of positive aspects of caregiving.

PubMed

Wong, Daniel Fu Keung; Ng, Ting Kin; Zhuang, Xiao Yu

2018-05-21

This study endeavors to advance the current literature by examining the gender differences in the caregiving experiences and the stress-buffering role of positive aspects of caregiving (PAC) among Chinese spousal caregivers of frail elders in Hong Kong. Forty-nine husband caregivers and 121 wife caregivers of frail elders in Hong Kong (N = 170) responded to the Positive Aspects of Caregiving (PAC) scale, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), the 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scales (DASS-21), and demographic questions. These spousal caregivers were diverse in age, and their care receivers were diverse in terms of age and health condition. As predicted, there were significant gender differences in the moderating effects of PAC on the relationships of caregiving burden to depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress. While PAC significantly buffered the effects of caregiving burden on depression, anxiety, and overall psychological distress for wife caregivers, the moderating effects of PAC were not significant for husband caregivers. Unexpectedly, wife caregivers reported lower PAC, higher caregiving burden, and higher psychological distress. As these findings suggest that PAC is lower but more beneficial for Chinese wife caregivers than Chinese husband caregivers, helping professionals are recommended to use strengths-based interventions that target PAC when working with Chinese wife caregivers.

Do students' and authors' genders affect evaluations? A linguistic analysis of Medical Student Performance Evaluations.

PubMed

Isaac, Carol; Chertoff, Jocelyn; Lee, Barbara; Carnes, Molly

2011-01-01

Recent guidelines for the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) have standardized the "dean's letter." The authors examined MSPEs for linguistic differences according to student or author gender. This 2009 study analyzed 297 MSPEs for 227 male and 70 female medical students applying to a diagnostic radiology residency program. Text analysis software identified word counts, categories, frequencies, and contexts; factor analysis detected patterns of word categories in student-author gender pairings. Analyses showed a main effect for student gender (P=.046) and a group difference for the author-student gender combinations (P=.048). Female authors of male student MSPEs used the fewest "positive emotion" words (P=.006). MSPEs by male authors were shorter than those by females (P=.014). MSPEs for students ranked in the National Resident Matching Program contained more "standout" (P=.002) and "positive emotion" (P=.001) words. There were no differences in the author-gender pairs in the proportion of students ranked, although predominant word categories differed by author and student gender. Factor analysis revealed differences among the author-student groups in patterns of correlations among word categories. MSPEs differed slightly but significantly by student and author gender. These differences may derive from societal norms for male and female behaviors and the subsequent linguistic interpretation of these behaviors, which itself may be colored by the observer's gender. Although the differences in MSPEs did not seem to influence students' rankings, this work underscores the need for awareness of the complex effects of gender in evaluating students and guiding their specialty choices.

Age and gender interactions in short distance triathlon performance.

PubMed

Etter, Franziska; Knechtle, Beat; Bukowski, Arkadiusz; Rüst, Christoph Alexander; Rosemann, Thomas; Lepers, Romuald

2013-01-01

This study investigated the participation and performance trends as well as the age and gender interaction at the Olympic distance 'Zürich Triathlon' (1.5 km swim, 40 km cycle and 10 km run) from 2000 to 2010 in 7,939 total finishers (1,666 females and 6,273 males). Female triathletes aged from 40 to 54 years significantly (P < 0.05) increased their participation while the participation of younger females and males remained stable. Males of 50-54 years of age and females of 45-49 years of age improved their total race time. For elite top five overall triathletes, mean gender differences in swimming, cycling, running and overall race time were 15.2 ± 4.6%, 13.4 ± 2.3%, 17.1 ± 2.5%, and 14.8 ± 1.8%, respectively. For both elite and age group athletes, the gender difference in cycling time was significantly (P <0.001) lower than for swimming and running. The gender difference in overall Olympic distance triathlon performance increased after the age of 35 years, which appeared earlier compared to long distance triathlon as suggested by previous studies. Future investigations should compare gender difference in performance for different endurance events across age to confirm a possible effect of exercise duration on gender difference with advancing age.

Correlations Between Personality and Brain Structure: A Crucial Role of Gender.

PubMed

Nostro, Alessandra D; Müller, Veronika I; Reid, Andrew T; Eickhoff, Simon B

2017-07-01

Previous studies have shown that males and females differ in personality and gender differences have also been reported in brain structure. However, effects of gender on this "personality-brain" relationship are yet unknown. We therefore investigated if the neural correlates of personality differ between males and females. Whole brain voxel-based morphometry was used to investigate the influence of gender on associations between NEO FFI personality traits and gray matter volume (GMV) in a matched sample of 182 males and 182 females. In order to assess associations independent of and dependent on gender, personality-GMV relationships were tested across the entire sample and separately for males and females. There were no significant correlations between any personality scale and GMV in the analyses across the entire sample. In contrast, significant associations with GMV were detected for neuroticism, extraversion, and conscientiousness only in males. Interestingly, GMV in left precuneus/parieto-occipital sulcus correlated with all 3 traits. Thus, our results indicate that brain structure-personality relationships are highly dependent on gender, which might be attributable to hormonal interplays or differences in brain organization between males and females. Our results thus provide possible neural substrates of personality-behavior relationships and underline the important role of gender in these associations. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The role of spectral and temporal cues in voice gender discrimination by normal-hearing listeners and cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Fu, Qian-Jie; Chinchilla, Sherol; Galvin, John J

2004-09-01

The present study investigated the relative importance of temporal and spectral cues in voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition by normal-hearing subjects listening to an acoustic simulation of cochlear implant speech processing and by cochlear implant users. In the simulation, the number of speech processing channels ranged from 4 to 32, thereby varying the spectral resolution; the cutoff frequencies of the channels' envelope filters ranged from 20 to 320 Hz, thereby manipulating the available temporal cues. For normal-hearing subjects, results showed that both voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition scores improved as the number of spectral channels was increased. When only 4 spectral channels were available, voice gender discrimination significantly improved as the envelope filter cutoff frequency was increased from 20 to 320 Hz. For all spectral conditions, increasing the amount of temporal information had no significant effect on vowel recognition. Both voice gender discrimination and vowel recognition scores were highly variable among implant users. The performance of cochlear implant listeners was similar to that of normal-hearing subjects listening to comparable speech processing (4-8 spectral channels). The results suggest that both spectral and temporal cues contribute to voice gender discrimination and that temporal cues are especially important for cochlear implant users to identify the voice gender when there is reduced spectral resolution.

Sexual sensation seeking, co-occurring sex and alcohol use, and sexual risk behavior among adolescents in treatment for substance use problems.

PubMed

Oshri, Assaf; Tubman, Jonathan G; Morgan-Lopez, Antonio A; Saavedra, Lissette M; Csizmadia, Annamaria

2013-01-01

This study evaluated relations between sexual sensation seeking, co-occurring sex and alcohol use, and sexual risk behaviors (eg, unprotected intercourse and multiple sex partners) among adolescents receiving treatment for substance abuse problems. The ethnically diverse sample included 394 adolescents recruited from outpatient treatment (280 males; Mage  = 16.33 years, SDage  = 1.15). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test direct and indirect paths between sexual sensation seeking and sexual risk behaviors via the frequency of co-occurring sex and alcohol use. Conditional indirect effects by gender were also tested. Analyses identified significant effects of sexual sensation seeking on co-occurring sex and alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors. The path from co-occurring sex and alcohol use to unprotected intercourse was significantly stronger among adolescent girls, suggesting a mediation effect moderated by gender. No gender difference was found for the indirect path from sexual sensation seeking and number of past year sexual partners via co-occurring sex and alcohol use. Selected prevention efforts are needed to promote HIV risk reduction among adolescents in substance abuse treatment. The documented conditional indirect effect for unprotected intercourse suggests that HIV prevention programs should pay special attention to gender-specific patterns of alcohol use and sexual risk behavior when tailoring program content. (Am J Addict 2013; 22:197-205). Copyright © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

Neonate Auditory Brainstem Responses to CE-Chirp and CE-Chirp Octave Band Stimuli II: Versus Adult Auditory Brainstem Responses.

PubMed

Cobb, Kensi M; Stuart, Andrew

The purpose of the study was to examine the differences in auditory brainstem response (ABR) latency and amplitude indices to the CE-Chirp stimuli in neonates versus young adults as a function of stimulus level, rate, polarity, frequency and gender. Participants were 168 healthy neonates and 20 normal-hearing young adults. ABRs were obtained to air- and bone-conducted CE-Chirps and air-conducted CE-Chirp octave band stimuli. The effects of stimulus level, rate, and polarity were examined with air-conducted CE-Chirps. The effect of stimulus level was also examined with bone-conducted CE-Chirps and CE-Chirp octave band stimuli. The effect of gender was examined across all stimulus manipulations. In general, ABR wave V amplitudes were significantly larger (p < 0.0001) and latencies were significantly shorter (p < 0.0001) for adults versus neonates for all air-conducted CE-Chirp stimuli with all stimulus manipulations. For bone-conducted CE-Chirps, infants had significantly shorter wave V latencies than adults at 15 dB nHL and 45 dB nHL (p = 0.02). Adult wave V amplitude was significantly larger for bone-conducted CE-Chirps only at 30 dB nHL (p = 0.02). The effect of gender was not statistically significant across all measures (p > 0.05). Significant differences in ABR latencies and amplitudes exist between newborns and young adults using CE-Chirp stimuli. These differences are consistent with differences to traditional click and tone burst stimuli and reflect maturational differences as a function of age. These findings continue to emphasize the importance of interpreting ABR results using age-based normative data.

Outcome analysis of donor gender in heart transplantation.

PubMed

Al-Khaldi, Abdulaziz; Oyer, Phillip E; Robbins, Robert C

2006-04-01

Several studies have shown a detrimental effect of female donor gender on the survival of solid-organ transplant recipients, including heart, kidney and liver. We evaluated our own experience in heart transplantation in the cyclosporine era, since 1980, to determine the effect of donor gender on survival. We retrospectively reviewed 869 consecutive patients who underwent primary heart transplantation at Stanford University Medical Center between December 1980 and March 2004. Actuarial life-table data were calculated for survival and freedom from rejection and compared between groups. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to identify predictors of reduced long-term survival. One-year mortality in male recipients who received a female donor heart (24%) was higher than in male recipients who received male donor heart (13%) (p = 0.009). Actuarial survival rates for male recipients at 1, 5 and 10 years were 86%, 69% and 50% (with male donor), and 76%, 59% and 45% (with female donor) (p = 0.01), respectively. Donor gender had no effect on long-term survival in male recipients < 45 years of age and female recipients. Female donor gender was identified as an independent risk factor for death by multivariate analysis, with an odds ratio of 2.3 (95% confidence interval 1.5 to 3.4, p < 0.001). In heart transplantation the detrimental effect of female donor gender on recipient survival is significant but limited to male recipients > 45 years of age. These findings should be considered in the process of donor-recipient matching.

The playmate and play style preferences structured interview: a comparison of children with gender identity disorder and controls.

PubMed

Fridell, Sari R; Owen-Anderson, Allison; Johnson, Laurel L; Bradley, Susan J; Zucker, Kenneth J

2006-12-01

The present study compared the sex-typed preferences for playmates and play styles in children referred for concerns about their gender identity development (199 boys, 43 girls) with that of controls (96 boys, 38 girls). Each child was administered the Playmate and Play Style Preferences Structured Interview (PPPSI) developed by Alexander and Hines (Alexander, G. M., & Hines, M. (1994). Child Development, 65, 869-879). In the two single dimension conditions (playmates and play styles), the controls significantly preferred same-sex playmates and same-sex play styles whereas the gender-referred children significantly preferred cross-sex playmates and cross-sex play styles. Effect sizes ranged from 1.56-2.78. In the conflict condition (which required a choice between same-sex playmates and cross-sex play styles vs. cross-sex playmates and same-sex play styles), there was a general indication of a hierarchical preference for the preferred play style in the single dimension condition as opposed to the preferred playmate except for the gender-referred boys, who showed an inverted pattern. For the gender-referred group, the PPPSI data were significantly correlated with other measures of sex-typed behavior, providing evidence of predictive validity. The PPPSI also discriminated between probands threshold and subthreshold for the diagnosis of gender identity disorder. The results were discussed in relation to both basic and applied issues in the assessment of sex-typed behavior in children.

[Resilience in Individuals with Gender Dysphoria: Association with Perceived Social Support and Discrimination].

PubMed

Başar, Koray; Öz, Gökhan

2016-01-01

Psychological distress associated with discrimination is proposed to have an indirect effect on the development of mental disorders, through its negative influence on individual's cognitive, affective and social coping strategies. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between resilience, perceived social support, and perceived discrimination in individuals with gender dysphoria. Individuals with gender dysphoria were assessed with Turkish validated forms of Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Perceived Discrimination Scale (PDS), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Diagnoses of mental disorders, history of suicide attempt and non-suicidal self injury were assessed with clinical interviews. Self-report forms were used to obtain demographic information and gender transition related features. Participants' (n=116, 88 trans men) median age was 25. Significantly low RSA scores, indicating poor resilience, were obtained in participants with lifetime (59.5 %) and present (27.6 %) diagnosis of any mental disorder, history of suicide attempt (23.3 %). There was significant direct correlation between RSA and MSPSS scores, inverse correlation with BDI and personal PDS scores, but not with group PDS. Regression analysis revealed that only friends domain score in MSPSS predicted better resilience, whereas personal perceived discrimination score predicted poor resilience. Findings support the association between poor resilience and vulnerability to mental and behavioral problems in individuals with gender dysphoria. The associations reveal the significance of addressing discrimination and assisting individuals with gender dysphoria in developing strategies to obtain peer support in providing mental health services.

Immigration Stress and Alcohol Use Severity Among Recently Immigrated Hispanic Adults: Examining Moderating Effects of Gender, Immigration Status, and Social Support.

PubMed

Cano, Miguel Ángel; Sánchez, Mariana; Trepka, Mary Jo; Dillon, Frank R; Sheehan, Diana M; Rojas, Patria; Kanamori, Mariano J; Huang, Hui; Auf, Rehab; De La Rosa, Mario

2017-03-01

Identifying and understanding determinants of alcohol use behavior among Hispanic immigrants is an increasingly significant public health concern. Although prior research has examined associations of cultural stressors with alcohol use among Hispanics, few studies have tested these associations among recent adult immigrants. As such, this study aimed to examine (a) the association of immigration stress on alcohol use severity among recently immigrated Hispanic adults (≤ 1 year in the United States) and (b) the moderating effects of gender, immigration status, and social support. A hierarchical multiple regression and moderation analyses were conducted on a sample of 527 participants in South Florida. Results indicated that, after controlling for demographic variables, preimmigration drinking behavior, and dimensions of social support, the association of higher immigration stress with higher alcohol use severity was statistically significant. Moderation analyses indicated that immigration stress had a statistically significant association with alcohol use severity among men, but not women. Also, dimensions of social support consistently reduced the deleterious effect of immigration stress on alcohol use severity. This study adds to the scarce literature on cultural stressors and alcohol use among recent Hispanic immigrants. Findings suggest that it may be important to design gender-specific interventions and that increasing levels of social support may offset the effects of immigration stress on alcohol use. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

HIV-related stigma, racial discrimination, and gender discrimination: Pathways to physical and mental health-related quality of life among a national cohort of women living with HIV.

PubMed

Logie, Carmen H; Wang, Ying; Lacombe-Duncan, Ashley; Wagner, Anne C; Kaida, Angela; Conway, Tracey; Webster, Kath; de Pokomandy, Alexandra; Loutfy, Mona R

2018-02-01

Social inequities compromise health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) among women living with HIV (WLWH). Little is known about health impacts of intersecting stigma based on HIV status, race and gender among WLWH or potential mechanisms to promote HR-QoL. We tested pathways from multiple types of stigma (HIV-related, racial, gender) to physical and mental HR-QoL utilizing baseline survey data from a national cohort of WLWH in Canada (2013-2015). Structural equation modeling was conducted using maximum likelihood estimation methods to test the direct effects of HIV-related stigma, racial discrimination, and gender discrimination on HR-QoL and indirect effects via social support and economic insecurity, adjusting for socio-demographic factors. Among 1425 WLWH (median age: 43years [IQR=35-50]), HIV-related stigma and gender discrimination had significant direct effects on mental HR-QoL. Social support mediated the relationship between HIV-related stigma and mental HR-QoL, accounting for 22.7% of the effect. Social support accounted for 41.4% of the effect of gender discrimination on mental HR-QoL. Economic insecurity accounted for 14.3% of the effect of HIV-related stigma, and 42.4% of the effect of racial discrimination, on physical HR-QoL. Fit indices suggest good model fit (χ 2 [1]=3.319, p=0.069; CFI=0.998; RMSEA=0.042 (90% CI: 0-0.069); SRMR=0.004). Findings reveal complex relationships between intersecting stigma and HR-QoL. Strategies that address intersecting stigma and economic insecurity among WLWH may prevent the harmful impacts of HIV-related stigma and gender discrimination on physical HR-QoL. Increasing social support may mitigate the impacts of stigma on mental health. Findings can inform multi-level interventions to promote health and wellbeing among WLWH. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spanking of young children: do immigrant and U.S.-born Hispanic parents differ?

PubMed

Lee, Shawna J; Altschul, Inna

2015-02-01

Building on prior research showing fewer parenting risk behaviors and lower levels of harsh punishment among less acculturated Hispanic parents, we tested the hypothesis that foreign-born (FB; immigrant) Hispanic parents use less spanking toward children at 3 years and 5 years of age than U.S.-born Hispanic parents. We also examined whether other indicators of acculturation-endorsement of traditional gender norms and religiosity-showed any direct or indirect effects in explaining the hypothesized association. Path model analyses were conducted with a sample of Hispanic mothers (n = 1,089) and fathers (n = 650). Cross-sectional and time lagged path models controlling for a wide range of psychosocial and demographic confounds indicated that, when compared with U.S.-born Hispanic parents, FB Hispanic mothers and fathers used less spanking toward their young children. In cross-sectional analysis only, mothers' greater endorsement of traditional gender norms had small protective effects on spanking. Although fathers' endorsement of traditional gender norms was not a significant direct predictor of spanking, there was a significant indirect effect of nativity status on spanking mediated by endorsement of traditional gender norms. Religiosity showed no relation to spanking for either mothers or fathers. Immigrant status may be an important protective factor that is associated with lower levels of parenting aggression among Hispanic mothers and fathers living in the United States. © The Author(s) 2014.

Hemispheric specialization for language according to grapho-phonemic transformation and gender. A divided visual field experiment.

PubMed

Cousin, Emilie; Perrone, Marcela; Baciu, Monica

2009-04-01

This behavioral study aimed at assessing the effect of two variables on the degree of hemispheric specialization for language. One of them was the grapho-phonemic translation (transformation) (letter-sound mapping) and the other was the participants'gender. The experiment was conducted with healthy volunteers. A divided visual field procedure has been used to perform a phoneme detection task implying either regular (transparent) grapho-phonemic translation (letter-sound mapping consistency) or irregular (non-transparent) grapho-phonemic translation (letter-sound mapping inconsistency). Our results reveal a significant effect of grapho-phonemic translation on the degree of hemispheric dominance for language. The phoneme detection on items with transparent translation (TT) was performed faster than phoneme detection on items with non-transparent translation (NTT). This effect seems to be due to faster identification of TT than NTT when the items were presented in the left visual field (LVF)-right hemisphere (RH). There was no difference between TT and NTT for stimuli presented in the right visual field (RVF)-left hemisphere (LH). This result suggests that grapho-phonemic translation or the degree of transparency can affect the degree of hemispheric specialization, by modulating the right hemisphere activity. With respect to gender, male participants were significantly more lateralized than female participants but no interaction was observed between gender and degree of transparency.

Effects of vocal training on singing and speaking voice characteristics in vocally healthy adults and children based on choral and nonchoral data.

PubMed

Siupsinskiene, Nora; Lycke, Hugo

2011-07-01

This prospective cross-sectional study examines the effects of voice training on vocal capabilities in vocally healthy age and gender differentiated groups measured by voice range profile (VRP) and speech range profile (SRP). Frequency and intensity measurements of the VRP and SRP using standard singing and speaking voice protocols were derived from 161 trained choir singers (21 males, 59 females, and 81 prepubescent children) and from 188 nonsingers (38 males, 89 females, and 61 children). When compared with nonsingers, both genders of trained adult and child singers exhibited increased mean pitch range, highest frequency, and VRP area in high frequencies (P<0.05). Female singers and child singers also showed significantly increased mean maximum voice intensity, intensity range, and total VRP area. The logistic regression analysis showed that VRP pitch range, highest frequency, maximum voice intensity, and maximum-minimum intensity range, and SRP slope of speaking curve were the key predictors of voice training. Age, gender, and voice training differentiated norms of VRP and SRP parameters are presented. Significant positive effect of voice training on vocal capabilities, mostly singing voice, was confirmed. The presented norms for trained singers, with key parameters differentiated by gender and age, are suggested for clinical practice of otolaryngologists and speech-language pathologists. Copyright © 2011 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of gender on glucose utilization rates in healthy humans: A positron emission tomography study

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

Miura, S.A.; Schapiro, M.B.; Grady, C.L.

Positron emission tomography (PET) was used with 18fluorodeoxyglucose to see if gender differences in resting cerebral glucose utilization could be detected. Thirty-two healthy subjects (15 women and 17 men; age range: 21-38 yr) were examined using a high-resolution PET scanner to determine the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRglc) in 65 gray matter regions of interest. Whole brain CMRglc did not differ significantly between the two genders, nor did any of the regional CMRglc values. Only 1 of 65 ratios of regional-to-whole brain CMRglc differed significantly between men and women, which is consistent with chance. These results indicate thatmore » there are no differences in resting regional cerebral glucose utilization between young men and women.« less

Gender and single nucleotide polymorphisms in MTHFR, BHMT, SPTLC1, CRBP2R, and SCARB1 are significant predictors of plasma homocysteine normalized by RBC folate in healthy adults.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Using linear regression models, we studied the main and two-way interaction effects of the predictor variables gender, age, BMI, and 64 folate/vitamin B-12/homocysteine/lipid/cholesterol-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) on log-transformed plasma homocysteine normalized by red blood cell...

Myopic Loss Aversion under Ambiguity and Gender Effects.

PubMed

Iturbe-Ormaetxe, Iñigo; Ponti, Giovanni; Tomás, Josefa

2016-01-01

Experimental evidence suggests that the frequency with which individuals get feedback information on their investments has an effect on their risk-taking behavior. In particular, when they are given information sufficiently often, they take less risks compared with a situation in which they are informed less frequently. We find that this result still holds when subjects do not know the probabilities of the lotteries they are betting upon. We also detect significant gender effects, in that the frequency with which information is disclosed mostly affects male betting behavior, and that males become more risk-seeking after experiencing a loss.

A prime a day keeps calories away: The effects of supraliminal priming on food consumption and the moderating role of gender and eating restraint.

PubMed

Minas, Randall K; Poor, Morgan; Dennis, Alan R; Bartelt, Valerie L

2016-10-01

The link between intentions and action in weight control is weaker than previously thought, so recent research has called for further investigation of ways to improve weight control that bypass conscious intentions. Priming has been shown to have effects on individual behavior in a variety of contexts by influencing subconscious cognition. This paper investigates the effects of semantic priming using healthy body image, goal-oriented words on food consumption. The moderating role of both restrained eating and gender is investigated. 161 participants were involved in an experiment using a novel version of a scrambled sentence priming game. The outcome measure was the number of kilocalories consumed, examined using a between subjects ANCOVA with priming, gender, restrained eating index, self-reported BMI, and two interaction terms (primingxgender, and primingxrestrained eating index). There was no main effect of priming but there was an interaction of priming with gender. Females consumed significantly fewer kilocalories after being exposed to priming words related to a healthy body image (i.e. "slim", "fit,") compared to females receiving the neutral prime, with a medium effect size (d = 0.58). The body image prime did not significantly affect food intake for males, nor did it have a differential effect on restrained eaters. This study shows that priming can be an effective method for influencing females to reduce food intake, regardless of whether they are restrained or unrestrained eaters. Future studies could investigate whether different priming words related to a male's healthy body image goal (i.e. "buff," "muscles," etc.) would similarly reduce food intake for males. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A study to compare traditional and constructivism-based instruction of a high school biology unit on biosystematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saigo, Barbara Woodworth

The researcher collaborated with four high school biology teachers who had been involved for 2-1/2 years in a constructivism-based professional development experience that emphasized teaching for conceptual change and using classroom-based inquiry as a basis for making instructional decisions. The researcher and teachers designed a five-day instructional unit on biosystematics using two contrasting approaches, comprising the treatment variable. The "traditional" unit emphasized lecture, written materials, and some laboratory activities. The "constructivist" unit emphasized a specific, inquiry-based, conceptual change strategy and collaborative learning. The study used a quasi-experimental, factorial design to explore impact of instructional approach (the treatment variable) on student performance (the dependent variable) on repeated measures (three) of a biology concept test. Additional independent variables considered were gender, cumulative GPA, and the section in which students were enrolled. Scores on the biology concept test were compiled for the 3 constructivist sections (N = 44) and the 3 traditional sections (N = 42). Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was applied. The main findings in regard to the primary research question were that instructional approach did not have a significant relationship to immediate post test scores or gain, but that one month after instruction students in the constructivist group demonstrated less loss of gain than those in the traditional group; i.e., their longer-term retention was greater. Also, GPA*instructional approach effects were detected for post-post-test gain. GPA and gender were significantly associated with pre-test, post-test, and post-post scores; however, in terms of change (gain) from pre-test to post-test and pre-test to post-post-test, GPA and gender were not significant effects. Section was a significant effect for all three tests, in terms of both score and gain. Gender*section effects were detected for post-test gain and post-post-test scores.

The Effects of Age, Gender, and Hand on Force Control Capabilities of Healthy Adults.

PubMed

Lee, Baekhee; Lee, Mina; Yoh, Myeung Sook; You, Heecheon; Park, Hyunji; Jung, Kihyo; Lee, Byung Hwa; Na, Duk L; Kim, Geon Ha

2015-12-01

The present study examined the effects of age (20s to 70s), gender (male and female), and hand (dominant and nondominant) on force control capabilities (FCCs) in four force control phases (initiation, development, maintenance, and termination). Normative data of FCCs by force control phase are needed for various populations in age and gender to identify a type of motor performance reduction and its severity. FCCs of 360 participants (30 for each combination of age group and gender) were measured using a finger dynamometer and quantified in terms of initiation time (IT), development time (DT), maintenance error (ME), and termination time (TT). Although gradual increases (1%~28%) by age were shown in IT, DT, and TT, a dramatic increase in ME was observed among participants in their 50s (26%), 60s (68%), and 70s (160%) compared to those in their 20s~40s. The most distinctive interaction effect of age and gender was found in ME out of the four FCC measures. Lastly, hand and its related interactions were not found significant. Normative FCC data were established for four age groups (20s~40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s) and gender. The normative FCC data can be used for evaluating an individual's motor performance, screening patients with brain disorders, and designing input devices triggered and/or operated by the finger. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Change in Age-Specific, Psychosocial Correlates of Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Youth: Longitudinal Findings From a Deep South, High-Risk Sample

PubMed Central

Howell, Rebecca J.; Traylor, Amy C.; Church, Wesley T.; Bolland, John M.

2015-01-01

The current study examined psychosocial predictors of change in intercourse frequency and number of sexual partners among youth within a socio-ecological framework and assessed whether these determinants vary by stage of adolescent development. Longitudinal data were derived from a large, community study of adolescent risky behavior among predominantly high-risk, African American youth. Significant predictors of intercourse frequency for early adolescents included age, gender, self-worth, and familial factors; for older youth, age, gender, self-worth, curfews, and sense of community exerted significant effects. Among early adolescents, age, gender, self-worth, familial factors, and sense of community predicted change in the number of sexual partners in the previous year, while age, gender, self-worth, parental knowledge, curfews, and sense of community were predictive of change in the number of sexual partners in the previous year among older youth. Study implications and future directions are discussed. PMID:26388682

Smoking initiation among youth: The role of cigarette excise taxes and prices by race/ethnicity and gender

PubMed Central

Nonnemaker, James M.; Farrelly, Matthew

2011-01-01

Existing evidence for the role of cigarette excise taxes and prices as significant determinants of youth smoking initiation is mixed. A few studies have considered the possibility that the impact of cigarette taxes and prices might differ by gender or race/ethnicity. In this paper, we address the role of cigarette taxes and prices on youth smoking initiation using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort and discrete-time survival methods. We present results overall and by gender, race/ethnicity, and gender by race/ethnicity. We examine initiation over the age range during which youth are most at risk of initiation and over a period in which substantial changes have occurred in tax and price. The result for cigarette excise taxes is small and mixed across alternative specifications, with the effect strongest for black youth. Cigarette prices are more consistently a significant determinant of youth smoking initiation, especially for black youth. PMID:21477875

Smoking initiation among youth: the role of cigarette excise taxes and prices by race/ethnicity and gender.

PubMed

Nonnemaker, James M; Farrelly, Matthew C

2011-05-01

Existing evidence for the role of cigarette excise taxes and prices as significant determinants of youth smoking initiation is mixed. A few studies have considered the possibility that the impact of cigarette taxes and prices might differ by gender or race/ethnicity. In this paper, we address the role of cigarette taxes and prices on youth smoking initiation using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort and discrete-time survival methods. We present results overall and by gender, race/ethnicity, and gender by race/ethnicity. We examine initiation over the age range during which youth are most at risk of initiation and over a period in which substantial changes have occurred in tax and price. The result for cigarette excise taxes is small and mixed across alternative specifications, with the effect strongest for black youth. Cigarette prices are more consistently a significant determinant of youth smoking initiation, especially for black youth. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gender and age variations in the self-image of Jamaican adolescents.

PubMed

Smith, D E; Muenchen, R A

1995-01-01

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relationships among gender, age, and self-image of adolescents attending three secondary schools in Jamaica. The relatively few studies that have been done regarding self-perceptions of these youth are not only dated but have utilized a unidimensional conceptualization of the self. The Offer Self-Image Questionnaire which employs a multidimensional construct of the self was administered to a sample of 174 Jamaican adolescents ranging in age from 14 to 18 years (M = 15.90 years, SD = 1.21). Results revealed statistically significant effects for both gender and age. Gender was found to be significant on one self-image dimension: Morals, while age differences were evident on six dimensions: Social Relationships, Morals, Sexual Attitudes, Mastery of the External World, Vocational and Educational Goals, and Emotional Health. The results in some instances were contrary to those of past research. Discussion focused on cultural socialization and other factors affecting youth in Jamaican society.

Gender Classification Based on Eye Movements: A Processing Effect During Passive Face Viewing

PubMed Central

Sammaknejad, Negar; Pouretemad, Hamidreza; Eslahchi, Changiz; Salahirad, Alireza; Alinejad, Ashkan

2017-01-01

Studies have revealed superior face recognition skills in females, partially due to their different eye movement strategies when encoding faces. In the current study, we utilized these slight but important differences and proposed a model that estimates the gender of the viewers and classifies them into two subgroups, males and females. An eye tracker recorded participant’s eye movements while they viewed images of faces. Regions of interest (ROIs) were defined for each face. Results showed that the gender dissimilarity in eye movements was not due to differences in frequency of fixations in the ROI s per se. Instead, it was caused by dissimilarity in saccade paths between the ROIs. The difference enhanced when saccades were towards the eyes. Females showed significant increase in transitions from other ROI s to the eyes. Consequently, the extraction of temporal transient information of saccade paths through a transition probability matrix, similar to a first order Markov chain model, significantly improved the accuracy of the gender classification results. PMID:29071007

Gender Classification Based on Eye Movements: A Processing Effect During Passive Face Viewing.

PubMed

Sammaknejad, Negar; Pouretemad, Hamidreza; Eslahchi, Changiz; Salahirad, Alireza; Alinejad, Ashkan

2017-01-01

Studies have revealed superior face recognition skills in females, partially due to their different eye movement strategies when encoding faces. In the current study, we utilized these slight but important differences and proposed a model that estimates the gender of the viewers and classifies them into two subgroups, males and females. An eye tracker recorded participant's eye movements while they viewed images of faces. Regions of interest (ROIs) were defined for each face. Results showed that the gender dissimilarity in eye movements was not due to differences in frequency of fixations in the ROI s per se. Instead, it was caused by dissimilarity in saccade paths between the ROIs. The difference enhanced when saccades were towards the eyes. Females showed significant increase in transitions from other ROI s to the eyes. Consequently, the extraction of temporal transient information of saccade paths through a transition probability matrix, similar to a first order Markov chain model, significantly improved the accuracy of the gender classification results.

Affect and the computer game player: the effect of gender, personality, and game reinforcement structure on affective responses to computer game-play.

PubMed

Chumbley, Justin; Griffiths, Mark

2006-06-01

Previous research on computer games has tended to concentrate on their more negative effects (e.g., addiction, increased aggression). This study departs from the traditional clinical and social learning explanations for these behavioral phenomena and examines the effect of personality, in-game reinforcement characteristics, gender, and skill on the emotional state of the game-player. Results demonstrated that in-game reinforcement characteristics and skill significantly effect a number of affective measures (most notably excitement and frustration). The implications of the impact of game-play on affect are discussed with reference to the concepts of "addiction" and "aggression."

Process and impact evaluation of a community gender equality intervention with young men in Rajasthan, India.

PubMed

Freudberg, Halima; Contractor, Sana; Das, Abhijit; Kemp, Christopher G; Nevin, Paul E; Phadiyal, Ashima; Lal, Jagdish; Rao, Deepa

2018-02-01

This paper reports on the results of a process and impact evaluation to assess the effects of a project aiming to engage men in changing gender stereotypes and improving health outcomes for women in villages in Rajasthan, India. We conducted seven focus group discussions with participants in the programme and six in-depth interviews with intervention group leaders. We also conducted 137 pre- and 70 post-intervention surveys to assess participant and community knowledge, attitudes and behaviours surrounding gender, violence and sexuality. We used thematic analysis to identify process and impact themes, and hierarchical mixed linear regression for the primary outcome analysis of survey responses. Post-intervention, significant changes in knowledge and attitudes regarding gender, sexuality and violence were made on the individual level by participants, as well as in the community. Moderate behavioural changes were seen in individuals and in the community. Study findings offer a strong model for prevention programmes working with young men to create a community effect in encouraging gender equality in social norms.

Gender-specific expression of the DRD4 gene on adolescent delinquency, anger and thrill seeking

PubMed Central

Chen, Chuansheng; Greenberger, Ellen; Ogunseitan, Oladele; Ding, Yuan-Chun

2011-01-01

The present study investigated gender differences in the associations between the DRD4 variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism and adolescent delinquency, short temper and thrill seeking. We also explored whether the gender-specific expression of the DRD4 can be explained by gender differences in the exposure to psychosocial risks, such as poor parent–child relationship. Participants were 263 14- to 17-year olds (50% males) living in Russia. DNA was extracted from saliva samples and the VNTR DRD4 polymorphisms were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction. Participants reported on the extent of their delinquent behaviour, short temper, thrill seeking and exposure to psychosocial risk (i.e. poor parental monitoring of adolescent behaviour, exposure to violence and peer delinquency). Compared to individuals with the 4/4 genotype, males, but not females, with the 7-repeat allele (7R) had significantly higher delinquency, short temper and thrill seeking. This interaction effect, however, was completely explained by males’ higher exposure to psychosocial risk factors. When parental monitoring of youths’ activities and youth exposure to violence were included in the model, the 7R × gender interaction was no longer significant. Thus, social context plays an important role in explaining gender-specific phenotypic expression of the DRD4 gene. PMID:20203140

The associations between domain-specific sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in European adults: a cross-sectional analysis of the SPOTLIGHT survey.

PubMed

Compernolle, Sofie; De Cocker, Katrien; Teixeira, Pedro J; Oppert, Jean-Michel; Roda, Célina; Mackenbach, Joreintje D; Lakerveld, Jeroen; McKee, Martin; Glonti, Ketevan; Rutter, Harry; Bardos, Helga; Cardon, Greet; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse

2016-10-06

Sedentary behaviour has been associated with obesity and related chronic diseases. Disentangling the nature of this association is complicated due to interactions with other lifestyle factors, such as dietary habits, yet limited research has investigated the relation between domain-specific sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in adults. The aim of this paper was to examine the association between domain-specific sedentary behaviours and dietary habits in adults and to test the moderating effect of age and gender on this association. A total of 6,037 participants from five urban regions in Europe completed an online survey, of which 6,001 were included in the analyses. Multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analyses were used to examine main associations and interaction effects. All domain-specific sedentary behaviours, except transport-related sitting time, were significantly related to dietary habits. In general, having a higher sitting time was related to having less healthy dietary habits, especially for television viewing. Gender did not moderate any of the relations, and age was only a significant moderator in the relation between other leisure sitting time and alcohol consumption. Domain-specific sitting behaviours were related to unhealthy dietary behaviours. However, the small effect sizes suggest that individual level behavioural interventions focusing on sedentary behaviour will not be sufficient to improve dietary habits. The fact that almost none of the associations were moderated by age or gender suggests that these associations, and possibly also the effects of interventions targeting both behaviours, may hold across age and gender groups.

Gender-specific interactions between education and income in relation to obesity: a cross-sectional analysis of the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES V)

PubMed Central

Chung, Woojin; Lim, Seung-ji; Lee, Sunmi; Kim, Roeul; Kim, Jaeyeun

2017-01-01

Objectives To identify gender-specific associations between education and income in relation to obesity in developed countries by considering both the interaction-effect terms of the independent variables and their main-effect terms. Design A cross-sectional study. Education and income levels were chosen as socioeconomic status indicators. Sociodemographics, lifestyles and medical conditions were used as covariates in multivariable logistic regression models. Adjusted ORs and predicted probabilities of being obese were computed and adjusted for a complex survey design. Setting Data were obtained from the Fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2010–2012). Participants The sample included 7337 male and 9908 female participants aged ≥19 years. Outcome measure Obesity was defined as body mass index of ≥25, according to a guideline for Asians. Results In models with no interaction-effect terms of independent variables, education was significantly associated with obesity in both men and women, but income was significant only in women. However, in models with the interaction-effect terms, education was significant only in women, but income was significant only in men. The interaction effect between income and education was significant in men but not in women. Participants having the highest predicted probability of being obese over educational and income levels differed between the two types of models, and between men and women. A prediction using the models with the interaction-effect terms demonstrated that for all men, the highest level of formal education was associated with an increase in their probability of being obese by as much as 26%. Conclusions The well-known, negative association between socioeconomic status and obesity in developed countries may not be valid when interaction effects are included. Ignoring these effects and their gender differences may result in the targeting of wrong populations for reducing obesity prevalence and its resultant socioeconomic gradients. PMID:29288171

Does gender affect career satisfaction and advancement in gastroenterology? Results of an AGA institute-sponsored survey.

PubMed

Gerson, Lauren B; Twomey, Kay; Hecht, Gail; Lee, Linda; McQuaid, Ken; Pizarro, Theresa T; Street, Sarah; Yoshida, Cynthia; Early, Dayna

2007-04-01

Women comprise 19% of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) membership. We performed a prospective study to determine whether female gastroenterologists were less likely to achieve career advancement and satisfaction. We administered an online survey to AGA members from 2004-2006. The survey contained questions regarding effects of gender on career advancement, satisfaction with career, promotional policies, and integration of family and career. A total of 457 individuals (response rate 9% after 2 major invitations) completed the survey, including 262 (57%) women (20% in private practice, 53% in academic careers, and 27% trainees) and 195 men (23% in private practice, 58% in academic careers, and 19% trainees). The male gastroenterologists were significantly older (P < .005) and in their careers for significantly more years (P = .002). There were no significant differences with respect to marital status, number of children, or number of hours worked between the genders. Men were more likely to achieve the rank of full professor (P = .035), and significantly more women reported that gender affected their career advancement (47% vs 9%; P < .001). Women in academic careers reported less satisfaction with their careers (P = .01) and perceived more difficulty in achieving promotion and tenure. Women were more likely to choose private practice careers because of part-time options (P = .025). Equal numbers of men and women in practice reported difficulty balancing work and family life. Significantly more female than male gastroenterologists perceive that gender has affected their career advancement. Female academic gastroenterologists reported less overall career satisfaction and promotion than male academic gastroenterologists.

The effects of single versus mixed gender treatment for adolescent girls with ADHD.

PubMed

Babinski, Dara E; Sibley, Margaret H; Ross, J Megan; Pelham, William E

2013-01-01

This study evaluated the social behavior of adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in single and mixed gender treatment settings. We collected ratings of social behavior (i.e., prosocial peer interactions, assertiveness, self-management, compliance, physical aggression, relational aggression) during single and mixed gender games within the Summer Treatment Program-Adolescent for 10 girls (M age = 13.17, 80% Hispanic) and 11 boys (M age = 12.89, 54.55% Hispanic). Counselors completed ratings immediately following 10 recreational periods for each adolescent they supervised (5 single gender games, 5 mixed gender games). Gender (female vs. male) × Setting (single vs. mixed gender) ANOVAs were conducted. If a significant interaction emerged, post hoc tests were also conducted. Several Gender × Setting interactions emerged, suggesting that girls benefit more from single gender formats than mixed gender formats. Girls showed more assertiveness, self-management, and compliance in single compared to mixed gender settings. A somewhat different pattern of results emerged for boys, which showed more appropriate social behavior (i.e., self-management, compliance) and less inappropriate social behavior (i.e., physical and relational aggression) in mixed gender settings compared to single gender settings. In contrast to previous ADHD treatment studies, these findings suggest that gender may impact treatment response for adolescents. Therefore, it is important that future studies evaluate whether current treatments for ADHD are appropriate for girls with ADHD and whether gender-specific treatments are necessary to address the unique difficulties of adolescent girls with ADHD.

The effects of single versus mixed gender treatment for adolescent girls with ADHD

PubMed Central

Babinski, Dara E.; Sibley, Margaret H.; Ross, J. Megan; Pelham, William E.

2013-01-01

Objective This study evaluated the social behavior of adolescents with ADHD in single and mixed gender treatment settings. Method We collected ratings of social behavior (i.e., prosocial peer interactions, assertiveness, self-management, compliance, physical aggression, relational aggression) during single and mixed gender games within the Summer Treatment Program-Adolescent (STP-A) for 10 girls (mean age 13.17, 80% Hispanic) and 11 boys (mean age 12.89, 54.55% Hispanic). Counselors completed ratings immediately following 10 recreational periods for each adolescent they supervised (5 single gender games, 5 mixed gender games). Gender (female versus male) x setting (single versus mixed gender) ANOVAs were conducted. If a significant interaction emerged, post hoc tests were also conducted. Results Several gender by setting interactions emerged, suggesting that girls benefit more from single gender formats than mixed gender formats. Girls showed more assertiveness, self-management, and compliance in single compared to mixed gender settings. A somewhat different pattern of results emerged for boys, which showed more appropriate social behavior (i.e., self-management, compliance) and less inappropriate social behavior (i.e., physical and relational aggression) in mixed gender settings compared to single gender settings. Conclusions In contrast to previous ADHD treatment studies, these findings suggest that gender may impact treatment response for adolescents. Therefore, it is important that future studies evaluate whether current treatments for ADHD are appropriate for girls with ADHD, and if gender-specific treatments are necessary to address the unique difficulties of adolescent girls with ADHD. PMID:23330787

Possible health-protecting effects of feeling useful to others on symptoms of depression and sleep disturbance in the workplace.

PubMed

Takaki, Jiro; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Irimajiri, Hirohiko; Hayama, Asako; Hibino, Yuri; Kanbara, Sakiko; Sakano, Noriko; Ogino, Keiki

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the health-protecting effects of feeling useful to others on symptoms of depression and sleep disturbance in the workplace, as well as its buffering effects on associations between stressful work environments and symptoms of depression and sleep disturbance. The subjects of this cross-sectional survey were 773 Japanese workers (response rate: 64.8%) of five organizations. Feelings of being useful to others were assessed with one simple question used in a previous study. Psychosocial work environment, sleep disturbance, and depressive symptoms were assessed using the Japanese versions of the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the 28-item General Health Questionnaire, respectively. We tested for linear and interactive effects with hierarchical regression analyses. Feeling useful to others was significantly (p<0.05) and negatively associated with scores of depression and sleep disturbance both in the univariate analyses and after adjusting for age in both genders. Significant (p<0.05) interactions showed that, in both genders, as the effort-reward balance worsened, symptoms of depression increased, but feeling useful to others buffered the associations. The results support the notion that feeling useful to others in both genders in the workplace has possible health-protecting effects.

Gender differences in jurors' perceptions of infanticide involving disabled and non-disabled infant victims.

PubMed

Bottoms, Bette L; Kalder, Alaine K; Stevenson, Margaret C; Oudekerk, Barbara A; Wiley, Tisha R; Perona, Alison

2011-02-01

The present study investigated the influence of juror gender and infant victim disability on jurors' reactions to infanticide cases. Participants (men and women undergraduates) read a summary of a mock trial involving alleged father-perpetrated infanticide. The infant was described as severely mentally disabled or as not disabled. Participants completed a series of case-related judgments (e.g., guilt; sentence; and empathy, sympathy, and similarity toward the defendant and victim). There were pervasive gender differences such that compared to men, women mock jurors rendered more guilty verdicts, perceived the father/defendant as having greater intent to kill his infant, and felt less similar to the defendant. Compared to men, women also believed the father was more responsible and the pneumonia was less responsible for the infant's death, had less sympathy and empathy for the defendant, endorsed more negative beliefs about the father, and were more likely to believe the infant was a unique person. Mediational analyses revealed that these statistically significant effects were explained, in part, by gender differences in attitudes toward the defendant. Further, whether the infant victim was portrayed as severely disabled (versus developmentally normal) had little effect on central case judgments such as verdict, but jurors who believed the infant was severely disabled gave significantly shorter sentences to the defendant, were less likely to perceive the defendant as mentally ill, and felt significantly less empathy for and similarity to the infant victim. Although juror gender consistently predicted juror's judgments, there were fewer effects of disability status. Even so, bias against disabled infants manifested for several dependant variables. This research can inform legal professionals about the potential for bias in juror decision-making, and in turn, help facilitate fairness and justice for the youngest and most vulnerable victims of child abuse. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of different steps in gender reassignment therapy on psychopathology: a prospective study of persons with a gender identity disorder.

PubMed

Heylens, Gunter; Verroken, Charlotte; De Cock, Sanne; T'Sjoen, Guy; De Cuypere, Griet

2014-01-01

At the start of gender reassignment therapy, persons with a gender identity disorder (GID) may deal with various forms of psychopathology. Until now, a limited number of publications focus on the effect of the different phases of treatment on this comorbidity and other psychosocial factors. The aim of this study was to investigate how gender reassignment therapy affects psychopathology and other psychosocial factors. This is a prospective study that assessed 57 individuals with GID by using the Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) at three different points of time: at presentation, after the start of hormonal treatment, and after sex reassignment surgery (SRS). Questionnaires on psychosocial variables were used to evaluate the evolution between the presentation and the postoperative period. The data were statistically analyzed by using SPSS 19.0, with significance levels set at P < 0.05. The psychopathological parameters include overall psychoneurotic distress, anxiety, agoraphobia, depression, somatization, paranoid ideation/psychoticism, interpersonal sensitivity, hostility, and sleeping problems. The psychosocial parameters consist of relationship, living situation, employment, sexual contacts, social contacts, substance abuse, and suicide attempt. A difference in SCL-90 overall psychoneurotic distress was observed at the different points of assessments (P = 0.003), with the most prominent decrease occurring after the initiation of hormone therapy (P < 0.001). Significant decreases were found in the subscales such as anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, and hostility. Furthermore, the SCL-90 scores resembled those of a general population after hormone therapy was initiated. Analysis of the psychosocial variables showed no significant differences between pre- and postoperative assessments. A marked reduction in psychopathology occurs during the process of sex reassignment therapy, especially after the initiation of hormone therapy. © 2013 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Gender differences in the recognition of spatially transformed figures: behavioral data and event-related potentials (ERPs).

PubMed

Mikhailova, E S; Slavutskaya, A V; Gerasimenko, N Yu

2012-08-30

The gender differences in accuracy, reaction time (RT) and amplitude of the early P1 and N1 components of ERPs during recognition of previously memorized objects after their spatial transformation were examined. We used three levels of the spatial transformation: a displacement of object details in radial direction, and a displacement in combination with rotation of the details by ±0° to 45° and ±45° to 90°. The accuracy and the RT data showed a similarity of task performance in males and females. The effect of rotation was significantly greater than the effect of simple displacement, and the accuracy decreased, and the RT increased with the rotation angle in both genders. At the same time we found significant sex differences in the early stage of visual processing. In males the P1 peak amplitude at the P3/P4 sites increased significantly during the recognition of spatially transformed objects, and the wider the angle of rotation the greater the P1 peak amplitude. In contrast, in females the P1 peak amplitude did not depend on the rotation of figure details. The N1 amplitude revealed no gender differences, although the object transformation evoked somewhat greater changes in the N1 at the O1/O2 sites in females compared to males. This new fact that only males demonstrated the sensitivity of early perceptual stage to the transformation of objects adds information about the neurobiological basis of different strategies in the visual processing used by each gender. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis by gender and Visual Imagery Reactivity of conventional and imagery Rorschach.

PubMed

Yanovski, A; Menduke, H; Albertson, M G

1995-06-01

Examined here are the effects of gender and Visual Imagery Reactivity in 80 consecutively selected psychiatric outpatients. The participants were grouped by gender and by the amounts of responsiveness to preceding therapy work using imagery (Imagery Nonreactors and Reactors). In the group of Imagery Nonreactors were 13 men and 22 women, and in the Reactor group were 17 men and 28 women. Compared were the responses to standard Rorschach (Conventional condition) with visual associations to memory images of Rorschach inkblots (Imagery condition). Responses were scored using the Visual Imagery Reactivity (VIR) scoring system, a general, test-nonspecific scoring method. Nonparametric statistical analysis showed that critical indicators of Imagery Reactivity encoded as High Affect/Conflict score and its derivatives associated with sexual or bizarre content were not significantly associated with gender; neither was Neutral Content score which categorizes "non-Reactivity." These results support the notion that system's criteria of Visual Imagery Reactivity can be applied equally to both men and women for the classification of Imagery Reactors and Nonreactors. Discussed are also the speculative consequences of extending the tolerance range of significance levels for the interaction between Reactivity and sex above the customary limit of p < .05 in borderline cases. The results of such an analysis may imply a trend towards more rigid defensiveness under Imagery and toward lesser verbal productivity in response to either the Conventional or the Imagery task among women who are Nonreactors. In Reactors, men produced significantly more Sexual Reference scores (in the subcategory not associated with High Affect/Conflict) than women, but this could be attributed to the effect of tester's and subjects' gender combined.

An examination of the interaction between morality and self-control in offending: A study of differences between girls and boys.

PubMed

Ivert, Anna-Karin; Andersson, Frida; Svensson, Robert; Pauwels, Lieven J R; Torstensson Levander, Marie

2018-06-01

There is a well-documented gender difference in offending, with evidence that boys, on average, are more involved in crime than girls. Opinions differ, however, on whether the causes of crime apply to girls and boys similarly. Our aim is to explore crime propensity in boys and girls. Our research questions were (1) are there differences between boys and girls in moral values and self-control; (2) are these attributes similarly correlated with offending among girls and boys; and (3) is any interaction effect between morality and self-control identical for girls and boys. Data were drawn from the Malmö Individual and Neighbourhood Development Study, which includes 481 girls and boys aged 16-17. An 8-item self-control scale was derived from Grasmick's self-control instrument; we created a 16-item morality scale. Analysis of variance was used to test for differences in scale scores. There were significant gender differences in moral values but not self-control. Moral values and self-control were significantly correlated with offending among both girls and boys. In the multiple regression analysis, the three-way interaction term used to test the interaction between gender, self-control and moral values was non-significant, indicating that the magnitude of the self-control-moral value interaction is not affected by gender. Our findings indicate that effects of morality and self-control are general and apply to girls and boys similarly, so more research is needed to explain gender differences in crime prevalence. © 2018 The Authors Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. © 2018 The Authors Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sociodemographic and Substance Use Disorder Determinants of HIV Sexual Risk Behavior in Men and Women in Outpatient Drug Treatment in the NIDA National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network.

PubMed

Kidd, Jeremy D; Tross, Susan; Pavlicova, Martina; Hu, Mei-Chen; Campbell, Aimee N C; Nunes, Edward V

2017-06-07

Sexual risk behavior is now the primary vector of HIV transmission among substance users in the United States with gender as a crucial moderator of risk behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in factors (age, race/ethnicity, education) that predict main-partner unprotected sexual occasions (USO) using the unique platform of two parallel NIDA National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network gender-specific safer sex intervention trials. Baseline assessments of male (N = 430) and female (N = 377) participants included demographic characteristics; past 3-month sexual activity; and a diagnostic assessment for alcohol, cocaine/stimulant, and opioid use disorders. Using mixed effects generalized linear modeling of the main outcome USO, two-way interactions of gender with age, race/ethnicity, and education were evaluated and adjusted by alcohol, cocaine/stimulant, or opioid use disorder. When adjusted for alcohol use disorder, the interaction of education and gender was significant. For men, a high school or greater education was significantly associated with more USO compared to men with less than high school. For women, greater than high school education was significantly associated with less USO compared to women with a high school education. None of the other interactions were significant when adjusted for cocaine/stimulant or opioid use disorder. Conclusions/Importance: This study demonstrates gender differences in the relationship of education, alcohol use disorder, and main-partner USO in individuals in substance abuse treatment. This underscores the importance of considering demographic and substance use factors in HIV sexual risk behavior and in crafting prevention messages for this population.

Gender influences headache characteristics with increasing age in migraine patients.

PubMed

Bolay, Hayrunnisa; Ozge, Aynur; Saginc, Petek; Orekici, Gulhan; Uludüz, Derya; Yalın, Osman; Siva, Aksel; Bıçakçi, Şebnem; Karakurum, Başak; Öztürk, Musa

2015-08-01

Migraine headache is one of the most common primary headache disorders and is three times more prevalent in women than in men, especially during the reproductive ages. The neurobiological basis of the female dominance has been partly established. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of gender on the headache manifestations in migraine patients. The study group consisted of 2082 adult patients from five different hospitals' tertiary care-based headache clinics. The relationship between headache characteristics and gender was evaluated in migraine with aura (MwA) and migraine without aura (MwoA). The duration, severity, frequency of headache and associated symptoms were evaluated in both genders and age-dependent variations and analyzed in two subgroups. Women with migraine were prone to significantly longer duration and intensity of headache attacks. Nausea, phonophobia and photophobia were more prevalent in women. Median headache duration was also longer in women than in men in MwA (p = 0.013) and MwoA (p < 0.001). Median headache intensity was higher in women than in men in MwA (p = 0.010) and MwoA (p = 0.009). The frequency of nausea was significantly higher in women than in men in MwA (p = 0.049). Throbbing headache quality and associated features (nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia) were significantly more frequent in women than in men in MwoA. The gender impact varied across age groups and significant changes were seen in female migraineurs after age 30. No age-dependent variation was observed in male migraineurs. Gender has an influence on the characteristics of the headache as well as on the associated symptoms in migraine patients, and this impact varies across the age groups, particularly in women. © International Headache Society 2014.

Gender Equality from a European Perspective: Myth and Reality.

PubMed

Salinas, Patricia C; Bagni, Claudia

2017-11-15

In the past 50 years, significant progress in women's equality has been made worldwide. Western countries, particularly European countries, have implemented initiatives to attain a more gender-balanced workforce with the introduction of family friendly policies, by trying to narrow the gender pay gap and by promoting women's career progression. In academia, however, fewer women reach top leadership positions than those in the political arena. These findings suggest that academia needs to carefully evaluate why these new policies have not been very effective. In this NeuroView, we report on the progress made in higher education, the shortcomings, and how new initiatives hold great promise for improving gender equality in academia around the globe. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of parental perception of school safety and gender on children's physical activity in Mexico: A cross sectional study.

PubMed

Hutchens, Amy; Soltero, Erica G; Barquera, Simón; Lévesque, Lucie; Jauregui, Edtna; López Y Taylor, Juan; Lee, Rebecca E

2016-01-01

This cross sectional study aims to determine the effects of gender and parental perception of safety at school on children's physical activity (PA) levels. Parents of school aged Mexican children residing in Guadalajara, Mexico City, and Puerto Vallarta, completed surveys about their children's PA measures. The physical activity indicators were evaluated using linear and logistical regression models. Analysis did not indicate that gender moderated the relationship between parental perception of safety and PA measures, but significant gender issues exist with girls participating less than boys in the three measures of PA in this study (p<0.001). Results suggest the need for additional interventions promoting physical activity in girls in Mexico.

Leadership and satisfaction in tennis: examination of congruence, gender, and ability.

PubMed

Riemer, H A; Toon, K

2001-09-01

The study investigated: (a) the congruency hypothesis, and (b) the member characteristics hypotheses relating to ability and gender, of Chelladurai's (1978) Multidimensional Model of Leadership. One hundred forty-eight tennis players (77 women) competing at the NCAA Division I and II Tennis Championship level participated in the study. Results indicated athlete satisfaction (Athlete Satisfaction Scale; Riemer & Chelladurai, 1998) was not dependent on the congruence between preferred and perceived leadership behavior. Other results indicated that an athlete's level of ability did affect preferences for leadership behavior. Further, while athlete gender was responsible for some variance in preferences for autocratic behavior and positive feedback behavior, the gender of the athlete's coach had a significant effect on the athlete's preferences for social support behavior.

Sex-typed personality traits and gender identity as predictors of young adults' career interests.

PubMed

Dinella, Lisa M; Fulcher, Megan; Weisgram, Erica S

2014-04-01

Gender segregation of careers is still prominent in the U.S. workforce. The current study was designed to investigate the role of sex-typed personality traits and gender identity in predicting emerging adults' interests in sex-typed careers. Participants included 586 university students (185 males, 401 females). Participants reported their sex-typed personality traits (masculine and feminine traits), gender identities (gender typicality, contentment, felt pressure to conform, and intergroup bias), and interests in sex-typed careers. Results indicated both sex-typed personality traits and gender identity were important predictors of young adults' career interests, but in varying degrees and differentially for men and women. Men's sex-typed personality traits and gender typicality were predictive of their masculine career interests even more so when the interaction of their masculine traits and gender typicality were considered. When gender typicality and sex-typed personality traits were considered simultaneously, gender typicality was negatively related to men's feminine career interests and gender typicality was the only significant predictor of men's feminine career interests. For women, sex-typed personality traits and gender typicality were predictive of their sex-typed career interests. The level of pressure they felt to conform to their gender also positively predicted interest in feminine careers. The interaction of sex-typed personality traits and gender typicality did not predict women's career interests more than when these variables were considered as main effects. Results of the multidimensional assessment of gender identity confirmed that various dimensions of gender identity played different roles in predicting career interests and gender typicality was the strongest predictor of career interests.

Side effect burden of antipsychotic drugs in real life - Impact of gender and polypharmacy.

PubMed

Iversen, Trude Seselie Jahr; Steen, Nils Eiel; Dieset, Ingrid; Hope, Sigrun; Mørch, Ragni; Gardsjord, Erlend Strand; Jørgensen, Kjetil Nordbø; Melle, Ingrid; Andreassen, Ole A; Molden, Espen; Jönsson, Erik G

2018-03-02

Antipsychotic-associated side effects are well known and represent a significant treatment challenge. Still, few large studies have investigated the overall side effect burden of antipsychotics in real-life settings. To describe the occurrence of side effects and perceived burden of antipsychotics in a large naturalistic sample, taking polypharmacy and patient characteristics into account. Patients (n=1087) with psychotic disorders were assessed for side effects using the Udvalg for Kliniske Undersøgelser (UKU) side effect rating scale in addition to assessment of clinical and pharmacological data. Statistical analyses were performed controlling for possible confounding factors. Use of antipsychotics showed significant associations to neurologic and sexual symptoms, sedation and weight gain, and >75% of antipsychotics-users reported side effects. More side effects were observed in patients using several antipsychotics (p=0.002), with increasing total dose (p=0.021) and with antipsychotics in combinations with other psychotropic drugs. Patients and investigators evaluated the side effect burden differently, particularly related to severity, gender and antipsychotics dose. Twice as many females described side effect burden as severe (p=0.004). Patients with psychotic disorders have a high occurrence of symptoms associated with use of antipsychotics, and polypharmacy and female gender are seemingly risk factors for reporting a severe side effect burden. Due to the cross-sectional design evaluation of causality is tentative, and these findings should be further investigated in prospective studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Resolving disease management problems in European-American and Latino couples with type 2 diabetes: the effects of ethnicity and patient gender.

PubMed

Fisher, L; Gudmundsdottir, M; Gilliss, C; Skaff, M; Mullan, J; Kanter, R; Chesla, C

2000-01-01

The management of type 2 diabetes requires major life style changes. How patients and family members resolve disagreements about disease management affects how well the disease is managed over time. Our goal was to identify differences in how couples resolved disagreements about diabetes management based on ethnicity and patient gender. We recruited 65 Latino and 110 European-American (EA) couples in which one spouse had type 2 diabetes. Couples participated in a 10-minute videotaped, revealed differences interaction task that was evaluated with 7 reliable observer ratings: warm-engagement, hostility, avoidance, amount of conflict resolution, off-task behavior, patient dominance, and dialogue. A series of 2 x 2, Ethnicity x Sex ANOVAs indicated significant effects for Ethnicity and for the Ethnicity x Sex interaction, but not for Sex. Latino couples were rated as significantly more emotionally close, less avoidant, less hostile toward each other, and had less dominant patients than EA couples; however, Latino couples achieved significantly less problem resolution and were more frequently off-task than EA couples. These findings were qualified by patient gender. The findings highlight important differences

Sex differences and similarities in job attribute preferences: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Konrad, A M; Ritchie, J E; Lieb, P; Corrigall, E

2000-07-01

Many researchers have studied sex differences in job attribute preferences. The authors meta-analyzed 242 samples collected from 321,672 men and boys and 316,842 women and girls in the United States between 1970 and 1998. Findings indicated significant (p < .05) sex differences on 33 of 40 job attribute preferences examined. The effect sizes were small. Of the 33 significant differences, 26 had average effect sizes of magnitude .20 or less. The directions of the differences were generally consistent with gender roles and stereotypes. Many job attributes became relatively more important to women and girls in the 1980s and 1990s compared with the 1970s, indicating that women's aspirations to obtain job attributes rose as gender barriers to opportunity declined.

Gender differences in the effect of social support on health-related quality of life: results of a population-based prospective cohort study in old age in Germany.

PubMed

Hajek, André; Brettschneider, Christian; Lange, Carolin; Posselt, Tina; Wiese, Birgitt; Steinmann, Susanne; Weyerer, Siegfried; Werle, Jochen; Pentzek, Michael; Fuchs, Angela; Stein, Janine; Luck, Tobias; Bickel, Horst; Mösch, Edelgard; Wolfsgruber, Steffen; Heser, Kathrin; Maier, Wolfgang; Scherer, Martin; Riedel-Heller, Steffi G; König, Hans-Helmut

2016-05-01

The causality between social predictors and HRQoL in old age remains almost unclear as only a few studies have examined the influence of social support on HRQoL in a longitudinal setting. Moreover, available studies investigating gender differences in the effect of social support on HRQoL in old age have been solely cross-sectional. Consequently, the aim of this study was to examine whether social support affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in old age and whether this effect is moderated by gender. In a population-based cohort (N = 2443) of people aged 75 years and older in Germany, the development of HRQoL was prospectively observed over a 3-year period. Quality of life was quantified by using the visual analogue scale of the EQ-5D instrument. Social support was assessed by using the 14-item form of the questionnaire for social support (F-SozU K-14). In order to control for unobserved heterogeneity, fixed-effects regression analysis was used. In the total sample (β = 0.55, p < 0.05) and in men (β = 1.39, p < 0.001), a strong positive impact of social support on HRQoL was found. There was no significant effect of social support on HRQoL in women. The effect of social support on HRQoL was significantly moderated by gender (p < 0.05). Findings accentuate the fundamental role of social support in HRQoL in old age. Particularly in men, it is therefore crucial to strengthen the social ties in old age.

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.

Brazilian Normative Data on Letter and Category Fluency Tasks: Effects of Gender, Age, and Geopolitical Region

PubMed Central

Hazin, Izabel; Leite, Gilmara; Oliveira, Rosinda M.; Alencar, João C.; Fichman, Helenice C.; Marques, Priscila d. N.; de Mello, Claudia Berlim

2016-01-01

Verbal fluency is a basic function of language that refers to the ability to produce fluent speech. Despite being an essentially linguistic function, its measurements are also used to evaluate executive aspects of verbal behavior. Performance in verbal fluency (VF) tasks varies according to age, education, and cognitive development. Neurodevelopmental disorders that affect the functioning of frontal areas tend to cause lower performance in VF tasks. Despite the relative consensus that has been reached in terms of the use of VF tasks for the diagnosis of dyslexia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, few studies have considered regional variations in Brazil. The present study sought to provide normative data on VF tasks in children by considering gender, age, education, and geopolitical region of origin with auxiliary purposes in neuropsychological diagnosis of disorders that occur with executive changes The study included 298 participants, 7–10 years of age of both genders, who performed three letter fluency tasks and three category fluency tasks. The data were subjected to correlational and variance analyses, with age and gender as factors. No effect of gender on the children's performance was found. However, significant differences between age groups were observed, with better performance in letter tasks in older children and better performance in letter tasks compared with category tasks. Significant regional differences in performance on the letter VF task were observed. These results reinforce the importance of regional normative data in countries with high regional cultural variations, such as Brazil. PMID:27242598

Masculine discrepancy stress, substance use, assault and injury in a survey of US men

PubMed Central

Reidy, Dennis E; Berke, Danielle S; Gentile, Brittany; Zeichner, Amos

2018-01-01

To understand and ultimately prevent injury and behavioural health outcomes associated with masculinity, we assessed the influence of masculine discrepancy stress (stress that occurs when men perceive themselves as falling short of the traditional gender norms) on the propensity to engage in stereotypically masculine behaviours (eg, substance use, risk taking and violence) as a means of demonstrating masculinity. Six-hundred men from the USA were recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk) online data collection site to complete surveys assessing self-perceptions of gender role discrepancy and consequent discrepancy stress, substance use/abuse, driving while intoxicated (DWI) and violent assaults. Negative binomial regression analyses indicated significant interactive effects wherein men high on gender role discrepancy and attendant discrepancy stress reported significantly more assaults with a weapon (B=1.01; SE=0.63; IRR=2.74; p=0.05) and assaults causing injury (B=1.01; SE=0.51; IRR=2.74; p<0.05). There was no association of discrepancy stress to substance abuse, but there was a protective effect of gender role discrepancy for DWI among men low on discrepancy stress (B=−1.19, SE=0.48; IRR=0.30; p=0.01). These findings suggest that gender role discrepancy and associated discrepancy stress, in particular, represent important injury risk factors and that prevention of discrepancy stress may prevent acts of violence with the greatest consequences and costs to the victim, offender and society. PMID:26303670

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.

Gender differences in the effects of childhood adversity on alcohol, drug, and polysubstance-related disorders.

PubMed

Evans, Elizabeth A; Grella, Christine E; Upchurch, Dawn M

2017-07-01

To examine gender differences in the associations between childhood adversity and different types of substance use disorders and whether gender moderates these relationships. We analyzed data from 19,209 women and 13,898 men as provided by Wave 2 (2004-2005) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) to examine whether gender moderates the associations between childhood adversity and DSM-IV defined lifetime occurrence of alcohol, drug, and polysubstance-related disorders. We used multinomial logistic regression, weighted to be representative of the US adult civilian, noninstitutionalized population, and we calculated predicted probabilities by gender, controlling for covariates. To test which specific moderation contrasts were statistically significant, we conducted pair-wise comparisons corrected for multiple comparisons using Bonferroni's method. For each type of substance use disorder, risk was increased by more exposure to childhood adversity, and women had a lower risk than men. However, moderation effects revealed that with more experiences of childhood adversity, the gender gap in predicted probability for a disorder narrowed in relation to alcohol, it converged in relation to drugs such that risk among women surpassed that among men, and it widened in relation to polysubstances. Knowledge regarding substance-specific gender differences associated with childhood adversity exposure can inform evidence-based treatments. It may also be useful for shaping other types of gender-sensitive public health initiatives to ameliorate or prevent different types of substance use disorders.

Gender fairness within the Force Concept Inventory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 genders, particularly since many reported results come from calculus-based courses where 75% or more of the students are men. We examine the FCI considering both psychometrics and gender disaggregation (while acknowledging this as a binary simplification), and find several problematic questions whose removal decreases the apparent gender gap. We analyze three samples (total Npre=5391 , Npost=5769 ) looking for gender asymmetries using classical test theory, item response theory, and differential item functioning. The combination of these methods highlights six items that appear substantially unfair to women and two items biased in favor of women. No single physical concept or prior experience unifies these questions, but they are broadly consistent with problematic items identified in previous research. Removing all significantly gender-unfair items halves the gender gap in the main sample in this study. We recommend that instructors using the FCI report the reduced-instrument score as well as the 30-item score, and that credit or other benefits to students not be assigned using the biased items.

Where Have All the Good Men Gone?: An Analysis of Gender Differences in Achievement Growth in Eighth and Ninth Grade Math

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plue, Kevin Eric

2011-01-01

The growing epidemic of male underachievement has spawned a great deal of research in the recent past. This body of research has been inconclusive in determining the causes of the problem. This Capstone Project looked at six factors to determine if any of them had a significant effect on the math achievement of either gender. This study was…

Crew Resource Management Use in U.S. Air Force Flight and Family Medicine Clinics

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-30

However, it is much less studied in medicine, especially outpatient care. Because of their dual role as physicians and aircrew, flight surgeons might...rank, gender , and major command (MAJCOM) affiliation to see if any of these covariates might explain any variation in individual domain scores...variables. Covariates included group (flight surgeon versus family physician), rank, gender , and MAJCOM. Significant covariate effects were further

Cross-national associations between gender and mental disorders in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.

PubMed

Seedat, Soraya; Scott, Kate Margaret; Angermeyer, Matthias C; Berglund, Patricia; Bromet, Evelyn J; Brugha, Traolach S; Demyttenaere, Koen; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Haro, Josep Maria; Jin, Robert; Karam, Elie G; Kovess-Masfety, Viviane; Levinson, Daphna; Medina Mora, Maria Elena; Ono, Yutaka; Ormel, Johan; Pennell, Beth-Ellen; Posada-Villa, Jose; Sampson, Nancy A; Williams, David; Kessler, Ronald C

2009-07-01

Gender differences in mental disorders, including more anxiety and mood disorders among women and more externalizing disorders among men, are found consistently in epidemiological surveys. The gender roles hypothesis suggests that these differences narrow as the roles of women and men become more equal. To study time-space (cohort-country) variation in gender differences in lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders across cohorts in 15 countries in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Survey Initiative and to determine if this variation is significantly related to time-space variation in female gender role traditionality as measured by aggregate patterns of female education, employment, marital timing, and use of birth control. Face-to-face household surveys. Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific. Community-dwelling adults (N = 72,933). The World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview assessed lifetime prevalence and age at onset of 18 DSM-IV anxiety, mood, externalizing, and substance disorders. Survival analyses estimated time-space variation in female to male odds ratios of these disorders across cohorts defined by the following age ranges: 18 to 34, 35 to 49, 50 to 64, and 65 years and older. Structural equation analysis examined predictive effects of variation in gender role traditionality on these odds ratios. In all cohorts and countries, women had more anxiety and mood disorders than men, and men had more externalizing and substance disorders than women. Although gender differences were generally consistent across cohorts, significant narrowing was found in recent cohorts for major depressive disorder and substance disorders. This narrowing was significantly related to temporal (major depressive disorder) and spatial (substance disorders) variation in gender role traditionality. While gender differences in most lifetime mental disorders were fairly stable over the time-space units studied, substantial intercohort narrowing of differences in major depression was found to be related to changes in the traditionality of female gender roles. Additional research is needed to understand why this temporal narrowing was confined to major depression.

Late language emergence in 24-month-old twins: heritable and increased risk for late language emergence in twins.

PubMed

Rice, Mabel L; Zubrick, Stephen R; Taylor, Catherine L; Gayán, Javier; Bontempo, Daniel E

2014-06-01

This study investigated the etiology of late language emergence (LLE) in 24-month-old twins, considering possible twinning, zygosity, gender, and heritability effects for vocabulary and grammar phenotypes. A population-based sample of 473 twin pairs participated. Multilevel modeling estimated means and variances of vocabulary and grammar phenotypes, controlling for familiality. Heritability was estimated with DeFries-Fulker regression and variance components models to determine effects of heritability, shared environment, and nonshared environment. Twins had lower average language scores than norms for single-born children, with lower average performance for monozygotic than dizygotic twins and for boys than girls, although gender and zygosity did not interact. Gender did not predict LLE. Significant heritability was detected for vocabulary (0.26) and grammar phenotypes (0.52 and 0.43 for boys and girls, respectively) in the full sample and in the sample selected for LLE (0.42 and 0.44). LLE and the appearance of Word Combinations were also significantly heritable (0.22-0.23). The findings revealed an increased likelihood of LLE in twin toddlers compared with single-born children that is modulated by zygosity and gender differences. Heritability estimates are consistent with previous research for vocabulary and add further suggestion of heritable differences in early grammar acquisition.

Gender and racial differences in the looking and talking behaviors of mothers and their 3-year-old prematurely born children.

PubMed

Cho, June; Holditch-Davis, Diane; Belyea, Michael

2007-10-01

This study examined the relationship of child gender and maternal race to the looking and talking interactions of fifty-four 3-year-old prematurely born children and their mothers. More gender differences occurred for looking than for talking, whereas racial differences were stronger for talking than for looking. Transitional probabilities between looking situations suggested that gender differences occurred because girls were more likely to respond when their mothers were looking at them than were boys. Transitional probabilities between talking situations suggested that racial differences occurred because non-White mothers (African Americans and Native Americans in this study) were less likely to respond when their children were talking to them than were White mothers. The only significant interaction of gender by race was with White mothers who were more likely to respond when their girls were talking. When analyses were repeated, controlling for the effects of intelligence quotient, gestational age, neurobiologic risk score, and socioeconomic status (SES), gender differences for looking situations became smaller, whereas racial differences for talking situations became larger. Gender and ethnicity differences for looking and talking interactions cannot be explained by simple differences in health status or SES. These differences may possibly be related to the differential brain functions and hormonal effects of boys and girls, as well as to differential socialization that influences gender identity and gender roles. They also may be related to the higher incidence of language delays in non-White children and to differences in sociocultural norms and parenting between White and non-White mothers.

Gender determination: Role of lip prints, finger prints and mandibular canine index

PubMed Central

KRISHNAN, RESHMA POOTHAKULATH; THANGAVELU, RADHIKA; RATHNAVELU, VIDHYA; NARASIMHAN, MALATHI

2016-01-01

Personal identification has a pivotal role in forensic investigations. Gender determination is an essential step in personal identification. Despite the advent of advanced techniques such as DNA fingerprinting, methods such as lip print and fingerprint analysis and mandibular canine index calculations are routinely used in gender determination, as they are simple and cost-effective. The present study investigated the hypothesis that lip print analysis is an effective tool in gender determination compared with fingerprint analysis and the mandibular canine index. The predominant patterns of lip prints and fingerprints were analyzed in males and females, and the efficacy of the mandibular canine index in gender determination was evaluated. The study group comprised 50 students, 25 males and 25 females who were 18–25 years of age. Lip prints and fingerprints were obtained and classified according to Tsuchihashi's classification and Kücken and Newell's classification, respectively. Mandibular impressions were made and the mandibular canine index was calculated. Type I and Type I' lip prints were predominant in females, and Type IV lip prints were predominant in males. The analysis of fingerprints revealed that the loop fingerprint pattern was predominant in both males and females. The mandibular canine index was not found to be significant in gender identification. The predominant patterns of lip prints were distinct for males and females; conversely, fingerprints were demonstrated to be similar in both genders. Therefore, lip prints hold an increased potential for gender determination, as compared with fingerprints, and the mandibular canine index is not a reliable indicator of gender. PMID:27284316

Gender differences in climacteric symptoms and associated factors in Korean men and women.

PubMed

Yeom, Hyun-E

2018-06-01

Both men and women may experience multifaceted symptoms that are part of natural aging throughout the climacteric period. This study compared the prevalence and severity of climacteric symptoms between genders and identified the underlying clusters of climacteric symptoms and associated factors in midlife men and women. A cross-sectional study was done with 254 middle-aged Korean men (n = 129, M = 50.4) and women (n = 125, M = 49.5). Data were collected by self-administered surveys and analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, exploratory factor analysis, and regression analysis. Significant gender differences in overall climacteric symptoms were not detected except for muscle weakness, weight gain, and hot flashes. Climacteric symptoms were clustered as physical, vasomotor-genital, psychological, and metabolic dimensions, with the physical dimension being the most explanatory cluster. A significant gender effect was found only in the metabolic dimension after adjusting for the relevant covariates, and regular eating was significantly associated with all symptom clusters. This study offers evidence that most climacteric symptoms are shared by both men and women and emphasizes the importance of healthier lifestyles in the climacteric transition period. The findings highlight the critical need for integrated assessments of the multifactorial symptoms and of modifying poor lifestyles in both genders throughout the climacteric transition period. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gender differences associated with rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot kinematics during running.

PubMed

Takabayashi, Tomoya; Edama, Mutsuaki; Nakamura, Masatoshi; Nakamura, Emi; Inai, Takuma; Kubo, Masayoshi

2017-11-01

Females, as compared with males, have a higher proportion of injuries in the foot region. However, the reason for this gender difference regarding foot injuries remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate gender differences associated with rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot kinematics during running. Twelve healthy males and 12 females ran on a treadmill. The running speed was set to speed which changes from walking to running. Three-dimensional kinematics of rearfoot, midfoot, and forefoot were collected and compared between males and females. Furthermore, spatiotemporal parameters (speed, cadence, and step length) were measured. In the rearfoot angle, females showed a significantly greater peak value of plantarflexion and range of motion in the sagittal plane as compared with males (effect size (ES) = 1.55 and ES = 1.12, respectively). In the midfoot angle, females showed a significantly greater peak value of dorsiflexion and range of motion in the sagittal plane as compared with males (ES = 1.49 and ES = 1.71, respectively). The forefoot peak angles and ranges of motion were not significantly different between the genders in all three planes. A previous study suggested that a gender-related difference in excessive motions of the lower extremities during running has been suggested as a contributing factor to running injuries. Therefore, the present investigation may provide insight into the reason for the high incidence of foot injuries in females.

The effects of gender, family status, and race on sentencing decisions.

PubMed

Freiburger, Tina L

2010-01-01

This study sought to determine the effects of family role, gender, and race on judges' sentencing decisions. To assess these effects, factorial surveys were sent to 360 Court of Common Plea judges who presided over criminal court cases in the state. Survey administration resulted in a 51% response rate. The findings indicate that defendants who were depicted as performing caretaker roles had a significantly decreased likelihood of incarceration. Further analysis found that the reduction in likelihood of incarceration for being a caretaker was larger for males than for females. Examination of the interaction of familial role with race found that familial role equally reduced the likelihood of incarceration for black and white females. Familial responsibility, however, resulted in a significantly greater decrease in likelihood of incarceration for black men than for white men. 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cerebral hemodynamic lateralization during memory tasks as assessed by functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD) sonography: effects of gender and healthy aging.

PubMed

Bracco, Laura; Bessi, Valentina; Alari, Fabiana; Sforza, Angela; Barilaro, Alessandro; Marinoni, Marinella

2011-06-01

Previous neuropsychological, lesional and functional imaging studies deal with the lateralization of memory processes, suggesting that they could be determined by the stage of processing (encoding vs retrieval) or by content (verbal vs non-verbal stimuli). The aims of the present study were: 1) to investigate if tasks that can be carried out using different strategies depending on the verbalizability of the material induce a lateralization of the mean cerebral blood flow velocity (mCBFV) in the middle cerebral arteries (MCAs), as monitored by a functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD); 2) to evaluate if these patterns of cerebral activation differ in relation to age, gender and task performance. Using TCD bilateral monitoring, we recorded mCBFV variations in 35 male and 35 female healthy, right-handed volunteers, classified as "young" (age range 21-40 years, n=35) or "old"(age range 41-60 years, n=35), performing four different cognitive tasks: encoding and recognition of Geometric Figures (GF), encoding and recall of Object Localization (OL) on a picture, encoding of a verbal Room Description (RD) and Arithmetic Skill (AS). We found a significant right lateralization for the OL recall phase, and a significant left lateralization for RD and AS. When we took into consideration gender, age and performance, there was a strong effect of age on both OL encoding and recall phase, with significant right lateralization in young volunteers not seen in the older ones. No difference in gender was detected. We found a gender×performance interaction for RD, with poor performance females showing significant left lateralization. According to our findings, hemispheric lateralization during memory encoding is material specific in both men and women, depending on the verbalizability of the material. mCBFV right lateralization during scene encoding and recall appears lost in older people, suggesting that healthy elderly could take advantage of mixed verbal and non-verbal strategies. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Srl. All rights reserved.

Attitudes toward victims of rape: effects of gender, race, religion, and social class.

PubMed

Nagel, Barbara; Matsuo, Hisako; McIntyre, Kevin P; Morrison, Nancy

2005-06-01

Although previous literature focusing on perceptions of victims of rape has examined how gender, race, and culture influence the attitudes one holds toward victims, these studies have yielded mixed results. This study compared perceptions of victims of rape across a wide range of ages, educational backgrounds, religions, and income levels, while focusing on gender and racial differences. Results indicate (N = 220) that victims of rape are generally viewed more sympathetically by females than by males and by Whites than by African Americans. However, the effect of race disappears when socioeconomic variables are controlled, suggesting a more complex relationship. Also, a hierarchical regression indicates that age, sex, education, and income are significant predictors of attitudes toward victims. This study builds on existing research that examines such attitudes from a cultural perspective and extends this literature by examining the interactive effects of several demographic variables within a community sample.

Identifying the influence of gender on motivation and engagement levels in student physiotherapists.

PubMed

Edgar, Susan

2015-04-01

There is an increasing focus in higher education on the role of learner characteristics and their influence on academic performance. Educators are interested in how students engage with learning activities as they progress through the curriculum. A previous study highlighted gender effects in academic performance in student physiotherapists, despite comparable entry scores. The aim of this study was to determine variation in student motivation and engagement, across the four year levels of the physiotherapy program at The University of Notre Dame Australia while considering gender and age. A cross-sectional design was adopted surveying 233 students utilising the Motivation and Engagement Scale - University/College (MES-UC), to review motivational thoughts and behaviours influencing learning. RESULTS identified gender effects with males having on average significantly lower scores for planning, task management and persistence; and higher scores for disengagement from their studies. Females displayed higher average scores for anxiety particularly in their first year and final clinical year. RESULTS were consistent with gender effects noted in academic performance throughout the program for previous student cohorts. The application of the MES-UC early in course would highlight to educators the areas where intervention can be targeted. Early individualized intervention is recommended to address learner characteristics influencing performance.

Addressing fear of crime in public space: gender differences in reaction to safety measures in train transit.

PubMed

Yavuz, Nilay; Welch, Eric W

2010-01-01

Research has identified several factors that affect fear of crime in public space. However, the extent to which gender moderates the effectiveness of fear-reducing measures has received little attention. Using data from the Chicago Transit Authority Customer Satisfaction Survey of 2003, this study aims to understand whether train transit security practices and service attributes affect men and women differently. Findings indicate that, while the presence of video cameras has a lower effect on women's feelings of safety compared with men, frequent and on-time service matters more to male passengers. Additionally, experience with safety-related problems affects women significantly more than men. Conclusions discuss the implications of the study for theory and gender-specific policies to improve perceptions of transit safety.

The importance of body mass normalisation for ultrasound measurement of the transversus abdominis muscle: The effect of age, gender and sport practice.

PubMed

Linek, Pawel

2017-04-01

Some studies have not considered body mass as a confounder in TrA analysis, which may have led to improper interpretation of results. To assess the differences in the effect of age, gender and physical activity between normalised for body mass and actual values of the TrA as well as to establish the effect of age, gender and physical activity on normalised for body mass TrA thickness in adolescents. The study was a cross-sectional study conducted at selected primary and secondary schools, and colleges in the Silesian region of Poland. A real-time ultrasound was used to obtain images of the TrA muscle. Body mass normalisation for TrA thickness was performed with allometric scaling and the following equation: Allometric-scaled TrA = TrA thickness/body mass 0.61 . Analysis has shown that boys have significantly thicker muscle by 0.27 mm (95% CI 0.04-0.50) than girls, and those who practise sports have thicker muscle by 0.30 mm (95% CI 0.06-0.52) than non-active individuals. For allometric-scaled TrA, there were no significant effects (p > 0.50). There was a significant correlation between participants age and the actual value of the TrA (r = 0.42, p < 0.05). The correlation between age and allometric-scaled TrA was insignificant and close to zero (r = -0.006, p = 0.93). An analysis of TrA thickness without body mass normalisation can deliver improper interpretation of study results. Thus, it is recommended in future researches to analyse TrA thickness measurement after normalisation rather than actual values. In the adolescent population, there is no effect of gender, age and physical activity on allometric-scaled TrA thickness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

If ‘we’ can succeed, ‘I’ can too: Identity-based motivation and gender in the classroom

PubMed Central

Elmore, Kristen C.; Oyserman, Daphna

2011-01-01

Gender matters in the classroom, but not in the way people may assume; girls are outperforming boys. Identity-Based Motivation (IBM) theory explains why: People prefer to act in ways that feel in-line with important social identities such as gender. If a behavior feels identity-congruent, difficulty is interpreted as meaning that the behavior is important, not impossible, but what feels identity-congruent is context-dependent. IBM implies that boys (and girls) scan the classroom for clues about how to be male (or female); school effort will feel worthwhile if successful engagement with school feels gender-congruent, not otherwise. A between-subjects experimental design tested this prediction, manipulating whether gender and success felt congruent, incongruent, or not linked (control). Students in the success is gender-congruent condition described more school-focused possible identities, rated their likely future academic and occupational success higher, and tried harder on an academic task (this latter effect was significant only for boys). PMID:22711971

The challenges in diagnosis and gender assignment in disorders of sex development presenting to a pediatric surgical unit in a developing country: the role of laparoscopy and simple tests for gender identity.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Tanvir K; Kabir, Mahfuzul; Chowdhury, Md Zonaid; Hutson, John M; Banu, Tahmina

2014-12-01

We aimed to assess how the diagnosis and determination of gender identity of disorders of sex development (DSD) is different in a developing country from Western medicine, and whether a pediatric surgery department can determine the underlying diagnosis and use simple tools to determine the likely gender identity (GI). We reviewed the records of DSD patients admitted to the Department of Pediatric Surgery, Chittagong Medical College & Hospital (CMCH), Chittagong, Bangladesh, from January 2006 to December 2012 and performed a cross-sectional study on GI and gender-related behavior in these patients during the year 2012. DSD boys and girls answered a GI interview and had their gender role behavior assessed by observations of structural toy play and analyzed for differences in scores. This cohort of DSD patients presented in mid-childhood (6 months-16 years, mean 6.9 years) rather than infancy, and 30% came from consanguineous unions. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) constituted only 11 of 50 (22%) of the DSD cohort, and not all families had access to steroid hormone replacement. A simple assessment of GI and gender-related behavior allowed effective gender assignment, as there was significant difference between DSD boys and girls in GI and gender-related behavior score. DSD management in Bangladesh provides some unique challenges because of limited resources. A national reference laboratory for biochemical and genetic testing and development of a quaternary referral center for DSD patients will be helpful. Continued use of the GI interview and gender-related behavior study will enable effective interim decisions about diagnosis and management. Copyright © 2014 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Do Students’ and Authors’ Genders Affect Evaluations? A Linguistic Analysis of Medical Student Performance Evaluations

PubMed Central

Isaac, Carol; Chertoff, Jocelyn; Lee, Barbara; Carnes, Molly

2012-01-01

Purpose Recent guidelines for the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) have standardized the “dean’s letter.” The authors examined MSPEs for linguistic differences according to student or author gender. Method This 2009 study analyzed 297 MSPEs for 227 male and 70 female medical students applying to a diagnostic radiology residency program. Text analysis software identified word counts, categories, frequencies, and contexts; factor analysis detected patterns of word categories in student–author gender pairings. Results Analyses showed a main effect for student gender (P=.046) and a group difference for the author–student gender combinations (P=.048). Female authors of male student MSPEs used the fewest “positive emotion” words (P=.006). MSPEs by male authors were shorter than those by females (P=.014). MSPEs for students ranked in the National Resident Matching Program contained more “standout” (P=.002) and “positive emotion” (P=.001) words. There were no differences in the author–gender pairs in the proportion of students ranked, although predominant word categories differed by author and student gender. Factor analysis revealed differences among the author–student groups in patterns of correlations among word categories. Conclusions MSPEs differed slightly but significantly by student and author gender. These differences may derive from societal norms for male and female behaviors and the subsequent linguistic interpretation of these behaviors, which itself may be colored by the observer’s gender. Although the differences in MSPEs did not seem to influence students’ rankings, this work underscores the need for awareness of the complex effects of gender in evaluating students and guiding their specialty choices. PMID:21099389

Differences in mathematics and science performance by economic status, gender, and ethnicity/race: A multiyear Texas statewide study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Pamela Bennett

Purpose. The purpose of the first study was to ascertain the extent to which differences were present in the STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores by Grade 5 and Grade 8 student economic status. The purpose of the second study was to examine differences in Grade 5 STAAR Mathematics and Science test performance by gender and by ethnicity/race (i.e., Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White). Finally, with respect to the third study in this journal-ready dissertation, the purpose was to investigate the STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores of Grade 8 students by gender and by ethnicity/race (i.e., Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White). Method. For this journal-ready dissertation, a non-experimental, causal-comparative research design (Creswell, 2009) was used in all three studies. Grade 5 and Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics and Science test data were analyzed for the 2011-2012 through the 2014-2015 school years. The dependent variables were the STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores for Grade 5 and Grade 8. The independent variables analyzed in these studies were student economic status, gender, and ethnicity/race. Findings. Regarding the first study, statistically significant differences were present in Grade 5 and Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores by student economic status for each year. Moderate effect sizes (Cohen's d) were present for each year of the study for the Grade 5 STAAR Mathematics and Science exams, Grade 8 Science exams, and the 2014-2015 Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics exam. However, a small effect size was present for the 2011-2012 through 2013-2014 Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics exam. Regarding the second and third study, statistically significant differences were revealed for Grade 5 and Grade 8 STAAR Mathematics and Science test scores based on gender, with trivial effect sizes. Furthermore, statistically significant differences were present in these test scores by ethnicity/race, with moderate effects for each year of the study. With regard to each year for both studies, Asian students had the highest average test scores, followed by White, Hispanic, and Black students, respectively. Thus, a stairstep achievement gap (Carpenter, Ramirez, & Severn, 2006) was present.

Gender and sex differences in job status and hypertension.

PubMed

Clougherty, Jane E; Eisen, Ellen A; Slade, Martin D; Kawachi, Ichiro; Cullen, Mark R

2011-01-01

Studies have shown greater health risks associated with blue-collar manufacturing employment for women than men. It remains challenging, however, to distinguish gendered job status (affected by family composition and other personal characteristics) from sex-linked biological differences influencing physiological response to workplace physical hazards. We examined the effects of hourly (blue-collar) status on incident hypertension among men and women, using health claims data for 14, 618 white- and blue-collar aluminium manufacturing employees in eight US states. To explore gender differences in job status, we developed sex-stratified propensity score models identifying key socioeconomic predictors of hourly status for men and women. To examine the effects of hourly employment on hypertension risk, after adjusting for gender differences in job status, we applied time-weighted logistic regression models, stratified by propensity score, with additional adjustment for socioeconomic confounders. Family structure (partnership, parity) influenced job status for both sexes; single mothers were more likely to hold hourly jobs (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.37 to 2.97) and partnered men with children less likely (OR 0.68; 95% CI 0.56 to 0.83). Education, age at hire and race influenced job status for both sexes. The effect of hourly status on hypertension was significant only among women predicted to be hourly (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.34 to 2.35). Our results indicate significant risks of hypertension associated with hourly status for women, possibly exacerbated by sociodemographic factors predicting hourly status (eg, single parenthood, low education). Greater attention to gender differences in job status, and finer exploration of sex-linked biological differences influencing responsivity to workplace exposures, is warranted.

Gender differences in risk factors for cigarette smoking initiation in childhood.

PubMed

Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre; Wellman, Robert J; O'Loughlin, Erin K; Dugas, Erika N; O'Loughlin, Jennifer

2017-09-01

We investigated whether established risk factors for initiating cigarette smoking during adolescence (parents, siblings, friends smoke; home smoking rules, smokers at home, exposure to smoking in cars, academic performance, susceptibility to smoking, depressive symptoms, self-esteem, school connectedness, use of other tobacco products) are associated with initiation in preadolescents, and whether the effects of these factors differ by gender. In spring 2005, baseline data were collected in self-report questionnaires from 1801 5th grade students including 1553 never-smokers (mean age=10.7years), in the longitudinal AdoQuest I Study in Montréal, Canada. Follow-up data were collected in the fall and spring of 6th grade (2005-2006). Poisson regression analyses with robust variance estimated the effects of each risk factor on initiation and additive interactions with gender were computed to assess the excess risk of each risk factor in girls compared to boys. 101 of 1399 participants in the analytic sample (6.7% of boys; 7.7% of girls) initiated smoking during follow-up. After adjustment for age, gender and maternal education, all risk factors except academic performance and school connectedness were statistically significantly associated with initiation. Paternal and sibling smoking were associated with initiation in girls only, and girls with lower self-esteem had a significant excess risk of initiating smoking in 6th grade. Risk factors for smoking initiation in preadolescents mirror those in adolescents; their effects do not differ markedly by gender. Preventive programs targeting children should focus on reducing smoking in the social environment and the dangers of poly-tobacco use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Gender and sex differences in job status and hypertension

PubMed Central

Clougherty, Jane E.; Eisen, Ellen A.; Slade, Martin D.; Kawachi, Ichiro; Cullen, Mark R.

2013-01-01

Objectives Studies have shown greater health risks associated with blue-collar manufacturing employment for women than men. It remains challenging, however, to distinguish cultural gendered factors influencing employment decisions (e.g., expected work roles, family responsibilities) from sex-linked biological differences shaping physiological response to workplace physical hazards. Methods We examined effects of hourly (blue-collar) status on incident hypertension among men and women, using health claims data for 14,618 white- and blue-collar aluminum manufacturing employees in eight U.S. states. To explore gender differences in job status, we developed sex-stratified propensity score models identifying key socioeconomic predictors of hourly status for men and women. To examine effects of hourly employment on hypertension risk, after adjusting for gender differences in job placement, we applied time-weighted logistic regression models, stratified by propensity score, with additional adjustment for socioeconomic confounders. Results Family structure (partnership, parity) influenced job status for both sexes; single mothers were more likely to hold hourly jobs (OR = 2.02 (95% CI = 1.37–2.97)), partnered men with children less likely (OR = 0.68 (0.56–0.83)). Education, age at hire, and race influenced job placement for both sexes. The effect of hourly status on hypertension was significant only among women predicted to be hourly (OR = 1.78 (1.34 – 2.35)). Conclusions Our results indicate significant risks of hypertension associated with hourly status for women, possibly exacerbated by sociodemographic factors predicting hourly status (e.g., single parenthood, low education). Greater attention to gender differences in job status, workplace stressors, and health risks associated with hourly work, is warranted. PMID:20864467

Work-family spillover among Japanese dual-earner couples: a large community-based study.

PubMed

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

2010-01-01

To examine the effects of multiple types of work-family spillover (work-to-family negative spillover, WFNS; family-to-work negative spillover, FWNS; and work-family positive spillover, WFPS) on psychological distress among Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children. 2,346 parents completed questionnaires measuring work-family spillover, work- and family-specific variables (i.e., job demands and resources, family demands and resources), and psychological distress. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted by entering demographic characteristics (gender, age, age of the youngest child, and job contract) in step 1, job demands and resources in step 2, family demands and resources in step 3, work-family spillover in step 4, and three two-way interactions between types of work-family spillover and gender in the final step. Both WFNS and FWNS were positively related to psychological distress after controlling for demographic characteristics and domain specific variables (i.e. job and family demands/resources), and FWNS (β=0.26) had a stronger relation with psychological distress than WFNS (β=0.16). Although WFPS was significantly and negatively related to psychological distress, the relationship was weak (β=-0.05). In addition, two-way interactions of WFNS and FWNS with gender were found; the impact of both WFNS and FWNS on psychological distress is stronger for females than for males. No significant interaction effect was observed between WFPS and gender. In this study of Japanese dual-earner couples with preschool children, work-family negative spillover had a stronger relationship with psychological distress than positive spillover. Gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between negative spillover and psychological distress.

Gender Differences in Symptom Reporting on Baseline Sport Concussion Testing Across the Youth Age Span.

PubMed

Moser, Rosemarie Scolaro; Olek, Lauren; Schatz, Philip

2018-02-06

Little is known regarding gender differences in concussion symptom reporting developmentally across the age span, specifically in pre-adolescent athletes. The present study asks: Do boys and girls differ in symptom reporting across the pre-adolescent to post-adolescent age span? This retrospective study utilized baseline assessments from 11,695 10-22 year-old athletes assigned to 3 independent groups: Pre-adolescent 10-12 year olds (n = 1,367; 12%), Adolescent 13-17 year olds (n = 2,974; 25%), and Late Adolescent 18-22 year olds (n = 7,354; 63%). Males represented 60% of the sample. Baseline ImPACT composite scores and Post-Concussion Symptom Scale scores (Total, Physical, Cognitive, Emotional, Sleep) were analyzed for the effects of age and gender. Statistically significant main effects were found for age and gender on all ImPACT composites, Total Symptoms, and Symptom factors. Significant interaction effects were noted between age and gender for all ImPACT composites, Total Symptoms, and Symptom factors. Total Symptoms and all Symptom factors were highest in adolescents (ages 13-17) for males and females. In the 10-12 age group, females displayed lower Total Symptoms, Physical, and Sleep factors than males. The notion of females being more likely than males to report symptoms does not appear to apply across the developmental age span, particularly prior to adolescence. Females show greater emotional endorsement across the youth age span (10-22 years). Adolescence (13-17 years) appears to be a time of increased symptomatology that may lessen after the age of 18. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Genders of patients and clinicians and their effect on shared decision making: a participant-level meta-analysis.

PubMed

Wyatt, Kirk D; Branda, Megan E; Inselman, Jonathan W; Ting, Henry H; Hess, Erik P; Montori, Victor M; LeBlanc, Annie

2014-09-02

Gender differences in communication styles between clinicians and patients have been postulated to impact patient care, but the extent to which the gender dyad structure impacts outcomes in shared decision making remains unclear. Participant-level meta-analysis of 775 clinical encounters within 7 randomized trials where decision aids, shared decision making tools, were used at the point of care. Outcomes analysed include decisional conflict scale scores, satisfaction with the clinical encounter, concordance between stated decision and action taken, and degree of patient engagement by the clinician using the OPTION scale. An estimated minimal important difference was used to determine if nonsignificant results could be explained by low power. We did not find a statistically significant interaction between clinician/patient gender mix and arm for decisional conflict, satisfaction with the clinical encounter or patient engagement. A borderline significant interaction (p = 0.05) was observed for one outcome: concordance between stated decision and action taken, where encounters with female clinician/male patient showed increased concordance in the decision aid arm compared to control (8% more concordant encounters). All other gender dyads showed decreased concordance with decision aid use (6% fewer concordant encounters for same-gender, 16% fewer concordant encounters for male clinician/female patient). In this participant-level meta-analysis of 7 randomized trials, decision aids used at the point of care demonstrated comparable efficacy across gender dyads. Purported barriers to shared decision making based on gender were not detected when tested for a minimum detected difference. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00888537, NCT01077037, NCT01029288, NCT00388050, NCT00578981, NCT00949611, NCT00217061.

Unraveling Gender Bias from Student Evaluations of their High School Physics Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazari, Zahra; Potvin, Geoff; Tai, Robert; Sadler, Philip

2009-05-01

In this talk, the evaluation of high school physics, chemistry, and biology teachers by their students is examined according to the gender of the student and the gender of the teacher. Female teachers are rated significantly lower than male teachers by male students in all three disciplines, while female students under-rate female teachers only in physics. Interestingly, physics is also the field that suffers the greatest lack of females and has been criticized most for its androcentric culture. The gender bias in teacher ratings persists even after accounting for academic performance, classroom experiences, and family support. Further, male and female teachers in each discipline appear equally effective at preparing their students for future science study in college, suggesting that students have a discipline-specific gender bias. Such a bias may negatively impact female students and contribute to the loss of females in STEM fields.

Gender Differences in Students’ Attitude towards Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sofiani, D.; Maulida, A. S.; Fadhillah, N.; Sihite, D. Y.

2017-09-01

This study investigated the students’ attitude towards science and the effect of gender on students’ attitude. A total of 77 secondary school students participated in this study that were selected randomly in cluster, from various schools of Bandung, Indonesia. The attitude questionnaire consisted of 23 items related to four dimensions: enjoyment, self-confidence, value and motivation. Data collected by questionnaire were converted into interval scale using Method of Successive Interval (MSI) and further analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). The use of MSI for analyzing the questionnaire data is still fairly new. Results showed that students’ positive attitude towards science was at medium level and there was no significant difference in attitude towards science between the female and male students. The study is of great significance to science teachers in order not to be gender biased when teaching science learning.

Who Is Doing the Housework in Multicultural Britain?

PubMed Central

Kan, Man-Yee; Laurie, Heather

2016-01-01

There is an extensive literature on the domestic division of labour within married and cohabiting couples and its relationship to gender equality within the household and the labour market. Most UK research focuses on the white majority population or is ethnicity ‘blind’, effectively ignoring potentially significant intersections between gender, ethnicity, socio-economic position and domestic labour. Quantitative empirical research on the domestic division of labour across ethnic groups has not been possible due to a lack of data that enables disaggregation by ethnic group. We address this gap using data from a nationally representative panel survey, Understanding Society, the UK Household Longitudinal Study containing sufficient sample sizes of ethnic minority groups for meaningful comparisons. We find significant variations in patterns of domestic labour by ethnic group, gender, education and employment status after controlling for individual and household characteristics. PMID:29416186

Employment Standards for Australian Urban Firefighters: Part 4: Physical Aptitude Tests and Standards.

PubMed

Fullagar, Hugh H K; Sampson, John A; Mott, Brendan J; Burdon, Catriona A; Taylor, Nigel A S; Groeller, Herbert

2015-10-01

Firefighter physical aptitude tests were administered to unskilled subjects and operational firefighters to evaluate the impact that testing bias associated with gender, age, activity-specific skills, or task familiarity may have upon establishing performance thresholds. These tests were administered in sequence, simulating hazmat incidents, ventilation fan carriage (stairs), motor-vehicle rescues, bushfire incidents, fire attacks, and a firefighter rescue. Participants included two unskilled samples (N = 14 and 22) and 143 firefighters. Firefighter performance was not significantly different from the unskilled subjects. Participants from both genders passed the test, with scores unrelated to performance skill or age; however, familiarization significantly improved performance when the test was repeated. These outcomes confirmed this test to be gender-, age-, and skill-neutral. Familiarization effects could be removed through performing a single, pre-selection trial of the test battery.

Breast-feeding, water and sanitation, and childhood malnutrition in the Philippines.

PubMed

Magnani, R J; Mock, N B; Bertrand, W E; Clay, D C

1993-04-01

This study examines effects and interactions of socioeconomic status, access to water supply and sanitation, and breast-feeding practices in relation to child growth in two provincial cities in the Philippines. Multivariate analysis identified food expenditure per head, education of the household head and gender of the child as significant predictors of nutritional status. The duration of partial and full breast-feeding was negatively (though non-significantly) associated with growth. Sanitation facilities and breast-feeding are, however, important determinants during the first year of life. Among children over 1 year of age, socioeconomic variables and gender are the most important predictors. Breast-feeding is shown to provide more important health benefits for children in lower income households. The need for further studies on the causes of gender differences in nutritional status was apparent.

Gender differences in socioeconomic inequality of alcohol-attributable mortality: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Probst, Charlotte; Roerecke, Michael; Behrendt, Silke; Rehm, Jürgen

2015-05-01

The present analysis contributes to understanding the societal distribution of alcohol-attributable harm by investigating socioeconomic inequality and related gender differences in alcohol-attributable mortality. A systematic literature search was performed on Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and ETOH from their inception until February 2013. Articles were included when they reported data on alcohol-attributable mortality by socioeconomic status (SES), operationalised as education, occupation, employment status or income. Gender-specific relative risks (RR) comparing low with high SES were pooled using random effects meta-analyses. Gender differences were additionally investigated in random effects meta-regressions. Nineteen articles from 14 countries were included. For women, significant RRs across all measures of SES, except employment status, were found, ranging between 1.75 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21-2.54; occupation] and 4.78 (95% CI 2.57-8.87; income). For men, all measures of SES showed significant RRs ranging between 2.88 (95% CI 2.45-3.40; income) and 12.25 (95% CI 11.45-13.10; employment status). While RRs for men were in general slightly higher, only for occupation this gender difference was above chance (P = 0.01). Results refer to deaths 100% attributable to alcohol. The results are predominantly based on data from high-income countries, limiting generalisability. Alcohol-attributable mortality is strongly distributed to the disadvantage of persons with a low SES. Marked gender differences in this inequality were found for occupation. Possibly male-dominated occupations of low SES were more strongly related to risky drinking cultures compared with female-dominated occupations of the same SES. © 2014 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

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.

Differences in students' perceived classroom experiences by instructor gender, student gender, and persistence in STEM courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowlkes, Carol

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields are growing and have lucrative job opportunities for college graduates. However, the number of students in STEM majors and the number of those who persist in those majors is declining; there is also a growing gender gap in STEM graduates. This study investigated three perceived classroom experiences in STEM courses and the nature of differences in these experiences by student gender, instructor gender, and by those who persisted or did not persist in STEM majors. A factorial MANOVA was the statistical method by which the differences were explored. The statistical analysis revealed non-significant mean differences in three-way interaction, all two-way interactions, and all main effects. There were not gendered differences in students' perceptions of the opportunities for hands-on learning, the instructor cares about students' success, and the instructor encourages students' contributions. Further research is proposed to continue examination of this topic with a larger data set that is consistent with the literature regarding the population of STEM students and the number of STEM persisters, and the male-gendered nature of STEM fields.

Socio-economic effects on meeting PA guidelines: comparisons among 32 countries

PubMed Central

Borraccino, A; Lemma, P; Iannotti, R; Zambon, A; Dalmasso, P; Lazzeri, G; Giacchi, M; Cavallo, F

2008-01-01

Purpose This study examined the relationship between age and gender with physical activity (PA) and how meeting of PA guidelines (PAGL) is related to socio-economic-status. Methods Data were collected from 11-, 13-, and 15-y.o. students in 32 countries participating in the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey 2001/2002. A self-completed questionnaire assessed moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for the past seven days and MVPA for a typical week. Socio-economic status (SES) was assessed using the Family Affluence Scale (FAS). Results None of the countries averaged enough MVPA to meet PAGL. The pattern of MVPA across gender and age was consistent among all countries. In all countries girls were significantly less active than boys (mean hours/week of MVPA 3.52 ±1.88 vs 4.13 ±1.95) and were more likely to not meet the PAGL; older children were less active when compared to the youngest. SES was significantly associated with the amount of reported MVPA. SES and PAGL were significantly related in seven countries and a significant decrease in the influence of age was observed in these countries compared to other countries. Conclusions Levels of MVPA during adolescence showed consistent patterns across countries in relation to age, gender and social-class. The limited effect of age on PA in countries where the influence of social class was less strong, suggesting the possibility of a moderating effect of context in the development of habits acquired in childhood PMID:19276860

[The Relationship Between Marital Adjustment and Psychological Symptoms in Women: The Mediator Roles of Coping Strategies and Gender Role Attitudes].

PubMed

Yüksel, Özge; Dağ, İhsan

2015-01-01

The aim of this study were to investigate the mediator role of coping strategies and gender roles attitudes on the relationship between women's marital adjustment and psychological symptoms. 248 married women participated in the study. Participants completed Marital Adjustment Scale, Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Brief Symptom Inventory, Gender Role Attitudes Scale and Demographic Information Form. Regression analyses revealed that Submissive (Sobel z= -2.47, p<.01) and Helpless Coping Approach (Sobel z=-2.95, p<.001) have partial mediator role on the relationship between marital relationship score and psychological symptom level. Also, having Egalitarian Gender Role Attitude effects the psychological symptoms in relation with the marital relationship, but it is seen that this effect is not higher enough to play a mediator role (Sobel z =-1.21, p>.05). Regression analysis showed that there is a statistically significant correlation between women's marital adjustment and their psychological symptoms, indicating that the marital adjustment decreases as the psychological symptoms increases. It is also found out that submissive and helpless coping approach have mediator roles in this relationship. Also, contrary to expectations, having egalitarian gender role attitude effects the psychological symptoms in relation with the marital relationship, but this effect does not seem to play a mediator role. It is thought that the effects of marriage and couple therapy approaches considering couples’s problem solving and coping styles should be examined in further studies.

The moderating effect of gender on the relationship between coping and suicide risk in a Portuguese community sample of adults.

PubMed

Campos, Rui C; Holden, Ronald R; Costa, Fátima; Oliveira, Ana Rita; Abreu, Marta; Fresca, Natália

2017-02-01

Background and aims(s): The study evaluated the contribution of coping strategies, based on the Toulousiane conceptualization of coping, to the prediction of suicide risk and tested the moderating effect of gender, controlling for depressive symptoms. A two-time data collection design was used. A community sample of 195 adults (91 men and 104 women) ranging in age from 19 to 65 years and living in several Portuguese regions, mostly in Alentejo, participated in this research. Gender, depressive symptoms, control, and withdrawal and conversion significantly predicted suicide risk and gender interacted with control, withdrawal and conversion, and social distraction in the prediction of suicide risk. Coping predicted suicide risk only for women. Results have important implications for assessment and intervention with suicide at-risk individuals. In particular,the evaluation and development of coping skills is indicated as a goal for therapists having suicide at-risk women as clients.

Age and Gender Differences in Relationships Among Emotion Regulation, Mood, and Mental Health.

PubMed

Masumoto, Kouhei; Taishi, Nozomi; Shiozaki, Mariko

2016-01-01

Objective: We investigated the effects of age on mood and mental health-mediated emotion regulation, such as cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression, and examined whether these relationships differ according to gender. Method: We recruited 936 Japanese participants. They comprised six age groups ranging from 20 to 70 years old, with 156 participants in each age group and equal numbers of men and women. Results: Structural equation model analysis showed that older participants were more likely to use cognitive reappraisal, further enhancing positive mood and reducing negative mood, whereas, age did not affect expressive suppression. Moreover, expressive suppression had a smaller impact on mood than cognitive reappraisal. A multi-group analysis showed significant gender differences. In men, cognitive reappraisal increased with age and influenced mood more positively than in women. Discussion: Our findings indicated gender differences in aging effects on emotion regulation. We discussed about these results from the cognitive process, motivation to emotion regulation, and cultural differences.

Coronary Artery Disease: A Study on the Joint Role of Birth Weight, Adenosine Deaminase, and Gender

PubMed Central

Gloria-Bottini, F.; Banci, M.; Saccucci, P.; Lucarini, N.; Ianniello, F.; Paradisi, G.; Magrini, A.; Bottini, E.

2009-01-01

An inverse relationship between birth weight and coronary artery diseases is well documented but it remains unclear which exposure in early life might underlie such association. Recently it has been reported an association between adenosine deaminase genetic polymorphism and coronary artery diseases. Gender differences in the degree of this association have been also observed. These observations prompted us to study the possible joint effects of BW, ADA, and gender on the susceptibility to coronary artery diseases. 222 subjects admitted to hospital for nonfatal coronary artery diseases, and 762 healthy consecutive newborns were studied. ADA genotypes were determined by DNA analysis. A highly significant complex relationship has emerged among ADA, birth weight, and gender concerning their role on susceptibility to coronary artery diseases in adult life. Odds ratio analysis suggests that low birth weight is more important in females than in males. ADA∗2 allele appears protective in males, while in females such effect is obscured by birth weight. PMID:20428226

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 Difference in Health-Care Expenditure: Evidence from India Human Development Survey

PubMed Central

Saikia, Nandita; Moradhvaj; Bora, Jayanta Kumar

2016-01-01

Background While the gender disparity in health and mortality in various stages of life in India is well documented, there is limited evidence on female disadvantage in health-care expenditure (HCE). Aims Examine the gender difference in HCE in short-term and major morbidity in India, and understand the role of factors underlying the difference. Data and Methods Using two rounds of nationally representative panel data—the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2004–2005 and 2011–2012 (IHDS I & II)—we calculate morbidity prevalence rate and mean HCE by gender, and examine the adjusted effect of gender on major morbidity-related HCE by using a two-part regression model. Further, we performed Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition of the gender gap in HCE in major morbidity to understand the contribution of demographic and socio-economic factors. Results Health-care expenditure on females was systematically lower than on males across all demographic and socio-economic groups. Multivariate analysis confirms that female HCE is significantly lower than male HCE even after controlling demographic and socio-economic factors (β = -0.148, p = 0.000, CI:-0.206–0.091). For both short-term and major morbidity, a female disadvantage on HCE increased from IHDS I to IHDS II. For instance, the male–female gap in major morbidity related expenditure increased from INR 1298 to INR 4172. A decomposition analysis of gender gap in HCE demonstrates that about 48% of the gap is attributable to differences in demographic and socio-economic factors (endowment effect), whereas 50% of the gap is due to the differential effect of the determinants (coefficient effect). Interpretation Indians spend less on female health care than on male health care. Most of the gender gap in HCE is not due to differential distribution of factors affecting HCE. PMID:27391322

Stressful life events and depressive symptoms in mothers and fathers of young children.

PubMed

Flouri, Eirini; Narayanan, Martina K; Nærde, Ane

2018-04-01

Parents of young children generally report more depressive symptoms than parents of adult children or people without children, mainly because the presence of young children increases exposure to significant stressors (such as stressful life events). However, most studies on the depressogenic role of stressful life events in parents of young children have focussed on mothers. Using data from 1138 families with young children in Norway, we investigated gender differences in the effect of stressful life events after a child's birth on the development of parental depressive symptoms in 3 follow-ups at child's ages 3-6 years. We also explored if gender differences in disposition (personality) may explain any gender differences in the depressogenic effect of life events. Nesting parents within families, we found a female gender bias for both neuroticism and depressive symptoms but no gender difference in the number of life events reported. Importantly, the number of stressful life events predicted the level and course of depressive symptoms similarly for mothers and fathers. Personality traits did not change the association between stressful life events and depressive symptoms in either mothers or fathers. Given the study design, causality cannot be inferred. There was no gender difference in the depressogenic effect of stressful life events in our sample. There was no evidence for a female dispositional sensitivity to the depressogenic effect of stressful life events, either. Stressful life events put both mothers and fathers of young children at risk of depression. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hearing history influences voice gender perceptual performance in cochlear implant users.

PubMed

Kovačić, Damir; Balaban, Evan

2010-12-01

The study was carried out to assess the role that five hearing history variables (chronological age, age at onset of deafness, age of first cochlear implant [CI] activation, duration of CI use, and duration of known deafness) play in the ability of CI users to identify speaker gender. Forty-one juvenile CI users participated in two voice gender identification tasks. In a fixed, single-interval task, subjects listened to a single speech item from one of 20 adult male or 20 adult female speakers and had to identify speaker gender. In an adaptive speech-based voice gender discrimination task with the fundamental frequency difference between the voices as the adaptive parameter, subjects listened to a pair of speech items presented in sequential order, one of which was always spoken by an adult female and the other by an adult male. Subjects had to identify the speech item spoken by the female voice. Correlation and regression analyses between perceptual scores in the two tasks and the hearing history variables were performed. Subjects fell into three performance groups: (1) those who could distinguish voice gender in both tasks, (2) those who could distinguish voice gender in the adaptive but not the fixed task, and (3) those who could not distinguish voice gender in either task. Gender identification performance for single voices in the fixed task was significantly and negatively related to the duration of deafness before cochlear implantation (shorter deafness yielded better performance), whereas performance in the adaptive task was weakly but significantly related to age at first activation of the CI device, with earlier activations yielding better scores. The existence of a group of subjects able to perform adaptive discrimination but unable to identify the gender of singly presented voices demonstrates the potential dissociability of the skills required for these two tasks, suggesting that duration of deafness and age of cochlear implantation could have dissociable effects on the development of different skills required by CI users to identify speaker gender.

Paternal effects on functional gender account for cryptic dioecy in a perennial plant.

PubMed Central

Verdú, Miguel; Montilla, Ana I.; Pannell, John R.

2004-01-01

Natural selection operates on the mating strategies of hermaphrodites through their functional gender, i.e. their relative success as male versus female parents. Because functional gender will tend to be strongly influenced by sex allocation, it is often estimated in plants by counting seeds and pollen grains. However, a plant's functional gender must also depend on the fate of the seeds and pollen grains it produces. We provide clear evidence of a paternal effect on the functional gender of a plant that is independent of the resources invested in pollen. In the Mediterranean tree Fraxinus ornus, males coexist with hermaphrodites that disperse viable pollen and that sire seeds; the population would thus appear to be functionally androdioecious. However, we found that seedlings sired by hermaphrodites grew significantly less well than those sired by males, suggesting that hermaphrodites may be functionally less male than they seem. The observed 1 : 1 sex ratios in F. ornus, which have hitherto been difficult to explain in the light of the seed-siring ability of hermaphrodites, support our interpretation that this species is cryptically dioecious. Our results underscore the importance of considering progeny quality when estimating gender, and caution against inferring androdioecy on the basis of a siring ability of hermaphrodites alone. PMID:15451691

The generalizability of gender bias: Testing the effects of contextual, explicit, and implicit sexism on labor arbitration decisions.

PubMed

Girvan, Erik J; Deason, Grace; Borgida, Eugene

2015-10-01

Decades of social-psychological research show that gender bias can result from features of the social context and from individual-level psychological predispositions. Do these sources of bias impact legal decisions, which are frequently made by people subject to factors that have been proposed to reduce bias (training and accountability)? To answer the question, we examined the potential for 3 major social-psychological theories of gender bias (role-congruity theory, ambivalent sexism, and implicit bias) to predict outcomes of labor arbitration decisions. In the first study, undergraduate students and professional arbitrators made decisions about 2 mock arbitration cases in which the gender of the employee-grievants was experimentally manipulated. Student participants' decisions showed the predicted gender bias, whereas the decisions of experienced professionals did not. Individual-level attitudes did not predict the extent of the observed bias and accountability did not attenuate it. In the second study, arbitrators' explicit and implicit gender attitudes were significant predictors of their decisions in published cases. The laboratory and field results suggest that context, expertise, and implicit and explicit attitudes are relevant to legal decision-making, but that laboratory experiments alone may not fully capture the nature of their effect on legal professionals' decisions in real cases. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Factors influencing acute weight change in patients with schizophrenia treated with olanzapine, haloperidol, or risperidone.

PubMed

Basson, B R; Kinon, B J; Taylor, C C; Szymanski, K A; Gilmore, J A; Tollefson, G D

2001-04-01

Clinical factors predicting weight change in patients with schizophrenia and related disorders during acute treatment with the antipsychotic drugs olanzapine, risperidone, and haloperidol were sought through retrospective analyses. Six-week body-weight data from 2 trials, study 1 comparing olanzapine and haloperidol (N = 1,369) and study 2 olanzapine and risperidone (N = 268), were analyzed. Effects of 8 clinically relevant covariates--therapy, clinical outcome (Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale), baseline body mass index (BBMI), increased appetite, age, gender, race, and dose--on weight were compared. In study 1, olanzapine (vs. haloperidol) therapy, better clinical outcome, lower BBMI, and nonwhite race significantly affected weight gain. Effects of increased appetite and male gender on weight gain were significant for olanzapine but not for haloperidol. In study 2, better clinical outcome, lower BBMI, and younger age significantly affected weight gain. Increased appetite was more frequent during olanzapine treatment than during haloperidol, but not significantly different from risperidone. Significant differences in effect on weight change were found between olanzapine and haloperidol but not between olanzapine and risperidone. No evidence was found that lower antipsychotic drug doses were associated with lower weight gain. This report identifies predictive factors of acute weight change in patients with schizophrenia. Similar factors across antipsychotic drugs in predicting greater weight gain included better clinical outcome, low BBMI, and nonwhite race. Factors differing between conventional (haloperidol) and atypical (olanzapine) agents included increased appetite and gender. Choice of atypical antipsychotic drug (olanzapine vs. risperidone) was of minor importance with regard to influence on acute weight gain.

Is math anxiety in the secondary classroom limiting physics mastery? A study of math anxiety and physics performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercer, Gary J.

This quantitative study examined the relationship between secondary students with math anxiety and physics performance in an inquiry-based constructivist classroom. The Revised Math Anxiety Rating Scale was used to evaluate math anxiety levels. The results were then compared to the performance on a physics standardized final examination. A simple correlation was performed, followed by a multivariate regression analysis to examine effects based on gender and prior math background. The correlation showed statistical significance between math anxiety and physics performance. The regression analysis showed statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and prior math background, but did not show statistical significance for math anxiety, physics performance, and gender.

Community level effects of gender inequality on intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy in Colombia: testing the feminist perspective.

PubMed

Pallitto, Christina C; O'Campo, Patricia

2005-05-01

Violence against women, especially by intimate partners, is a serious public health problem that is associated with physical, reproductive, and mental health consequences. The effect of intimate partner violence on women's ability to control their fertility and the mechanisms through which these phenomena are related merit further investigation. Building on findings from a previous analysis in which a statistically significant relationship between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy in Colombia was found, this analysis examines the effect of gender inequality on this association using data from the 2000 Colombian Demographic and Health Survey. Specifically, the objective of this analysis is to explore whether gender inequality (as measured by women's autonomy, women's status, male patriarchal control, and intimate partner violence) in municipalities partially explains the association between intimate partner violence and unintended pregnancy in Colombia. Results of logistic regression analysis with multi-level data show that living in a municipality with high rates of male patriarchal control significantly increased women's odds of having an unintended pregnancy by almost four times. Also, living in a municipality with high rates of intimate partner violence increased one's odds of unintended pregnancy by more than 2.5 times, and non-abused women living in municipalities with high rates of intimate partner violence were at a significantly increased risk of unintended pregnancy. In addition, abused women living in a municipality with high personal female decision-making autonomy had more than a fourfold increased risk of having an unintended pregnancy. These findings demonstrate the need for reproductive health programs to target areas at particularly high risk for unintended pregnancy by reducing intimate partner violence and gender inequality.

Addressing gender inequality and intimate partner violence as critical barriers to an effective HIV response in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Watts, Charlotte; Seeley, Janet

2014-01-01

In Africa, women and girls represent 57% of people living with HIV, with gender inequality and violence being an important structural determinant of their vulnerability. This commentary draws out lessons for a more effective combination response to the HIV epidemic from three papers recently published in JIAS. Hatcher and colleagues present qualitative data from women attending ante-natal clinics in Johannesburg, describing how HIV diagnosis during pregnancy and subsequent partner disclosure are common triggers for violence within relationships. The authors describe the challenges women face in adhering to medication or using services. Kyegombe and colleagues present a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial in Uganda of SASA! - a community violence prevention programme. Along with promising community impacts on physical partner violence, significantly lower levels of sexual concurrency, condom use and HIV testing were reported by men in intervention communities. Remme and her colleagues present a systematic review of evidence on the costs and cost-effectiveness of gender-responsive HIV interventions. The review identified an ever-growing evidence base, but a paucity of accompanying economic analyses, making it difficult to assess the costs or value for money of gender-focused programmes. There is a need to continue to accumulate evidence on the effectiveness and costs of different approaches to addressing gender inequality and violence as part of a combination HIV response. A clearer HIV-specific and broader synergistic vision of financing and programming needs to be developed, to ensure that the potential synergies between HIV-specific and broader gender-focused development investments can be used to best effect to address vulnerability of women and girls to both violence and HIV.