Gender roles as predictive factors on labor pain: a cross-sectional study.

Labor is a complex, subjective experience, and all factors that influence pain should be considered to ensure a comprehensive evaluation. This study aimed to determine whether gender roles were predictive of labor pain. The study has a descriptive and cross-sectional design. It was carried out in a delivery room of a city hospital in Turkey between September 2019 and September 2020. The study sample consisted of 231 primiparous women presenting for labor and delivery. Data were gathered with a descriptive characteristics form, Visual Analogue Scale and The Bem Sex-Role Inventory. Descriptive statistics and simple regression analysis were employed to analyze the obtained data. Regression analysis demonstrated that gender roles were predictive of labor pain in the latent, active, and transitional stages, but not in the second stage. Gender roles were most responsible for labor pain in the latent phase. Results of the study revealed that gender roles may be useful variables to predict women's labor pain, and contributed to the relevant literature. Nurses and midwives offering care for labor pain should consider gender roles as a factor affecting labor pain. It is also necessary to individualize the supporting care given during labor.

Role of men in women's health service utilisation in northern Nigeria: a qualitative study of women, men and provider perspectives.

BACKGROUND: The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey shows poor maternal health in northern Nigeria. Contraceptive use remains low and maternal mortality high. Studies show that cultural norms related to men's decision-making role in the family significantly contribute to this phenomenon. OBJECTIVES: The assessment was designed to identify barriers to service delivery and utilisation of maternal-health and family-planning services in three northern Nigerian states, focusing on aspects of service delivery affected by husband involvement. DESIGN: Qualitative design included 16 focus group discussions and 12 in-depth interviews with facility clients, and 16 in-depth interviews with healthcare providers, in each of the three states. SETTING: Primary healthcare facilities in three northern Nigeria states: Bauchi, Kebbi and Sokoto. PARTICIPANTS: Women who came to the facility for family-planning services (n=233 in 24 focus groups); women who came for antenatal care (n=97 in 12 focus groups); men married to women who either received antenatal care or delivered in a facility (n=96 in 12 focus groups); mothers of newborns who delivered in a facility (n=36) and healthcare providers (n=48). RESULTS: We found gender barriers to contraceptive use and to obtaining maternal healthcare, with some women requiring their husband's permission to use services, even in emergencies. Several supply-side barriers exacerbate the situation. Many healthcare providers would not provide women with a family-planning method without their husbands' presence or approval; some male providers would not admit a woman to deliver in a facility if her husband objected to her being treated by a man and there was no female provider present and some facilities do not have the infrastructure to accommodate men. CONCLUSION: Despite years of programming, barriers to women's family-planning and maternal-health service utilisation persist. State governments in northern Nigeria should invest in additional provider training, improving infrastructure and hiring more female healthcare providers.

[The effects of changes in attitudes toward masculinity in the psychotherapy of depression].

INTRODUCTION: In recent decades, serious changes have been observed in social gender roles. More and more publications have been published regarding the connection between masculinity and mental disorders. Most of the professional guidelines related to major depression have not been adapted yet to social changes in gender roles, or only to a small extent. OBJECTIVE: The authors of the article present the possible influence of masculinity on psychotherapies, focusing on clients suffering from major depressive disorder. METHOD: In our manuscript, we first summarize the psychosocial changes that affect the male gender role in Western societies. After that, we review the possible impact of this transformation on psychotherapies. We mainly deal with the relationship between the onset of major depressive disorder and the male gender role. At the end of our publication, we make recommendations on how to integrate our knowledge of masculinity into the context of therapy. RESULTS: Individual socialization differences related to the male gender role and social expectations can greatly influence the appearance of mental illnesses. Internalized and externalized symptoms should also be taken into account in the recognition and treatment of major depressive disorder. Positive masculinity as a therapeutic framework can be successfully combined with specific psychotherapies in order to personalize the healing process. CONCLUSIONS: In recent years, mental health care sensitive to gender roles has gained more and more space. Although we already have more and more information about how masculinization affects the clinical picture of mental illness, such as major depressive disorder, further studies are needed for more effective diagnosis and therapy.

Gender awareness among the undergraduate medical students: A cross sectional study from Hyderabad, India.

BACKGROUND: Physician trainees need to have robust gender awareness for better professional relationships and patient outcomes. A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate (UG) medical students (MBBS) of a medical college in Hyderabad, India, in November 2022, to assess their gender sensitivity (GS) and gender-role ideologies. METHODS: A pretested, structured English questionnaire was used for the study, to compute the Nijmegen Gender Awareness Scale in Medicine (N-GAMS) of the participants. RESULTS: The mean age of the students was 20.51 years, with the majority being women (112, 61.2%). The mean GS score was 3.11, while the mean scores for gender-role ideology towards patients (GRIP) and gender-role ideology towards doctors (GRID) were 2.56 and 2.56, respectively. In the adjusted analysis, a significantly better GS score was seen among medical students from urban backgrounds. Significantly more egalitarian GRIP was found among women, participants from urban backgrounds, and among those whose mothers were employed. Significantly more egalitarian GRID was found among women and participants whose mothers were employed. There was a significant negative, but low, correlation between the GS domain and the GRIP (r = - 0.241; p < 0.001) and GRID (r = - 0.192; p = 0.009) scores. There was a high, positive correlation between GRID and GRIP (r = 0.812; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Gender awareness is relatively low among Indian medical students and lower still among male students. It was higher among women, particularly among those whose mothers were employed and those who were from urban areas.

Positive and Negative Gender Role Beliefs and Intimate Partner Violence.

An ethnically diverse sample of 384 male and female undergraduates was assessed for their gender role beliefs based on positive (family responsibility) vs. negative (male dominance and female submissiveness) aspects derived from Hispanic cultural traditions. Negative male and female gender role beliefs were significantly positively correlated with reported victimization by and perpetration of severe intimate partner violence (IPV) for both men and women. Positive male gender role beliefs were negatively correlated with reported victimization by and perpetration of IPV for both men and women, with women also providing some evidence that positive female gender role beliefs were associated with less IPV.

Gender role attitudes and fertility intentions: the mediating role of parental sacrifice and the moderating role of subjective well-being.

Gender role attitudes have been shown to play a critical role in individuals' fertility intentions. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. The present study examined whether parental sacrifice mediates the relationship between gender role attitudes and fertility intentions, and whether subjective well-being plays a moderating role. A sample of 446 Chinese adults aged 18 to 45 (Mage = 32.78, SDage = 5.63, 60.93% female) completed the Gender Role Attitude Scale, Parental Sacrifice Scale, Index of Well-Being, and Fertility Attitude Scale. Multiple regression analyses showed that traditional gender role attitudes positively predicted fertility intentions, while egalitarian gender role attitudes negatively predicted fertility intentions. Moreover, parental sacrifice was found to partially mediate the relationship between gender role attitudes and fertility intentions. Additionally, subjective well-being was identified as a moderator of the mediating effect of parental sacrifice. Specifically, for individuals with low subjective well-being, parental sacrifice played a partially mediating role. However, for individuals with high subjective well-being, the mediating effect of parental sacrifice was not significant, and gender role attitudes directly influenced fertility intentions. This study adds to our understanding of the connection between gender role attitudes and fertility intentions of adults, providing important information for policymakers and professionals aiming to promote fertility intentions.

Gentlemen, husbandmen, and industrious wives: The role of gender in imagining Indian agriculture.

The Agricultural and Horticultural Society of India (AHSI), founded in 1820, remains the most important producer of English-language knowledge regarding the cultivation of plants in colonial India. Members included missionaries, colonial officials, tea and indigo planters, merchants and bankers, as well as the Bengali bhadralok elites of Calcutta and some Indian princes. The writings it produced were highly gendered. Often they focus on how "improving" the political economy and agricultural productivity would create masculine identities, such as gentlemen landowners and industrious peasant husbandman. Yet I also argue that women's agricultural work was fundamental in imagining this path towards "improvement." Using descriptions of Indian farming and labor practices from the Society's meeting minutes and published transactions, as well as additional writings by its members and missionary founders, I show how many European members of the Society viewed women working outside of domestic pursuits as a sign of Indian inferiority. At the same time, many argued for the benefits of women's work, which they viewed as fundamental in making Indian households more productive. Women and their labor were a lynchpin in creating the idea of the effeminate Indian man as well as the solution for improving him. It was this intersection of race with gender which helped to define agriculture as a discipline much closer to practical knowledge than abstract science. While some European women were able to participate in the Society's production of scientific knowledge because of agriculture's practical nature, Indian knowledge (whether from men or women) tended to be openly dismissed as tradition or habit rather than truly practical. The overlap of gender with race consequently helped to create a hierarchy between practical knowledge and tradition.

Are Differences Evident in the Ways Boys and Girls Appraise and Interpret Their Traumatic Experiences? A Qualitative Analysis of Youth Trauma Narratives.

The purpose of this study was to explore potential similarities and differences in the ways boys and girls appraise and interpret their traumatic experiences, and better understand how gender roles, performance, and socialization processes may impact trauma experiences, appraisals, and narratives within the context of trauma-focused treatment. We used thematic analysis to analyze the trauma narratives of youth (N = 16) ages 8-16 who had experienced multiple types (M = 5.38) of child maltreatment and who were receiving Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address clinically elevated posttraumatic stress symptoms. Four themes emerged: variations in the content of negative cognitions, differences in relational emotion, adoption of socially prescribed gender roles, and symptom differences. Although many similarities existed in youth's trauma narratives, differences emerged that point to the importance of social context and the ways gender role expectations and socialization processes influence youth's appraisal of and responses to traumatic events. Findings indicate the importance of considering distress tolerance, relational emotion, gender identity development, and role socialization within the treatment milieu.

Promoting men-inclusive maternity services: exploring the expectations, experiences and needs of men as fathers.

AIM: This study aimed to explore the 'real time' expectations, experiences and needs of men who attend maternity services to inform the development of strategies to enhance men's inclusion. METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design was adopted for the study. Semi-structured face-to-face or telephone interviews were conducted with 48 men attending the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital before and after their partner gave birth. Data were coded and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Most respondents identified their role as a support person rather than a direct beneficiary of maternity services. They expressed the view that if their partner and baby's needs were met, their needs were met. Factors that contributed to a positive experience included the responsiveness of staff and meeting information needs. Factors promoting feelings of inclusion were being directly addressed by staff, having the opportunity to ask questions, and performing practical tasks associated with the birth. CONCLUSION: Adopting an inclusive communication style promotes men's feelings of inclusion in maternity services. However, the participants' tendency to conflate their needs with those of their partner suggests the ongoing salience of traditional gender role beliefs, which view childbirth primarily as the domain of women.

Paradoxical gender effects in meat consumption across cultures.

Men tend to eat more meat than women, but it is not clear why. We tested three hypotheses in a cross-cultural design (20,802 individuals in 23 countries across four continents): that gender differences are (a) universal, (b) related to gender roles and thus weaker in countries with higher gender equality and human development, or (c) related to opportunities to express gender roles and thus stronger in countries with higher gender equality and human development. Across all countries, men tended to consume more meat than women. However, this difference increased significantly in countries with greater human development and gender equality. The paradoxical gender gap in meat consumption aligns with previous research that suggests greater differences in behavior across genders in contexts that are more developed and gender equal. We discuss implications for theories of culture and gender as well as practical implications for global meat reduction.

Gender(ed) science: How the institutionalization of gender continues to shape the conduct and content of women's health research.

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, and attributes that a particular society considers appropriate for men and women based on assumptions about biological sex. It also operates as a major social organizing principle that confers unequal power, status, and resources to men and women, with direct consequences for health. Historic patriarchal and misogynistic beliefs and values are reinforced through social institutions, including health science, which reify gender inequities. This commentary examines two key domains in which the social organization and institutionalization of gender in scientific research affect the conduct of women's health research and, by extension, women's health outcomes. These domains are: 1) decisions about which topics are prioritized, researched, and funded and 2) the dissemination of research findings. Using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as a case study to illustrate broader patterns in scientific research, we present evidence of gender-based inequities in what is prioritized, deemed fundable, and disseminated, and how this affects knowledge production and attention to women's health. We highlight efforts and progress made by the NIH and call for additional attention to further address gender-based inequities and their impact on women's health research. We conclude with a call for critical social science analyses-ideally supported by the NIH-of the social organization of health science research to identify points of intervention for redressing deep-seated obstacles to advancing research on women's health.

Experiences of sexist discrimination as a potential explanatory factor for alcohol and drug misuse among Latina young adult women.

RATIONALE: Marianismo beliefs, or traditional female gender role beliefs among Latinas, have been found to serve as risk or protective factors linked with health risk behaviors in prior studies, including alcohol and drug misuse. However, limited research has examined potential factors that may contribute to or explain these associations. Sexist discrimination, which can serve as a significant stressor that may contribute to substance misuse, is one potential factor that may link marianismo beliefs and substance misuse among Latina young adult women. OBJECTIVE: This study examined sexism as a potential mediator of hypothesized negative associations between five marianismo beliefs (Family Pillar, Virtuous and Chaste, Subordinate to Others, Silencing Self to Maintain Harmony, and Spiritual Pillar) and alcohol and drug misuse using structural equation modeling. METHOD: Participants included 611 cisgender Latina full-time college student young adult women in the U.S. ages 18-26 who participated in an online cross-sectional survey about their health and behaviors. RESULTS: Results delineated experiences of sexism as a significant risk factor for alcohol and drug misuse and as a potential explanatory factor that may partly explain associations between certain marianismo beliefs (i.e., Virtuous and Chaste beliefs) and substance misuse. Specifically, experiences of sexism partially accounted for the negative association between endorsement of the Virtuous and Chaste belief and increased alcohol and drug misuse among Latina young adults. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention and intervention efforts should take a culturally responsive, gender-informed approach to address substance misuse among Latina young adults and address the negative influence of sexism on health.

Gender Roles and Mobile Dating Applications: Exploring Links Between User Characteristics and Traditional Gender Expressions in Self-Presentations.

This linkage study examined the prevalence of traditional gender expressions in the textual and visual profile cues on mobile dating applications (MDA) (nbiographies = 396, npictures = 1352) of 396 young adults' (Mage = 22.39 years, SD = 2.86, 73% women) with attention to users' gender, sexual orientation, and platform type. For 184 users (Mage = 22.10 years, SD = 2.91, 75% women) media content data were linked to self-report survey data. Results showed that individuals aligned their self-presentations with traditional gender roles and expectations, and this link depended on their gender. No significant differences according to individuals' sexual orientation or platform type were found. Individuals' (hyper-) gender orientation also related to engagement in traditional gender expressions. Specifically, women with a stronger feminine gender orientation expressed more traditional femininity in their MDA profiles. For men, no significant associations between (aspects of) a masculine gender orientation and expressing traditional masculinity in their MDA profiles were found. Future research should further disentangle selective gendered self-presentations.

Bridging the Gender Gap in Academic Engagement among Young Adults: The Role of Anticipated Future Sex Discrimination and Gender-role Orientation.

Academic engagement is vital for college students, yet existing studies reveal inconsistencies in how gender influences academic engagement. Building upon the statistical discrimination theory and identity-based motivation theory, this study develops an integrated model to examine gender differences in college students' academic engagement. Further, the role that gender-role orientation in influencing academic engagement was investigated. Using a sample of 524 college students (Mage = 21.11, SD = 1.98; 47.7% women) from a large university collected in two time periods, the findings indicate that in the Chinese context, women anticipate higher future sex discrimination than men. However, gender-role orientation restores parity between men and women through a moderated mediation: egalitarian gender-role orientation has a stronger effect on women's anticipated future sex discrimination than on men's, resulting in increased academic engagement of women. The findings highlight the need to consider female students' egalitarian beliefs in gender-related academic research.

The evolution of sex roles: The importance of ecology and social environment.

Males and females often have different roles in reproduction, although the origin of these differences has remained controversial. Explaining the enigmatic reversed sex roles where males sacrifice their mating potential and provide full parental care is a particularly long-standing challenge in evolutionary biology. While most studies focused on ecological factors as the drivers of sex roles, recent research highlights the significance of social factors such as the adult sex ratio. To disentangle these propositions, here, we investigate the additive and interactive effects of several ecological and social factors on sex role variation using shorebirds (sandpipers, plovers, and allies) as model organisms that provide the full spectrum of sex role variation including some of the best-known examples of sex-role reversal. Our results consistently show that social factors play a prominent role in driving sex roles. Importantly, we show that reversed sex roles are associated with both male-skewed adult sex ratios and high breeding densities. Furthermore, phylogenetic path analyses provide general support for sex ratios driving sex role variations rather than being a consequence of sex roles. Together, these important results open future research directions by showing that different mating opportunities of males and females play a major role in generating the evolutionary diversity of sex roles, mating system, and parental care.

Exploring the role of psychological assistance hotlines in improving mental health problems among Chinese adult women: A perspective based on social expectations and gender roles.

This paper looks at how social expectations and gender roles affect the mental health of Chinese women. Traditional Chinese culture, influenced by Confucianism and patriarchy, still has a negative impact on women's mental well-being, despite efforts for gender equality. Women's mental health is vital for both individuals and society, and this study aims to understand these issues better to help shape policies and interventions.

The right time: women, medicine and maternal age in 1980s Aotearoa New Zealand.

In the late twentieth century, increasing numbers of women in wealthy nations waited until they were aged in their 30s to give birth and become parents. This article examines responses to the changing demographics of maternity among social researchers, doctors, pregnant women and mothers in Aotearoa New Zealand. The article analyses raw research data from historical social survey projects The Right Time (interviews completed in 1982-1983) and Motherhood After 30 (1987) by the grassroots organisation the Society for Research on Women in New Zealand.Surveys, statistics and increasingly direct evidence from research participants symbolised modern social life in the mid-twentieth century. Yet, in 1966, women in Wellington, New Zealand concluded that they had been largely ignored in this endeavour. A group of volunteers pledged to produce the missing data and therefore improve policy making. This article analyses the Society's publications and interview schedules to uncover how researchers, medics, pregnant women and mothers forged new connections between age, pregnancy and parenting during the 1980s. During this time, pregnant women advocated for a new model of prepared and mature maternity. A few years on, however, many among them identified the persistence of traditional gender roles that disrupted their plans. At the same time, physicians and public health officials in wealthy nations began to teach women to associate conception at older ages with increased risks, especially of genetic anomalies. Social research archives reveal tensions between these new, population-level recommendations and women's proactive approaches to planning their lives and families. New Zealand's distinctive survey records help to explain the impacts of new medical tests, reproductive technologies and public health recommendations in the context of women's fresh approaches to maternity during the 1980s.

Towards Gender Harmony Dataset: Gender Beliefs and Gender Stereotypes in 62 Countries.

The Towards Gender Harmony (TGH) project began in September 2018 with over 160 scholars who formed an international consortium to collect data from 62 countries across six continents. Our overarching goal was to analyze contemporary perceptions of masculinity and femininity using quantitative and qualitative methods, marking a groundbreaking effort in social science research. The data collection took place between January 2018 and February 2020, and involved undergraduate students who completed a series of randomized scales and the data was collected through the SurveyMonkey or Qualtrics platforms, with paper surveys being used in rare cases. All the measures used in the project were translated into 22 languages. The dataset contains 33,313 observations and 286 variables, including contemporary measures of gendered self-views, attitudes, and stereotypes, as well as relevant demographic data. The TGH dataset, linked with accessible country-level data, provides valuable insights into the dynamics of gender relations worldwide, allowing for multilevel analyses and examination of how gendered self-views and attitudes are linked to behavioral intentions and demographic variables.

Relationship between gender roles, motherhood beliefs and mental health.

Gender roles, as social constructs, play a significant role in shaping individuals' beliefs and attitudes, influencing various aspects of life, including perceptions and expectations surrounding motherhood. These beliefs, acquired through culture and society, can have an impact on our mental well-being. This research consists of three independent studies conducted in the Mexican population. In the first and second studies, we extended the Attitudes Towards Gender Roles Scale and Motherhood Beliefs Scale and performed psychometric validation through exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The aim of including additional items in both scales was to update these attitudes and beliefs in Mexican culture to avoid the traditionalist bias in both instruments. Finally, the third study examined the relationship between the new versions of both scales and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and Positive Psychological Functioning as indicators of mental health in women and men with and without children. Our findings revealed a significant association between higher levels of traditional attitudes towards gender roles and traditional motherhood beliefs, as well as between non-traditional attitudes towards gender roles and non-traditional beliefs about motherhood. Interestingly, we observed that traditional attitudes toward gender roles were associated with lower anxiety and depression scores, while non-traditional attitudes were associated with higher levels of depression. Furthermore, individuals who embraced non-traditional attitudes towards both gender roles and motherhood beliefs tended to exhibit better psychological well-being in all subsamples. Additionally, women generally showed lesser alignment with traditional attitudes towards both gender roles and motherhood beliefs compared to men. However, women reported higher rates of depression and anxiety, along with lower psychological well-being scores, than their male counterparts. This highlights the significant influence that traditional cultural norms about gender roles and motherhood have on women's mental health, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding and reevaluation of these traditional constructs in society.