A tool to assess sex-gender when selecting health research projects.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the questionnaire "Gender Perspective in Health Research" (GPIHR) to assess the inclusion of gender perspective in research projects. DESIGN: Validation study in two stages. Feasibility was analysed in the first, and reliability, internal consistence and validity in the second. WHERE: Aragón Institute of Health Science, Aragón, Spain. PARTICIPANTS: GPIHR was applied to 118 research projects funded in national and international competitive tenders from 2003 to 2012. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: Analysis of inter- and intra-observer reliability with Kappa index and internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha. Content validity analysed through literature review and construct validity with an exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: Validated GPIHR has 10 questions: 3 in the introduction, 1 for objectives, 3 for methodology and 3 for research purpose. Average time of application was 13min Inter-observer reliability (Kappa) varied between 0.35 and 0.94 and intra-observer between 0.40 and 0.94. Theoretical construct is supported in the literature. Factor analysis identifies three levels of GP inclusion: "difference by sex", "gender sensitive" and "feminist research" with an internal consistency of 0.64, 0.87 and 0.81, respectively, which explain 74.78% of variance. CONCLUSIONS: GPIHR questionnaire is a valid tool to assess GP and useful for those researchers who would like to include GP in their projects.

[Can the gender perspective be assessed in research projects?]. / ¿Se puede evaluar la perspectiva de género en los proyectos de investigación?

OBJECTIVE: Gender perspective is a theoretical approach that developed from feminist theories and whose main focus is the analysis of gender inequalities. Integration of this perspective is central to promoting equity in health. The aim of our study was to devise a protocol/questionnaire to assess whether gender is present in research projects and thus help to fill the gap in assessment tools. METHODS: We used a qualitative design with two techniques: group discussion and expert group meetings. The discussion group conducted a dialectical analysis of the basic concepts in research and gender and integrated the results of the discourse produced in the expert group meeting. The drafting of the protocol was organized around the pertinent questions that should be asked at each stage of a research project. RESULTS: The protocol consists of 15 questions: four in the introduction section, two in goals and hypotheses, three in methodology, three in purpose of the study and three to be implemented throughout the research project. CONCLUSIONS: The protocol identifies projects that include a gender perspective. Use of this protocol will improve the quality of research and will help to reduce gender inequities.