Gender sensitivity and stereotypes in medical university students: An Italian cross-sectional study.

Fabrizio Bert,Marta Gea,Edoardo Boietti,Stefano Rousset,Erika Pompili,Eleonora Franzini Tibaldeo,Roberta Siliquini,Giacomo Scaioli,Ramune Jacobsen

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0262324

Abstract

Gender medicine is crucial to reduce health inequalities. Knowledge about students' attitudes and beliefs regarding men, women and gender is important to improve gender medicine courses. The aim of this study is to evaluate gender stereotypes and its predictors in Italian medical students. We performed an online cross-sectional study among students from the University of Turin. We used the validated Nijmegen Gender Awareness Scale in Medicine scale to explore gender sensitivity and stereotypes. Multivariable logistic regression model was performed to explore potential predictors of gender awareness. We enrolled 430 students. Female sex, a better knowledge on gender medicine and having had a tutor aware of gender issues are associated with higher gender sensitivity. Older age, a better knowledge on gender medicine and having had a tutor sensitive to gender issues were predictors of more stereotyped opinions towards patients. Having had a tutor aware of gender medicine, male sex and older age were associated with more stereotypes towards doctors. Italian students have high gender sensitivity and low gender stereotypes. Age, higher knowledge of gender medicine and having had a tutor that considered gender were associated with higher gender stereotypes. Focusing on gender awareness in medical schools can contribute to a better care.

Highlights

Gender medicine is a transversal dimension of medicine, which describes within the same disease the differences of symptoms, clinical evolution, drug therapy and prevention between men and women
This paper focuses on the fourth part of questionnaire, assessing gender sensitivity and gender stereotypes in medical students and their association with socio-demographic features, gender medicine knowledge and training experience regarding gender medicine
The results of this study indicate that our students have high gender sensitivity and low gender stereotypes towards patients and doctors

Summary

Introduction

Gender medicine is a transversal dimension of medicine, which describes within the same disease the differences of symptoms, clinical evolution, drug therapy and prevention between men and women. The goal of gender medicine is to understand the mechanisms through which gender differences influence health, the onset and course of many diseases and the outcomes of therapies [1,2,3]. During clinical practice, gender of doctors and patients influences medical communication, patients’ symptom presentations [4,5] and interpretations of patients’ complaints and signs [6,7]. A Danish study with a sample of 6.9 million patients, reports that women receive a diagnosis of disease 4 years later than men [8].

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Conclusion