Gender Differences In Health Behaviors Research Articles

Gender Differences In Health Behaviors And Depression Of Athlete University Students

Previous studies in the United States suggested that athlete students are likely to engage in health-risk behaviors with negative mental health consequences, and female students are found to experience increased levels of depression than their male peers. Limited evidence from Asia warrants the need for additional research, especially in the context of COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to cessation of competitive sport and increased pressure in sport career. PURPOSE: To compare health behaviors and depression among female and male athlete students in a sport university in China, and explore the association of depression with gender and health behaviors. METHODS: Data were collected from a voluntary sample in Beijing Sport University in March 2021, using an online questionnaire including Health Habits Scale (higher scores, the better health habits), total sedentary time, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Chi-squared tests, t-tests and stepwise logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS: 95 female and 277 male students were included in analysis (n = 372). Compare with males, the scores of females in smoking, drinking and sedentary hours were significantly higher, and the scores in water intake, eating habits and participating in vigorous physical activity (VPA) were significantly lower, see Figure 1. Higher proportion of females reported depression than males, 55.8% vs 40.8%, p < 0.05. Multivariate regression showed that high frequency of adequate sleep (OR = 0.39, p < 0.001) and VPA (OR = 0.69, p < 0.05) and low frequency of overeating (OR = 0.67, p < 0.001) were negatively associated with depression. CONCLUSIONS: Female athletes are more likely to experience depression than males, and they performed worse in physical activity and eating habits. The effect of gender on depression can be mediated by health behaviors. Supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Beijing Sport University (grant number 2021QN014).

Gender Differences of Health Behaviors in the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome for Middle-Aged Adults: A National Cross-Sectional Study in South Korea.

This study examined gender differences in health behaviors for the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) among middle-aged adults using nationally representative data from the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018). The sample included data from 8677 middle-aged adults. The Health Practice Index measured health behaviors, including smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, sleeping, eating breakfast, working hours, nutritionally balanced diet, and mental stress. Complex sample multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between the Health Practice Index (HPI) and MetS. Men and women with poor or moderate HPI scores had significantly higher risks of having MetS than those with good HPI scores. Controlling for covariates, high-risk alcohol use (p < 0.001) and physical activity (p = 0.008) were associated with the risk of MetS in men and women, respectively. Men reporting alcohol use and women lacking a healthy diet were, respectively, 2.056 times (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.056, 95% CI: 1.681–2.514) and 1.306 times (adjusted OR = 1.306, 95% CI: 1.075–1.587) more likely to have increased risks of MetS. Given these gender differences in health behaviors, developing tailored interventions could be beneficial in preventing MetS among middle-aged men and women.

Gender aspects in health behavior, coping with disease and social support : An investigation within the framework of rehabilitation

In the study social support during illness, in health behavior and coping with disease were investigated with respect to the interrelationship with each other and to gender differences. The aim of the study was to examine whether there is agender difference in social support during illness and to highlight the gender aspects of relationships between social support, health behavior and coping with illness. Data on social support were collected from patients by means of aquestionnaire and interviews were conducted with healthcare experts to complement the picture. Women received significantly less positive support than men. This finding matches the experts' views retrieved from the interviews, which also indicated that men receive more support by their social environment than women. Both the literature and the interviews provided similar indications for gender differences in health behavior and coping with disease due to socialization-related influencing factors. This is also reflected in the supportive behavior and corresponding expectations for support of women and men. It can be concluded that the reflection of these gender-specific influencing factors is crucial for the treatment and care of patients and their relatives.

LIFESTYLE AND DIETARY FACTORS ASSOCIATING WITH DEMENTIA STATUS IN THE COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERLY AGED 65 AND OLDER IN A SUBURBAN TOWN OF TOKYO

Background: Dementia is a priority health issue worldwide. Building dementia-friendly communities was discussed at the 32nd International Conference of Alzheimer?s Disease International in April 2017 and followed in May by the adoption of Global Action Plan on the Public Health Response to Dementia by the 70th World Health Assembly (WHO). An unhealthy lifestyle and diet are likely to cause many diseases. Objectives: This study aims to clarify lifestyle and dietary factors associating with dementia status in the community-dwelling elderly aged 65 and older in a suburban town of Tokyo and to clarify gender differences in health behavior. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were mailed to 2,069 elderly people in February 2004 and 1,538 responses were returned by addressees or proxies (response rate; 74.3%). Institutionalized ones were excluded. Analysis subjects were comprised of 52 people with dementia (PWD), 173 people with probable dementia (PPD) and 1,211 cognitively intact people (CIP). Mean age (sd) was 74.03 (6.55) in men and 75.56 (7.27) in women. Descriptive statistics, a chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests and Bonferroni?s multiple comparisons were performed in men and women, respectively. Significance was set at 0.05 (0.017 after Bonferroni correction). Lifestyle items included smoking, alcohol drinking, cooking, breakfast eating, walking/exercise, sleep duration per day including nap, going out, daytime lying duration in bed and the number of hobbies. Dietary items included meat/poultry, soybean products, eggs, oily fish, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, salted fish, deep-/stir-fried food, miso soup/soup, pickled ume plums and pickled vegetables. Results: Significant differences were detected in most lifestyle items except smoking and breakfast eating in men and women. As for dietary items, a significant difference was found only in pickled vegetables in men, however, in women significant differences were detected in items except eggs, salted fish, heavily seasoned food and pickled ume plums. Conclusion: Significant differences in lifestyle were detected in the same items in the CIP men and women. Exercise, social and mental activities like going out and hobbies, moderate alcohol drinking and dietary items above are recommended to prevent or delay the onset of dementia by Alzheimer?s Society. The results of this study showed the same implications. As for dietary items, significant differences were observed in nine out of 13 items in women, while only one item was clarified in men. Health behavior seems to be better in women.

A time-varying effect model for studying gender differences in health behavior.

This study proposes a time-varying effect model that can be used to characterize gender-specific trajectories of health behaviors and conduct hypothesis testing for gender differences. The motivating examples demonstrate that the proposed model is applicable to not only multi-wave longitudinal studies but also short-term studies that involve intensive data collection. The simulation study shows that the accuracy of estimation of trajectory functions improves as the sample size and the number of time points increase. In terms of the performance of the hypothesis testing, the type I error rates are close to their corresponding significance levels under all combinations of sample size and number of time points. Furthermore, the power increases as the alternative hypothesis deviates more from the null hypothesis, and the rate of this increasing trend is higher when the sample size and the number of time points are larger.

Lifestyle behaviors and self-rated health: the living for health program.

Background. Lack of adherence to dietary and physical activity guidelines has been linked to an increase in chronic diseases in the United States (US). The aim of this study was to assess the association of lifestyle behaviors with self-rated health (SRH). Methods. This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from Living for Health Program (N = 1,701) which was conducted from 2008 to 2012 in 190 health fair events in South Florida, US. Results. Significantly higher percent of females as compared to males were classified as obese (35.4% versus 27.0%), reported poor/fair SRH (23.4% versus 15.0%), and were less physically active (33.9% versus 25.4%). Adjusted logistic regression models indicated that both females and males were more likely to report poor/fair SRH if they consumed ≤2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day (OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.30–3.54; OR = 2.86, 95% CI 1.12–7.35, resp.) and consumed mostly high fat foods (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.03–2.43; OR = 3.37, 95% CI 1.67–2.43, resp.). The association of SRH with less physical activity was only significant in females (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.17–2.35). Conclusion. Gender differences in health behaviors should be considered in designing and monitoring lifestyle interventions to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Gender differences of health behaviors and quality of life of Koreans with asthma

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore gender differences in health-behaviors and quality of life (QOL) in Koreans with asthma. Methods: Participants, selected from the 2009 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey VI, included 305 individuals (men = 128, women = 177) with asthma and over 19 years old. Health behaviors were measured by questions about disease management, health choices, and functional and psychological status. QOL was measured with the European Quality of Life-5D (EQ-5D). Results: In health behaviors, 51.3% of women and 37.7% of men suffered from wheezing at rest. About 41% of men and 10% of women were smokers. One half of the participants were not taking medication and this was not significantly different by gender. The number of women with symptoms of depression was significantly higher than men. The EQ-5D index score of women was significantly lower than that of men. Conclusion: Women with asthma were more likely to have psychological problems and discomfort than men. Understanding gender differences in asthma is important to the development of effective, tailored asthma management strategies to cope with symptoms and improve health behaviors and QOL for people with asthma.

Why is the educational gradient of mortality steeper for men?

It is often documented that the educational gradient of mortality is steeper for men than for women; yet, the explanation remains a matter of debate. We examine gender differences in the gradients within the context of marriage to determine whether overall differences reflect gender differences in health behaviors or a greater influence of men's education on spousal health. We used data from the 1986 through 1996 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files for non-Hispanic White adults aged 55-84 years at the time of survey. We estimated Cox proportional hazards models to examine the gradients (N = 180,208). The educational gradient of mortality is marginally steeper for men than for women when aggregating across marital statuses; yet, this reflects a steeper gradient among unmarried men, with low-educated never married men exhibiting high levels of mortality. The gradient among unmarried men is steeper than unmarried women for causes that share smoking as a major risk factor, supporting a behavioral explanation for differences in the gradient. No gender difference in the gradient is observed for married adults. Low education and unmarried status exert a synergistic effect on men's mortality. Unmarried, low-educated men may lack social supports that encourage positive health behaviors.

도시지역 노인의 성에 따른 건강행위 및 관련요인의 차이

도시지역 노인의 성에 따른 건강행위 및 관련요인의 차이

Gender differences in food choice: the contribution of health beliefs and dieting.

Gender differences in health behaviors have been reported in many studies but casual mechanisms have been neglected. This study examines 4 food choice behaviors in a large sample of young adults from 23 countries and tests 2 possible explanatory mechanisms for the gender differences-women's greater likelihood of dieting and women's greater beliefs in the importance of healthy diets. Women were more likely than men to report avoiding high-fat foods, eating fruit and fiber, and limiting salt (to a lesser extent) in almost all of the 23 countries. They were also more likely to be dieting and attached greater importance to healthy eating. Dieting status explained around 22% of fiber choices, and 7% of fruit, but none of the gender difference in salt. Health beliefs explained around 40% of the differences in each of the dietary behaviors and together they explained almost 50%. Gender differences in food choices therefore appear to be partly attributable to women's greater weight control involvement and partly to their stronger beliefs in healthy eating. Further research is needed to understand the additional factors that could promote men's participation in simple healthy eating practices.

Gender differences in psychiatric comorbidity and treatment-seeking among gamblers in treatment

Objectives: To assess the effects of gender on comorbid problems and treatment-seeking among gamblers in treatment and the effects of comorbid problems on participants' gambling Method: Participants completed a survey on comorbid problems and the effects of comorbid problems on their gambling Sample: Seventy-eight adults (40 males, 38 females) enrolled in state-supported outpatient programs or Gamblers Anonymous Results: The majority of participants (53%) had multiple comorbid problems and 38.5% said they had a comorbid problem related to their gambling. Eleven different types of comorbid problems were reported. Females had significantly more comorbid problems than males; females reported problem drinking and both genders reported that depression increased the severity of their gambling problems. Conclusion: Patterns of comorbid problems and treatment-seeking are consistent with well-known gender differences in health behaviors. Clinicians involved in gambling treatment may wish to assess for depressive syndromes and problem drinking and investigate their interaction with their patient's gambling.

The relationships among racial identity, self-esteem, sociodemographics, and health-promoting lifestyles.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between racial identity, self-esteem, sociodemographic factors, and health-promoting lifestyles in a sample of African Americans. African American mortality rates are disproportionately high. These rates are associated with health behaviors that are driven by many factors including lifestyle practices. Other factors may be self-esteem and racial identity. Research shows gender differences in health behaviors, but no studies have explored a racial identity and gender interaction. Exploring these relationships may lead to the improved health status of African Americans. A convenience sample of 224 was recruited consisting of 48% males (n = 108). The mean age was 37.2 years (SD = 12.6). Regression analyses demonstrated that the internalization racial identity stage (beta = .12; p < .001) and self-esteem (beta = .50; p < .001) contributed to the variance in health-promoting lifestyles. Self-esteem did not mediate the relationship between immersion and health-promoting lifestyle scores (beta = -.16; p = .03). The full model Beta values show that racial identity remains significant with sociodemographics and interactions controlled, but moderators do not. Racial identity, while not a strong predictor, has some impact on health-promoting lifestyles regardless of sociodemographics.

Culture and gender diversity in commonsense beliefs about the causes of six illnesses

One hundred seventy-eight subjects attributed a variety of causes to six illnesses/diseases: AIDS, the common cold, diabetes, hypertension, lung cancer, and headaches. Factor analysis of these causal attributions yielded four factors which were more complex than those in the existing literature. Each of the six illnesses was seen as caused by different factors. Ethnic and gender differences in causal attributions also were assessed. Although there were no differences between minorities and whites in the perceived causes of the six illnesses, a number of gender differences did emerge. Women were more likely than men to view illness as caused by Sin and Sex and as a form of punishment. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for ethnic and gender differences in health behavior, health service utilization, and somatic symptoms, and suggestions for future research are offered.