Gender-specific Education Research Articles

Knowledge and Attitude Associated with Use of Performance Enhancing Substances and Methods among Mixed Martial Arts Athletes in Kenya

The use of performance-enhancing substances (PES) among Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athletes has been a growing concern in Kenya, driven by the desire to gain a competitive edge. This study explores the knowledge and attitudes associated with the use of PES, traditional herbs, and food supplements among Kenyan MMA athletes. The cross-sectional survey research design allowed for the collection of quantitative data to understand the athletes' perspectives. Participants in the study included MMA athletes from various regions across Kenya, with a target population of 4,000 athletes and a sample of 800 selected through Population Proportionate to Sample (PPS) technique. The research instruments used were questionnaires divided into two sections: Anti-Doping education and beliefs about PES, traditional herbs, and food supplements. Pre-testing ensured the reliability of the questionnaires. Data analysis utilized SPSS version 22, applying descriptive statistics and One and Two-Way Analysis of Variance to examine mean score differences at a 0.05 significance level. Results indicated that the majority of MMA athletes in Kenya are male (79.9%), with an age range of 18 to 54 years and a mean age of 26.8±4.1. Experience in years varied, with Wrestlers having the most years and Taekwondo athletes the least. Knowledge levels were generally low, with Bodybuilders scoring the lowest in a set of 16 Likert scale questions. Misconceptions about the safety of over-the-counter supplements were prevalent, with only 14.8% of athletes believing they were safe. Attitude scores showed that Bodybuilders and Weightlifters had a more favorable view of doping, while female athletes exhibited a significantly higher attitude score compared to males. The study concludes that there is a need for enhanced Anti-Doping education and awareness programs, particularly focusing on athletes with lower knowledge and attitude scores. Recommendations include implementing gender-specific education, promoting gender diversity in MMA, and strengthening collaboration with sports authorities and Anti-Doping agencies.

Lanka Mahila Samiti, Mary Rutnam and girls’ education

This article engages with the maternal education politics in late colonial Sri Lanka by looking at the implementation of maternal health in the gendered syllabus of middle-class girls’ schools. After...

Gender-Specific Education Status after COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study between Two Adjacent Subdivisions of West Bengal, India

Education plays a crucial role in the empowerment of women. Nearly half of the world's population is female, and women often face barriers to achieve equal opportunities due to the dominance of masculine ideologies. The objective of this study is to compare the gender-specific education status between two neighbouring subdivisions: Barasat-I and Barrackpore-II, in the North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal. Researchers conducted structured interviews randomly within 60 adults to collect data for the study. The study revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the education system, particularly affected women's education. Furthermore, it had been observed that Hindu women were more empowered as compared to Muslim women. Another noteworthy finding was that the individuals lived in Kacha houses had exhibited greater empowerment than those lived in Pucca houses. This study underscores the pressing need to address gender inequalities and provide equal opportunities for female education. The lack of awareness regarding women's rights and government schemes for their welfare highlights the necessity for awareness campaigns and educational programs. Furthermore, recognizing the prevalence of child marriage, the government should proactively implement measures to tackle this issue. To empower women and promote education, governments should expand awareness campaigns, implement policies that ensure equal educational opportunities for girls, and work towards eliminating gender disparities for holistic development.

Digital Health Literacy and Information-Seeking in the Era of COVID-19: Gender Differences Emerged from a Florentine University Experience.

Gender appears to be a strong predictor of online health information-seeking behaviour (OHISB), which is related to Digital Health Literacy (DHL). Gender differences in OHISB have been studied in different countries with different results, but no studies have investigated gender-specific OHISB among University students during the COVID-19 pandemic. We sought to investigate any gender differences in OHISB in the period between the first and second waves of the pandemic in Italian university students. A questionnaire developed by the global COVID-HL network, including existing and adapted validated scales and self-developed scales, was administered to 2996 University students in Florence. Gender differences were tested using the χ2 test or the Mann-Whitney U test. Male students reported a higher score in DHL than females (p < 0.001). However, female students seek COVID-19 information more often on different sources (for themselves and other people), on various topics, consider various aspects of information quality to be "very important'' (p < 0.05) and are more likely to be "often dissatisfied'' or "partly satisfied'' with information (p < 0.001). Our study confirmed gender as an important dimension to explain students' OHISB differences, which could help institutions promote gender-specific education programmes and provide gender-oriented health information.

Digital Health Literacy during COVID-19: gender differences from a Florentine University experience

Abstract Gender appears to be a strong predictor of online health information-seeking behaviour (OHISB). Gender differences in OHISB have been studied in different countries with different results, but no studies investigated gender-specific behaviour among University students during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought with it a consequential infodemic. We sought to investigate any gender differences in OHISB in the period between the first and the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A questionnaire promoted by the COVID-HL network was administered to 2996 students of all the courses at the University of Florence. It included existing validated scales adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic and newly developed scales. Gender differences were tested using the χ2 test or the Mann-Whitney U test, where appropriate. Male students reported a higher score in DHL than females (p &amp;lt; 0.001). However, female students reported using more often different sources for online information seeking (p &amp;lt; 0.05, except for YouTube), searching more corona-related topics (p &amp;lt; 0.05, except for economic and social consequences) and considering ‘‘very important'’ each item in the ‘‘Importance of internet information search'’ section (p &amp;lt; 0.05). Furthermore, female students are more likely to be ‘‘often dissatisfied'’ or ‘‘partly satisfied'’ with information about COVID-19 (p &amp;lt; 0.001) and to search more often for information for themselves and other people. Our study confirmed that gender could affect the way students search for health information on the Internet. Since students, in particular females, have been affected by stress and anxiety during the pandemic, these findings could help institutions to promote gender-specific education programmes to improve students’ DHL and their mental health outcomes, as well as to provide health information that fit specific gender needs. Key messages • Gender influences how university students search on the Internet for health information. • This should guide institutions to better address educational programmes to improve their Digital Health Literacy.

The Effect of Gender-Specific Instruction on Enhancing Student Learning according to Educators’ Perceptions

This study aims to allow educators to give their opinions, perceptions, and interest level regarding gender-specific education in the public-school setting. The researcher drew participants from the school district treating it as a sample. The school district serves a diverse population of 6,233 students with varied socioeconomic backgrounds and ethnicities. Fifty-four percent of the students received free or reduced-price lunches. Approximately 49% of the students were African American, 47% Caucasian, and 4% other, consisting of a mixture of Asian, Hispanic, and other nationalities.&#x0D; &#x0D; The demographics for the 157 participants in the current research were as follows: 57 elementary educators, and 100 secondary educators. Of this sample, twenty-five were men and 132 were women, with an age range of 24-64. A questionnaire was designed consisting of four research questions to address teachers&amp;#39; perceptions regarding the implementation of gender-specific education. The researcher employed two different surveys, one specifically to gather data about boys and another to acquire data about girls. A school district in the southeast United States was chosen to garner K-12 educators&amp;#39; perceptions. The Gender-Specific Education survey was used to collect data from all teachers in the district and is composed of two parts: the first part of the survey ascertains demographic information, while the second part utilizes a five-point Likert scale that addresses teacher&amp;#39;s perceptions, opinions, and level of interest regarding the implementation of gender-specific education. &#x0D; &#x0D; The researcher performed all data analysis using (SPSS) Statistical Software for the Social Sciences version 19. Frequency statistics were performed on the survey instruments, with percentile values. The researcher calculated the dispersion using standard deviation, variance, and mode while noting minimums and maximums. The researcher performed a distribution analysis of skewness and kurtosis, while all results were displayed in pie charts on percentage values. Finally, the order of frequency was noted and in ascending values, with the multiple variables organized by variable numbered output. &#x0D; &#x0D; The findings suggested that: (a) participants perceived gender-specific classes as being positive for male students, (b) the number of neutral responses indicated the lack of knowledge about the effects and outcomes of students in gender-specific settings, (c) participants at the secondary level would consider working in a gender-specific setting.&#x0D; &#x0D; Although this research study resulted in neutral teacher responses and yielded non-significant results, this study will serve to provide a basis for the implementation of other studies and to help policymakers in this school district to provide staff development on gender-specific strategies to the staff currently teaching gender-specific classes.

Incorporating Sex and Gender-based Medical Education Into Residency Curricula.

Emergency medicine (EM) residents do not generally receive sex- and gender-specific education. There will be increasing attention to this gap as undergraduate medical education integrates it within their curriculum. Members of the Sex and Gender in Emergency Medicine (SGEM) Interest Group set out to develop a SGEM toolkit and pilot integrating developed components at multiple residency sites. The curriculum initiative involved a pre- and posttraining assessment that included basic demographics and queries regarding previous training in sex-/gender-based medicine (SGBM). It was administered to PGY-1 to -4 residents who participated in a 3-hour training session that included one small group case-based discussion, two oral board cases, and one simulation and group debriefing. Components of the developed toolkit (https://www.sexandgenderhealth.org) were implemented at four unique SGEM Interest Group member residency programs. Residents (n=82/174, 47%) participated; 64% (n=49) were male and 36% (n=28) were female. Twenty-six percent (n=21) of the residents reported that they had less than 1hour of training in this domain during residency; 59% (n=48) reported they had 1 to 6hours and 16% (n=13) reported they had >6hours. The average preassessment score was 61% and postassessment was 88%. After training, 74% (n=60) felt that their current practice would have benefited from further training in sex-/gender-based topics in medicine during medical school and 83% (n=67) felt their clinical practice would have benefited from further training in this domain during residency. The majority of EM residents who participated in this training program reported that they had limited instruction in this domain in medical school or residency. This initiative demonstrated a method that can be emulated for the incorporation of SGBM educational components into an EM residency training educational day. After training, the majority of residents who participated felt that their current practice would have benefited from further training in sex- and gender-based topics in residency.

The Impact of Women's Health Residency Tracks on Career Outcomes.

Women's health residency tracks within several internal medicine residencies provide gender-specific education to residents. The impact of these programs has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to determine the impact that women's health residency tracks have on career outcomes. The participants in the study were women's health track (WHT) graduates from three different programs. To account for the impact of gender, we also surveyed female graduates who did not participate in WHT from the same programs, paired by year of graduation (non-WHT). Participants completed an online survey and provided a copy of their updated curriculum vitae (CV). Survey responses and CV data were analyzed separately. Of the 218 eligible graduates, 133 completed the survey and 86 provided a CV for a response rate of 63.8%. Regarding clinical care, 31.8% of WHT graduates focused on women's health in practice compared with only 16.1% of non-WHT graduates (Cohen's h 0.43). WHT graduates were more likely to have presented nationally on women's health topics (53.3% vs. 16.7%, p-value 0.030) and teach women's health topics (51.4% vs. 26.7%%, Cohen's h 0.51). WHT graduates were more likely to have assumed a women's health leadership role (34.5% vs. 0.0%, p-value 0.018). Graduates of women's health residency tracks remain involved in women's health in clinical practice, scholarship, teaching, and leadership. While all internal medicine residents should receive comprehensive women's health education, WHTs are an effective way of promoting women's healthcare and scholarship.

Abstract 24: Helping to Educate Women About the Risk of Stroke (HER-Stroke): Initial Results from a Teaching Intervention

Introduction: Recent studies reveal deficiencies in educating women about stroke. The vast majority of stroke education is presented as gender neutral or with a male bias. This study examined if a computer-based, gender-specific education program (HER-Stroke) increased women’s awareness of stroke signs and symptoms. Methods: This 2-phase prospective study with 2-week follow-up examined gender-specific education based on Knowles’ Theory, enrolled 225 women with at least one stroke risk factor from any inpatient setting or neurology outpatient setting. Phase I, 75 women received standard stroke education (Group A). Phase II, 150 women randomized to standard (Group B) vs HER-Stroke education (Group C). Knowledge is scored as the percent of questions answered correctly; confidence is the percent of questions attempted; and accuracy is percent correct of those attempted. Results: Mean age was similar for Group A, B, C (54.4, 57.9, 52.5 years) respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in mean knowledge scores comparing groups A B and C: (69.4%, 71.6%, 69.0%; p=0.67), mean confidence scores for groups A, B, and C respectively (80.8%, 83.2%, 80.2%; p=0.77), or mean accuracy scores for group A B and C (86.2%, 85.6%, 85.0%; p=0.75). Regression analysis revealed that older age was associated with lower knowledge scores (p&lt;.001) and lower confidence scores (p&lt;.001). After controlling for age, the intervention was associated with a statistically significant difference in knowledge and confidence (p&lt;.001). Conclusions: Enhanced efficacy among younger participants may reflect experience and comfort using technology. While the intervention was not associated with a change in overall scores, after controlling for age there was a statistically significant difference among groups. Further research including unmeasured covariates is needed to explore optimal stroke education formats for older learners.

Update: A Review of Women's Health Fellowships, Their Role in Interdisciplinary Health Care, and the Need for Accreditation.

While Women's Health (WH) Fellowships have been in existence since 1990, knowledge of their existence seems limited. Specialized training in WH is crucial to educate leaders who can appropriately integrate this multidisciplinary field into academic centers, especially as the demand for providers confident in the areas of contraception, perimenopause/menopause, hormone therapy, osteoporosis, hypoactive sexual desire disorder, medical management of abnormal uterine bleeding, office based care of stress/urge incontinence, and gender-based medicine are increasing popular and highly sought after. WH fellowship programs would benefit from accreditation from the American Board of Medical Subspecialties and from the American College of Graduate Medical Education, as this may allow for greater recruitment, selection, and training of future leaders in WH. This article provides a current review of what WH trained physicians can offer patients, and also highlights the added value that accreditation would offer the field. Ultimately, accrediting WH fellowships will improve women's health medical education by creating specialists that can serve as academic leaders to help infuse gender specific education in primary residencies, as well as serve as consultants and leaders, and promote visibility and prestige of the field.

Emergency Medicine Gender-specific Education.

The 2014 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference has taken the first step in identifying gender-specific care as an area of importance to both emergency medicine (EM) and research. To improve patient care, we need to address educational gaps in this area concurrent with research gaps. In this article, the authors highlight the need for sex- and gender-specific education in EM and propose guidelines for medical student, resident, and faculty education. Specific examples of incorporating this content into grand rounds, simulation, bedside teaching, and journal club sessions are reviewed. Future challenges and strategies to fill the gaps in the current education model are also described.

EDucation &amp; GEnder. Gender-specific education in different countries: historical aspects – current trends

EDucation & GEnder is written for researchers and students. But the book has broader significance. It’s an eye-opener for anyone interested in gender and racial equity, socialising children through education, and the change process itself. Feminists and social activists will discover (or rediscover) from the trends and histories of the 12 countries portrayed in EDucation & GEnder just how hard it is to achieve lasting social change. A battle won today is not necessarily a secured gain tomorrow! Interest, understanding and commitment come in waves; agents of change and thought leaders shift, and battles need to be fought again and again. Most of the countries examined have been working for decades – a few go back centuries – to overcome stereotypes that limit the role of women in society. The focus is on the power of education and the schooling of girls (and boys). The forces of change are virtually identical across the cultural settings studied. (Common sense alone suggests that they are applicable elsewhere, including my own country, the USA.) Those forces are: Politics! Religion! The Media! Education Policy! Women’s Organisations! Although specifics vary by culture, EDucation & GEnder shows that regardless of national context all of these forces have a powerful role in shaping public social attitudes about the proper role of women and girls. Acting alone or in concert, they either promote new social thinking or restrict it. In progressive periods, the countries have made substantial gains in gender equality education. In regressive periods, those gains are often reversed. In some cases, change for the good has been inspired by democratic impulses, an admired nation, or a single leader. Some has been sparked by international pressure, especially the United Nations’ long commitment to gender equality. Some has come from

The Impact of Single-Sex Education on African American Reading Achievement: An Analysis of an Urban Middle School’s Reform Effort

IntroductionThe academic underperformance of African American students continues to be a serious issue in American public schools. Despite the increased rhetoric surrounding the racial disparities in American public schools, evidence suggests that African American student achievement continues to lag (Schott Foundation, 2008). Most notably, African American male achievement continues to cause concern for communities, school systems, and policymakers. According to Few (2004), by the time they reach high school 42% of African American boys have failed at least one grade level. Furthermore, African American males are overrepresented in special education and remedial courses, grossly underrepresented in gifted and talented programs, and disciplined at disproportionately high rates (Schott Foundation, 2008). As a consequence, African American males attending urban public schools continue to be represented at the bottom rung of virtually every measure of student achievement (Polite & Davis, 1999; Schott Foundation, 2008). Consequently, African American males are among the most at-risk subgroups being educated in American public schools.According to Kunjufu (2002) and Porter (1998), the academic underperformance of African American males is nothing less than an epidemic that continues to limit the academic and career opportunities for millions of African American males. Nationally, less than 50% of African American males graduate from high school, and less than 8% of African American males earn college degrees (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2006; Schott Foundation, 2008). These rates of school completion for African American males correlate with high rates of incarceration, high rates of unemployment, poor health, and a limited overall quality of life (Gibbs, 1998; Lips, 2008). The Kaiser Foundation (2006) supported Harrison's and Beck's findings when it presented data showing that by 2005 more than 10% of African American males between the ages of 18 and 29 were incarcerated. In terms of unemployment rates, in 2006 the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that 19.5% of African American males were jobless. This rate of unemployment was more than double the unemployment rate for White and Hispanic males. These data lend support to Kunjufii's notion that the American public schools have been ineffective in meeting the academic needs of African American males (Kunjuiu, 2002). All of these facts underscore a troubling reality for African American males during their time as public school students and thereafter.Reemergence of Single-Sex SchoolsIn 2006, President George W. Bush and Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings enacted legislation that would permit single-sex education as a public school option. The intent of this legislation was to provide increased flexibility in which schools could better address the needs of a rapidly changing and diverse student population. In other words, a concept that single-sex education can better serve the needs of urban, African American students was posed (Aranti, 2007; Hubbard & Datnow, 2005; Maryland State Department of Education, 2006). Consequently, single-sex education as a public schooling option is a topic that continues to draw interest and a great deal of debate among school officials, policymakers, parents, and researchers.Single-Sex Education as an Urban School ReformAmerican public schools are in dire need of reforms that better account for the very distinct and complex needs of African American male students. Single-sex education is among the newest and most intriguing reform efforts being implemented in schools where low academic achievement for African American students persists. Notable urban school districts including Baltimore, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. are among the many school districts that are now offering gender-specific education. However, research on single-sex education in public schools, especially in urban districts, remains limited (Datnow, Hubbard, & Woody, 2001). …

Exploring Grade Levels and Gender Differences in Numeracy Thinking Among Secondary School Students

Numeracy becomes important in the Malaysian context, when the Prime Minister lit the switch on Numeracy and emphasized its salience in the10th Malaysia Plan as the foundation to build the first world talent base and the realization of Vision 2020. Taking this as the cue, this study was initiated to explore the grade levels (Form 1, Form 2 and Form 4) and gender differences in Numeracy thinking among secondary school students. This is a descriptive correlation design using stratified purposive random sampling where a total of 414 students, aged 12-16 years old, from six schools participated in this study. All these students had obtained an A grade in their Mathematics examination. The instrument used was the Numeracy Test to assess their Numeracy thinking. The finding revealed that there was a significant difference in the Numeracy performance between the grade levels. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the results between students in Form 2 and Form 4. This seems to suggest that very little Numeracy development occurred among the Form 4 students as they went through Mathematics learning from Form 2 to Form 4. The overall students performance was low (mean=36.99 (max =66), SD=7.56) taking into consideration that these students had obtained an A grade in their examination. This finding is a damning indictment of the examination orientated education and raises questions about the validity of National examination results of Mathematics grades. The finding on gender analysis indicated that female students were outperformed by their male counterparts in the Numeracy assessment across all levels and these differences were statistically significant. Considering these differences, one must ask oneself the salient question: “Is our education system catering the need of both gender and are we giving the right emphasis?” This is a seminal point that should be pondered upon. It is recommended that further research about gender-specific education should be undertaken to analyse these situations.

Gender-Specific Spatial Interactions on Dutch Regional Labour Markets and the Gender Employment Gap

Noback I., Broersma L. and van Dijk J. Gender-specific spatial interactions on Dutch regional labour markets and the gender employment gap, Regional Studies. This paper analyses gender-specific employment rates and the gender employment gap in Dutch municipalities for 2002. The novelty of this analysis is that it takes into account the extent to which gender-specific education, income, and unemployment influence the male and female employment rates and gender gap. Men and women often do not compete for the same jobs, but rather it is found that high male unemployment has an indirect, positive significant effect on female employment rates. The gender employment gap narrows with female education and in urban areas and it widens with the care-prone age composition of the municipal population.

Going Against the Grain: Gender-specific Media Education in Catholic High Schools

The Catholic Church has addressed the power of media, as well as the critical importance of understanding and educating Catholic youth on the media’s role and place in modern culture. In this article, the narratives of female Catholic teachers are prioritized to illustrate how gender-specific media education influences the schooling experiences of female high school youth. Eleven Catholic teachers participated in critical media literacy workshops to address the need to both understand and counter the powerful and often dangerous media messages targeted at girls. This is an exploratory study attempting to understand the possibilities of gender-specific education for our Catholic youth. A media literacy framework provides the lens through which the researcher analyzes the data and asserts that gender-specific media education provides a space for Catholic girls to engage in academic and faith-based acts of inquiry in innovative and relevant ways. As a result, gender-specific media education sets the stage for the development of female Catholic voices.

Gender differences in mental health literacy among Chinese-speaking Australians in Melbourne, Australia

This study attempted to understand gender differences in knowledge of mental illness, preference for professional help, and medications and treatment methods among Australians of Chinese-speaking background. This study adopted a cluster convenience sampling method in which subjects were taken from the four major areas in cosmopolitan Melbourne where most Chinese people are living. A total of 200 Chinese-speaking Australians participated in the study. They were presented with two vignettes describing an individual with acute depression or acute schizophrenia and then questions were asked to assess their understanding of the conditions, preference for professional help, medications and treatment methods. More female than male respondents could correctly identify the conditions in the two vignettes. Female participants also perceived medications to be relatively more harmful than their male counterparts. In contrast, there were significantly more males than females who adhered to traditional views on the causation of mental illness; had significantly higher percentages of endorsement of 'deal with it alone'; believed 'traditional Chinese medical doctor' and 'Chinese herbal medicines' to be helpful to the person in the schizophrenia vignette; and significantly endorsed 'psychiatric ward', 'electro-convulsive treatment', 'changing fungshui' and 'traditional Chinese worship' to be helpful for the persons in both vignettes. A combination of factors, which included age, duration of migration and traditional Chinese cultural values, were put forward to explain the above differences. Campaigns to improve the mental health literacy of Chinese-speaking Australians must take into account the gender differences between male and female Chinese-speaking Australians so that culturally relevant and gender-specific education programmes can be developed.

The Australian diabetes educators’ skills and readiness for the tsunami of diabetes in the 21st century

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify the knowledge, skills and practices of diabetes educators in relation to teaching and learning. Design: Quantitative and qualitative analysis of an online survey. Setting: Diabetes educators across Australia. Subjects: A convenience sample self‑selected from the Australian Diabetes Educators Association (ADEA) data base.Main Outcome Measures: Attributes and barriers to effective teaching and learning. Results: The survey response rate was 16.2% (n=212) of the 1306 ADEA members. 79% were aged &gt;40years and 10% were &gt;60years; 93% were female; and 34% worked in the role of diabetes educator full‑time. ADEA respondents spent 50% of their day on client education; 20% on administration; and 30% equally distributed between research, quality improvement, staff education and other duties. Barriers to effective teaching and learning were a lack of time, resources and issues associated with bedside teaching. Text responses indicated the desire to provide individualised, culturally, age and gender specific education. The majority of respondents (range 99.1%‑95.5%, p=0.000) reported that providing education that allowed informed choices; helping clients learn from their choices and decisions; collaboratively writing goals and objectives; developing specific and tailored education programmes; teaching in a way that matched the clients’ experiences; using interpreters; and involving families or significant others, were important. Conclusion: Respondents were aware of the teaching and learning needs of their clients. However strategies to address barriers to effective teaching and learning and the need to maintain advanced skills and knowledge in the context of continuously changing practice and client demographics need to be considered.