Gender-related Inequalities Research Articles

Women Acute Myocardial Infarction-Identifying and Understanding the Gender Gap (WAMy-GAP): A Study Protocol.

Barriers to accessing care and misinterpretations of ischemic heart disease symptoms due to lack of awareness contribute to women's delay in seeking care. Women may delay seeking treatment for up to 3 h or even up to 5 days. They often perceive themselves to be at low risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and prioritize family responsibilities or household chores. The causes of this delay are multifactorial and influence the decision-making process, particularly in the pre-hospital phase. The objective of this study protocol is to evaluate prodromal symptoms and identify risk behaviors in women with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This is a protocol for a multicenter study that will be conducted using the mixed-method methodology using the McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptom Survey (MAPMISS) to evaluate symptoms and semi-structured interviews to investigate behaviors. This study protocol is intended to fill an important knowledge gap on premonitory and acute symptoms of AMI in women in Italy, as well as to understand the causes and mechanisms underlying delays in accessing healthcare services during an acute event such as AMI. The investigation of this issue will facilitate the removal of gender-related inequalities in the diagnosis and treatment of acute myocardial infarction while also fostering dialogue on the barriers to behavior change.

Nurturing multiculturalism in Iranian EFL teacher education: an in-depth scrutiny of experts’ and teachers’ perceptions

Given that Iran is the host of a variety of cultures characterized with diverse languages, viewpoints, and customs, the empty place of multiculturalism in its ELT system is deeply felt. The present study sought to tackle multiculturalism in EFL teacher education in the context of Iran by exploring Iranian EFL experts’ and teachers’ perceptions. The participants of this study consisted of the two groups. The first group included 15 male and female multicultural education experts. The second group of the participants included of 60 (30 males and 30 females) Iranian EFL teachers. To collect the required data, a demographic information scale, two semi-structured interviews and an audio-reflective journal were used. Data analysis was done via qualitative thematic analysis by MAXQDA. As revealed by the results, several themes were extracted as the components of the multicultural EFL teacher education, as uncovered by the experts’ views some of which include Eliminating Race-Related Inequalities, Eliminating Gender-Related Inequalities, and Eliminating Social Class-Related Inequalities. Moreover, the Necessary Communicative Skills, Positive Thinking, Difference Acceptance, and Multicultural Content, Various Evaluation Methods were found as some of the extracted EFL teachers’ perceptions of multicultural EFL teacher education. The findings have some implications for different groups of stakeholders including EFL teachers, teacher educators and teacher education material developers who can take useful insights from the findings in teaching EFL, educating student-teachers and developing future curricula, respectively.

The Significant Factors Influencing Individual’s Perceptions of Pay Gap

Various studies have shown that there exist gender-related inequalities in employee compensation. Yet, individuals may also develop affective and behavioural outcomes based on their perceptions of whether they experience such inequalities or observe such inequalities (dis) favouring others. This paper seeks to examine the different factors that could be linked to individuals' pay gap perceptions. The study aims to analyze how demographic factors can significantly impact individuals' perceptions of the pay gap by looking at the relationship between the two variables, where the demographic factors are the independent variable and the perceptions become the dependent variable. The survey was made by adapting from two previous studies about gender discrimination. Hypotheses were tested by utilizing a hierarchical linear regression through SPSS with a sample size of 217 participants from 3 continents: Europe, Asia, and America. Findings showed that gender, age, marital status and equity sensitivity are significantly linked to pay gap perceptions. Specifically, the study found that individuals reported higher pay gap discrimination against their own gender and benefitting the opposite gender. The limitations of this study include its small sample size and cross-sectional design, which affects the generalizability of its findings. This research contributes to the literature on employee compensation, as it features some factors that are linked to individual pay gap perceptions. Theoretically, the paper suggests that self-serving bias and gender role theories potentially influence individuals’ wage and justice perceptions. The paper also provides insights that could help HR professionals design better compensation and communication practices.

Building bridges: multidisciplinary teams in tuberculosis prevention and care.

People with or affected by tuberculosis (TB) experience complex social and cultural constraints that may affect treatment outcomes by impeding access to proper care or by hindering treatment adherence. Low levels of health literacy which leads to inadequate disease information; stigma, discrimination and other forms of prejudice that may result in marginalisation and ostracisation; and socioeconomic vulnerabilities that hamper one's capacity to access essential goods or increase the risk of exposure to the disease are some of the barriers highlighted. These complex hurdles are also disproportionately felt by people with or affected by TB due to gender-related inequalities that need to be properly addressed. Additionally, TB prevention and care should encompass interventions aimed at improving and promoting mental health, given that mental unhealth may further thwart treatment adherence and success. A multifaceted and multidisciplinary approach to TB is required to answer these complex barriers.

Impact of gender inequality on the educational and career development of young epileptologists in Italy: A survey of the Young Epilepsy Section – Italian chapter

ObjectiveThe Young Epilepsy Section-Italian chapter (YES-I) is the Italian section of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE)-YES. It was founded in 2019 with the aim of increasing the involvement of young epileptologists within scientific associations and facilitating their educational training. The Education and Career Task Force designed a survey on the impact of gender inequality on the educational and professional growth of young epileptologists. MethodsThe survey was proposed via QR code during the 43rd National Congress of the Italian League Against Epilepsy (Padua, 8–10 June 2022), and subsequently distributed via email until 7th September 2022. ResultsOf the respondents, 73.6% were female. Of note, 51% of the entire sample answered that they found “no impact” of gender on educational activities (64.3% male against 46.1% female). Only 10% of women stated they have seen very much gender-related inequality in their education or career. However, the majority of our cohort (66%) thought that gender had a negative impact on progression within a scientific society, as well as in female leadership roles in clinical practice (67.9%). Furthermore female medical staff received little work recognition (56.6%). Lastly, 83% of responders did not have children, and only 37.7% declared their colleagues to be empathic in relation to absences for family emergencies. ConclusionsLack of awareness of the gender inequality issue might explain inconsistencies in the findings of our survey. Despite the remarkable progress of women rights over the last century, our survey suggests that disparities in academic and decision-making roles exist also in the epileptology field.

Perception and Attitude of First-Year Medical Students on Studying Human Anatomy Through Cadaver Dissection (Online Streaming) – A Survey Investigation

In medical colleges, cadaveric dissection is an effective anatomy teaching method. Cadaveric dissections put students at the center of learning and show structures in their natural environment. However, most students dislike autopsy dissection since it's tedious and time-consuming. Thus, our study examined first-year medical students' attitudes toward dissection to learn anatomy. After the semester, students received a 3-domain questionnaire on preparedness, attitude, and restrictions. All information was gathered and recorded anonymously using Google forms. Each domain has many questions that add up to a score that shows how well they are prepared and how far online learning can go. One hundred MBBS first-year students participated in online anatomy lessons. After online courses, consenting students completed Google feedback forms regarding their experiences, which were examined and quantified. One hundred students completed the questionnaire and provided comments. Online courses were the most fantastic method to study human anatomy in medical school, according to 97.2%. Only 32.8% of students were uneasy, utilizing visuals to illustrate the softer aspects. Students' emotions and attitudes during corpse dissection varied by gender. Online was more appealing to males than women. Students prefer online courses over image-based ones because of the flexibility of time management and seating configuration. The statistical analysis revealed significant gender-related inequalities in student opinions. Other medical students showed similar variances at various phases of the research. The online anatomy classes for AVMC&H medical students were easy and enjoyable and utilized the "steeplechase" method. Our study shows the pros and cons of online education. Trainers/instructors should examine using online live forms as an instructional tool in anatomy training and generate new anatomy-related films for formal live teaching in the medical curriculum to accomplish this goal. However, additional study is needed to determine how much online education affects student learning and training.

DIMENSIONS OF GENDER (IN) EQUALITY IN INDIA- A COMPARATIVE STUDY AMONG STATES OF INDIA

Abstract
 This study takesup” Dimensions of Gender Equality in India.”While examining the dimensions the researchers compares the gender development index reports of states in India Gender equality-a driver for economic growth, matters in its own right,and as as pre requisite for the health and development of families and economies. The term gender equality has been on the corpet for the past two decades. The millennium development goals set gender equality and women empowerment at 3 rd place. Earlier women empowerment had been assessed interns of access to resources and later on moved to control over resources. The resources include physical resources. Fiscal resopurces, financial resources and intellectual resources. The term empowerment has been pronounced with the term empowerment after the millennium year. The post 2015 framework present a unique opportunity to build on the achievement of the millennium development goal, while also addressing that lag behind. The sustainable development goal also set Gender equality at fifth place. The reason is that Gender inequality persists everywhere and stagnates the progress of a country. The un equal treatment or perceptions of the individuals on the basis of gender have been witnessed not only in developing countries like India, but also in developed countries aswell. Gender related inequality in human well being is one of the most crucial issues in many states in India.The female dis advantage in survival is the important dimension that has drawn the attention of policy makers. InIndia the situation is not even among the states; Kearela has lesser discrimination while Odissa has higher discrimination. The sex ratio is also high in kerela which shows positive symptoms of women empowerment. Maharastra introduced property rights for women. Its percapita income is high compared to kerela but GDI is low. Female Education growth in kerela promotes gender equality.Has education alone dis appear inequalities is the million dollar question? Per capita income is not so high in kerela as compared to other southern states.
 
 The study examines gender equality on the basis of Gender Development Index, which measures gender gap in human development by accounting disparities between men and women in three dimensions of human develoipme3nt, a long and healthy life, knowledge and a decent standard of living. The global gender gap report places India at 135 out of 146 countries. India has moved from 140 to 135 from last year. Though India is moving towards one of the developed nations in the world, Gender inequality pulling its growth. Which factor is hindering the SGDs 5 the goal gender equality in India? The issue of gender inequality had been in the lime light in all academic conferences, seminars and symposiums. Why gender inequality prevails in higher degree in some states of India? What are the policy measures have to be pinned up? What are the measures to be added in those states? Any other indicators to be included along with HDI indicators? These are the research questions to be addressed. This paper is an attempt made by the researchers to address these issues

The Qualitative Study of Gender Bias in Medicine: The Cyclic Effect

ABSTRACT Background: The development of a medical workforce that enables universal access to safe, just, and equitable healthcare is hampered by gender-related inequality and disparity. Aim: Our goal in this study is to comprehend how gender prejudice has a cyclical impact that spreads from the fields of education and research to clinical practice. Materials and Methods: We conducted a qualitative study in which we collected information from faculty members and MBBS students through individual interviews. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed thematically. Results and Discussion: The participants reported a culture that reinforces gendered standards in both education and clinical practice. There is a gender bias in mentoring, learning support, and reading materials offered to students, which often spills into clinical practice and impacts how healthcare is delivered. Conclusion: According to our research, there is a cyclic effect of women’s exclusion in medical education, research, and clinical practice that is caused by gender bias. These results highlight the need for gender-just systems of education, research, and clinical care to successfully address gender prejudice.

The clock is ticking: contexts, tensions and opportunities for addressing environmental justice in sport management

PurposeThis paper aims to explore what environmental justice (EJ) can offer to sport management research and highlights the urgency for sport management scholars interested in environmental and ecological issues to engage with EJ as an important research agenda.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is primarily a position and conceptual paper. Drawing from multidisciplinary literature (e.g. critical human geography, environmental sociology, Indigenous studies and postcolonial studies), it provides an overview of the major conceptualizations of EJ and discusses important premises for sport management researchers to engage with EJ topics.FindingsEJ offers opportunities for sport management researchers to form stronger analyses on existing racial, socio-economic, and gender-related inequities manifest in the sport industry. The incorporation of EJ can strengthen the emerging sport ecology research in sport management and offer opportunities for sport management researchers to form stronger analyses on existing racial, class and gender-related inequities manifest in the sport industry.Originality/valueIt provides a critical and original intervention to the sport management literature. EJ's emphasis on power and its position at the convergence of social movements, public policy, and scholarship hold important potential for sport management researchers to advance scholarship with “actions,” addressing environmental harms and seeking practical solutions for enhancing communities' well-being.

Addressing Gender-Related Inequality in Continence Care

Addressing Gender-Related Inequality in Continence Care

To what extent has micro-financing been impactful in reducing gender-related inequalities in India?

In 2019, India was ranked 123rd on the Gender Inequality Index (GII) with a score of 0.488, and it grappled with a significant gender gap in its labor force participation, amounting to 55.9% ["Gender Inequality Index" data]. Women in India encountered substantial levels of structural violence, defined as violence stemming from societal structures that perpetuate oppression [Heywood, 426]. This took various forms, including traditional constraints on education and employment opportunities, poverty, and physical, sexual, and emotional violence. These factors resulted in an unequal distribution of power, compelling women to assume subordinate roles in society and hindering their ability to achieve equal status, authority, and prosperity in the long run [Singh and Singh].Postcolonial feminists often argue that women can play pivotal roles in development and poverty reduction initiatives, provided they are given local ownership and the opportunity to defy stereotypes portraying them as disempowered, impoverished, and under-educated [Heywood, 437]. One model that aligns with this vision is microfinance, which establishes self-help groups and offers access to loans for low-income families, enabling them to establish small businesses or enhance agricultural projects. To explore the extent of microfinance's impact in reducing gender-related inequalities in India, this report conducts a series of interviews with experts in the field.

Planetary sleep medicine: Studying sleep at the individual, population, and planetary level.

Circadian rhythms are a series of endogenous autonomous oscillators that are generated by the molecular circadian clock which coordinates and synchronizes internal time with the external environment in a 24-h daily cycle (that can also be shorter or longer than 24 h). Besides daily rhythms, there exist as well other biological rhythms that have different time scales, including seasonal and annual rhythms. Circadian and other biological rhythms deeply permeate human life, at any level, spanning from the molecular, subcellular, cellular, tissue, and organismal level to environmental exposures, and behavioral lifestyles. Humans are immersed in what has been called the "circadian landscape," with circadian rhythms being highly pervasive and ubiquitous, and affecting every ecosystem on the planet, from plants to insects, fishes, birds, mammals, and other animals. Anthropogenic behaviors have been producing a cascading and compounding series of effects, including detrimental impacts on human health. However, the effects of climate change on sleep have been relatively overlooked. In the present narrative review paper, we wanted to offer a way to re-read/re-think sleep medicine from a planetary health perspective. Climate change, through a complex series of either direct or indirect mechanisms, including (i) pollution- and poor air quality-induced oxygen saturation variability/hypoxia, (ii) changes in light conditions and increases in the nighttime, (iii) fluctuating temperatures, warmer values, and heat due to extreme weather, and (iv) psychological distress imposed by disasters (like floods, wildfires, droughts, hurricanes, and infectious outbreaks by emerging and reemerging pathogens) may contribute to inducing mismatches between internal time and external environment, and disrupting sleep, causing poor sleep quantity and quality and sleep disorders, such as insomnia, and sleep-related breathing issues, among others. Climate change will generate relevant costs and impact more vulnerable populations in underserved areas, thus widening already existing global geographic, age-, sex-, and gender-related inequalities.

Health and Care Dependency of Older Adults in Dresden, Germany: Results from the LAB60+ Study.

As the population in Europe ages, an increased focus on the health of older adults is necessary. The purpose of the population-based LAB60+ study was to examine the current health and care situation of the population of older adults in Dresden, Germany, and to assess the effect of age, gender, and socioeconomic status (SES) on health outcomes. In the first half of 2021, 2399 out of 6004 randomly sampled residents of Dresden aged 60 years or older answered questions on their chronic conditions, care dependency, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and well-being, among others. Of the participants, 91.6% were afflicted with at least one chronic condition, and 73.1% had multimorbidities. More than one-tenth (11.3%) of participants were care dependent. Lower levels of HRQoL and well-being were observed compared to a published German reference population, perhaps because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Gender differences were observed for some chronic health conditions, and women had a higher risk for lower HRQoL, well-being, and depressivity compared to men. A low SES was associated with a higher risk of the vast majority of health outcomes. Particularly, socioeconomic factors and gender-related inequalities should be considered for the development of prevention and health-promoting measures during late life.

Gender-Related Inequality in Childhood Immunization Coverage: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of DTP3 Coverage and Zero-Dose DTP Prevalence in 52 Countries Using the SWPER Global Index.

Gender-related barriers to immunization are key targets to improve immunization coverage and equity. We used individual-level demographic and health survey data from 52 low- and middle-income countries to examine the relationship between women’s social independence (measured by the Survey-based Women’s emPowERment (SWPER) Global Index) and childhood immunization. The primary outcome was receipt of three doses of the diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP3) among children aged 12–35 months; we secondarily examined failure to receive any doses of DTP-containing vaccines. We summarized immunization coverage indicators by social independence tertile and estimated crude and adjusted summary measures of absolute and relative inequality. We conducted all analyses at the country level using individual data; median results across the 52 examined countries are also presented. In crude comparisons, median DTP3 coverage was 12.3 (95% CI 7.9; 16.3) percentage points higher among children of women with the highest social independence compared with children of women with the lowest. Thirty countries (58%) had a difference in coverage between those with the highest and lowest social independence of at least 10 percentage points. In adjusted models, the median coverage was 7.4 (95% CI 5.0; 9.1) percentage points higher among children of women with the highest social independence. Most countries (41, 79%) had statistically significant relative inequality in DTP3 coverage by social independence. The findings suggest that greater social independence for women was associated with better childhood immunization outcomes, adding evidence in support of gender-transformative strategies to reduce childhood immunization inequities.

Towards Gender Equality in The Cambodian Labor Market – Gender Gaps Prevent Females from Stable Income Generation

Cambodia has enjoyed a decade of macroeconomic stability and growth and is increasingly integrating with the region. Nevertheless, a few topics remain challenging as Cambodia strives for middle-income status by 2030. One of these is gender disparity in the labor market. While Cambodia has one of the highest female labor market participation rates in Asia, most women still face horizontal and vertical gender inequality. Such gender disparities in the labor market negatively affect the macroeconomic efficiencies of developing countries as well as stable income generation of females. As the social development of modern civilizations is based highly on gender equality, gender stereotypes are likely to prevent Cambodia from transforming into a society of equal opportunity. While a previous World Bank quantitative research report provided statistical insights into gender-related inequality in Cambodia (Gavalyugova & Cunningham 2019), many constraints underlying gender inequality in the labor market remained largely unclear. In order to develop new programs concentrating on increasing female involvement in the labor market, it is necessary to investigate the problems and challenges women face when entering the labor market in Cambodia. To contribute to filling this knowledge gap, this study collected and analyzed qualitative data. Qualitative focus group discussions and key informant interviews were held to gain a deeper understanding of mechanisms underlying gender disparities in the Cambodian labor market.

Occupational health, frontline workers and COVID-19 lockdown: new gender-related inequalities?

IntroductionThe abrupt onset of COVID-19, with its rapid spread, has had brutal consequences in all areas of society, including the workplace. In this paper, we report the working conditions, health,...

Using body mapping to explore gender with adolescents in Uttar Pradesh

ABSTRACT Young women and girls in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India, face gender inequalities, which threaten their health and well-being. This study used body mapping, a visual participatory research method, to learn from adolescents ages 15 to 17 living in Lucknow slums about how gender norms affect their daily experiences. Forty adolescents participated in body mapping. Their body maps and narratives about those maps demonstrate that starting in adolescence, family and community members strongly enforce divergent gender norms for girls and boys. Girls face restrictions on their clothing, mobility, and education, whereas boys have comparative freedom in these domains. Girls experience persistent public harassment by boys and men, severely constraining their ability to move freely in public spaces. In contrast, the school was a setting where adolescent girls and boys experience more relaxed gender norms. Overall, this study describes the link between gender norms, health, and well-being for adolescents. It also illustrates the value of participatory and adolescent-friendly research methods for exploring gender norms among adolescent boys and girls in India. Finally, it indicates that multi-system approaches are needed to address gender-related inequalities in health and well-being.

What explains gender inequality in HIV infection among high-risk people? A Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition

BackgroundDespite clear evidence on role of gender in vulnerability and exposure to HIV infection, information on gender-related inequalities in HIV and related factors are rarely documented. The aim of this study was to measure gender inequality in HIV infection and its determinates in Tehran city, the capital of Iran.MethodsThe study used the data of 20,156 medical records of high-risk people who were admitted to Imam Khomeini Voluntary Counseling and Testing site in Tehran from 2004 to 2018. The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition was used to quantify the contribution of explanatory variables to the gap in the prevalence of HIV infection between female and male.ResultsThe age-adjusted proportion of HIV infection was 9.45% (95%Cl: 9.02, 9.87). The absolute gap in the prevalence of HIV infection between male and female was 4.50% (95% CI: − 5.33, − 3.70%). The Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition indicated that most explanatory factors affecting the differences in HIV infection were job exposure, drug abuse, history of imprisonment, injection drug, heterosexual unsafe sex, and having an HIV-positive spouse.ConclusionThe results can provide evidence for health policymakers to better planning and conducting gender-based preventive and screening programs. Policies aiming at promoting HIV preventive behaviors among male may reduce the gap in HIV infection between female and male in Iran.

Gender inequalities in prevalence, pattern and predictors of multimorbidity among geriatric population in rural West Bengal.

Multimorbidity is considered as a priority for global health research. It is defined as the coexistence of two or more chronic health conditions in an individual. It is increasingly being recognized as a major concern for primary care physicians due to its huge impact on individual, family, and societal level. The aim of this study was to find the quantum of gender-related inequalities and determinants of multimorbidity among the elderly people in a rural part of West Bengal. This is a cross-sectional study carried out among 246 elderly people (60 years and above) in a community setting from Oct 2017 to Sep 2018. Logistic regression analysis was done to find out the predictors of multimorbidity. Data were analyzed using the SPSS software (version 16.0. Chicago, SPSS Inc.). Approximately 82% of the study subjects were suffering from multi-morbidity with a significant difference between males (80.9%) and females (88.5%). In binary logistics, people of both the genders aged >70 years, who had less than primary level education, had more than three children, whose source of income was from their children (sons/daughters), were dependent on others for daily routine were at high risk of being multimorbid; whereas depression was a significant predictor of multimorbidity in females and not in males. In multivariable analysis, age remained the only significant predictor for both the gender and for females; depression remained significant after adjusting with significant variables in binary logistics. Morbidity screening at each visit, individual as well as family counseling and lifestyle modifications help to cope with the rising burden of multimorbidity at the primary care level. More insight into the epidemiology of multi-morbidity is necessary to take steps to prevent it, lower its burden and align health-care services as per needs.

What social determinants outside paid work are related to development of mental health during life? An integrative review of results from the Northern Swedish Cohort

BackgroundDespite global increase in burden of mental health conditions, longitudinal studies on factors related to development of mental health are scarce. Particularly integrated understanding of how factors at each level of ecological system interact to influence mental health of individuals during their life is missing. Both work and outside work (life beyond work) spheres are two important areas in human life which can have independent effects on mental health of individuals. In this integrative review, we aimed to synthesis findings about social determinants outside paid work that are related to development of mental health during life in a 27-year prospective Swedish Cohort study by using Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory.MethodsThe material for this paper consists of all mental health related papers within Northern Swedish Cohort. Papers related to outside paid work exposures of life circumstances were selected. An integrative review was conducted on 27 papers and deductive qualitative content analysis in relation to Bronfenbrenner ecological framework was performed to identify the main themes.ResultsThe results of this review showed that class structures and gender order at macro-level permeated into all other levels and finally became embodied in the individuals as symptoms of mental health during life. At the “exo-level” neighbourhood disadvantage was related to mental ill-health of individuals. The importance of parental interaction with other settings, like school, for mental health of individuals was highlighted at “meso-level”. At “micro-level” poor social relationships; social and material adversities and inequality in gender relations during adult life were related to mental ill-health.ConclusionWe found mental health of individuals to be related to both unique and common factors manifesting at different socio-ecological levels. Social structures at the macro-level namely class structures and gender order permeate all other levels and eventually become embodied in the individuals as symptoms of mental health during life. Interventions addressing gender and class related inequalities might be of importance for improving mental health of individuals during their life.