Variation In Gender Differences Research Articles

Exploring Gender Differences in Computational Thinking Among K-12 Students: A Meta-Analysis Investigating Influential Factors

This study employs meta-analysis to synthesize findings from 30 articles investigating gender differences in computational thinking (CT) among K-12 students. Encompassing 51 independent effect sizes, the meta-analysis involves a participant pool of 9181 individuals from various countries, comprising 4254 males and 4927 females. Results indicate statistically significant gender differences in CT (Hedges’s g = 0.091, p < .05), albeit with a modest effect size, revealing higher CT scores among males compared to females. Further moderation analyses unveil the multifaceted nature of these gender differences. Specifically, while gender differences become significant during high school, recent studies suggest a gradual reduction in CT gender differences with societal progress among K-12 students. Moreover, findings illustrate variations in gender differences across geographical regions. Notably, while the overall gender disparity in CT is non-significant in the “East Asia and Pacific” region, it widens in “North America” and “Europe”, with males scoring higher than females. Conversely, in “Europe and Central Asia”, such gender differences present inconsistent outcomes, with females scoring higher than males. Importantly, assessment tool type does not significantly influence gender differences. Lastly, this study offers recommendations to address CT gender gaps, providing valuable insights for promoting gender equality in education.

Gender similarities and differences in early childhood development in low- and middle-income countries

Gender differences in early childhood development are under-researched in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where almost 90% of the world’s young children live. This study examines the direction, magnitude, and variation of gender similarities and differences in 3- and 4-year-olds’ early childhood development in 71 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Moreover, we explore whether country-level gender inequality correlates with gender differences in early development. We analyzed Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI) data from UNICEF’s Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys and the Demographic and Health Surveys between 2010 and 2019 (n = 226,980). Using logistic regression, we estimated children’s odds of being developmentally on track in literacy-numeracy, approaches to learning, social-emotional, and physical domains. We also used meta-analytic regression to examine associations between early childhood development and country-level indicators of gender inequality. In approximately one-half of LMICs, odds of being developmentally on track did not significantly differ for girls and boys; in countries with significant differences, girls were more likely to be on track than boys (odds ratio [OR] = 1.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.18–1.24], p < .001). Differences favoring girls were largest in the social-emotional domain (OR = 1.27, 95% CI = [1.24–1.30], p < .001). Country-level gender development index explained a substantial amount of variation in gender differences across countries. Overall, findings suggest that when gender differences exist, girls are more likely than boys to be developmentally on track, particularly in the social-emotional domain and in countries with greater gender equality.

ALCOHOLISM AND ITS TREATMENT IN INDIA : A SOCIOLOGICAL STUDY

Alcohol use is typically established during adolescence and initiation of use at a young age poses risks for short- and long-term health and social outcomes. However, there is limited understanding of the onset, progression and impact of alcohol use among adolescents in India. The aim of this review is to synthesise the evidence about prevalence, patterns and correlates of alcohol use and alcohol use disorders in adolescents from India. In recent years, rates of excessive alcohol use and alcohol related mortality have risen sharply in many countries. During the same period the relaxation of alcohol control measures and increased deuce have made it easier for people to obtain alcohol beverages. At the same time the production and distributing’ of alcoholic beverages involves the livelihood of millions of persons and provides very substantial revenues to Government. Patterns of alcohol use are affected by culture and history and intertwined with the rhythms of work life. Recent international research on gender and alcohol has clearly demonstrated that programs and policies that try to be gender–sensitive cannot ignore cultural influences. Large cross–national variation in gender differences in drinking behavior indicates that biological factors alone cannot account for differences in how women and men drink. To be gender– sensitive, education, prevention and treatment programs, and alcohol policies must take into account both biological differences in alcohol effects and culturally defined gender roles that specify expected and tolerated drinking behavior for women and men.

No strong evidence for universal gender differences in the development of cooperative behaviour across societies.

Human cooperation varies both across and within societies, and developmental studies can inform our understanding of the sources of both kinds of variation. One key candidate for explaining within-society variation in cooperative behaviour is gender, but we know little about whether gender differences in cooperation take root early in ontogeny or emerge similarly across diverse societies. Here, we explore two existing cross-cultural datasets of 4- to 15-year-old children's preferences for equality in experimental tasks measuring prosociality (14 societies) and fairness (seven societies), and we look for evidence of (i) widespread gender differences in the development of cooperation, and (ii) substantial societal variation in gender differences. This cross-cultural approach is crucial for revealing universal human gender differences in the development of cooperation, and it helps answer recent calls for greater cultural diversity in the study of human development. We find that gender has little impact on the development of prosociality and fairness within these datasets, and we do not find much evidence for substantial societal variation in gender differences. We discuss the implications of these findings for our knowledge about the nature and origin of gender differences in cooperation, and for future research attempting to study human development using diverse cultural samples. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.

Male or Female, who is better? Student's Perception of the E-Module in Physics-Mathematics Vector Material

This study aims to see how students from different classes perceive the e-Module Mathematics Physics I on vector material, besides that variations in gender differences will also be tested in this perception. The type of research used is descriptive quantitative research. The population in this study were students of Physics Education class 2019 with a sample of 80 students in regular classes A and C. The data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially by using the IBM SPSS Statistic 22 application which consisted of descriptive test, normality test, homogeneity test, and t-test analysis. The results obtained are normal data with a sig of 0.190, and homogeneous with a sig of 0.305. While the t-test obtained a sig value of 0.019 for gender differences in class A, and 0.017 for gender differences in class C. So Ho is rejected and Ha is accepted, meaning that there are significant (significant) differences in perceptions based on gender in each class A and C. Where the perception of male students is higher than the perception of female students, but overall students give a good perception of the Mathematics Physics e-module I on Vector material.

Geographic variations in gender differences in cataract surgery volume among a national cohort of ophthalmologists.

To assess factors associated with gender disparities in cataract surgery volume and evaluate how these differences have changed over time. Cataract surgeons in the 2012 to 2018 Medicare database. Retrospective study. The association of provider gender with the number of cataract surgeries per office visit billed was assessed with negative binomial regression models, controlling for calendar year, years in practice, hospital affiliation, geographic region, rurality, density of ophthalmologists, and the national percentile of Area Deprivation Index (ADI) score for the practice location. There were 8480 cataract surgeons, most of whom were male (78%). Male surgeons worked in more deprived areas with a higher ADI (median: 40 vs 33, P < .001). Female surgeons performed fewer cataracts per year (140 [95% CI, 126-154] vs 276 [95% CI, 263-288], P < .001) and billed fewer office visits (1038 [95% CI, 1008-1068] vs 1505 [95% CI, 1484-1526], P < .001). In multivariate analysis, the number of cataract surgeries per office visit was greater for males compared with females in all years in the South (average incidence rate ratio 1.80), Midwest (1.50), and West (1.53), but not in the Northeast (1.16). The relative rate of cataract surgeries between male and female surgeons in each region did not change significantly over time from 2012 to 2018 ( P > .05 in each region). Gender disparities in cataract volume among male and female surgeons have remained unchanged over time from 2012 to 2018. The higher cataract volume among male surgeons may be explained in part by provider practice location. Further studies are needed to better understand and address gender disparities.

Global Distribution of Sex Differences in the Incidence and Prevalence of Any Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, and Vascular Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: We estimated global incidence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), Vascular dementia (VaD), and Any dementia reported evaluated whether country level socio-demographic factors could explain variation in gender differences in dementia prevalence and incidence. Methods: We conducted a systematic review with meta-analysis to obtain estimates of incidence and prevalence of AD, VaD and Any dementia using random effects meta-analysis. We included population-based studies with clinical diagnoses or validated dementia screening instruments. We excluded studies lacking a valid clinical diagnoses, population-based sampling, or gender stratified estimates. We used meta-regression to evaluate how country specific factors of life-expectancy, education, and gender differences in development, unemployment and inequality indices influenced estimates. Findings: Our searches identified 205 eligible studies from 8731 articles, representing 998 187 participants across 43 countries. Global incidence (95% CI) of Any dementia/1000 person-years for men at age 60-64, 66-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85-89 and 90+ was 2·5 (1·9-3·2), 5·1 (4·0-6·5). 10·1 (7·9-12·8), 19·7 (15·5-24·9), 34·0 (26·9, 43·0), 59·6 (47·3, 74·8), and 84·5 (67·5, 105·4) respectively. For women the corresponding figures were 1·8 (1·3-2·5), 3·4 (2·5-4·7), 9·1 (6·6-12·4), 23·7 (17·3-32·4), 46·44 (34·1, 62·9), 84·54 (62·8, 112·9), and 142·2 (107·4, 185·9). There was no difference in incident Any dementia, or for AD or VaD, or prevalence of Any dementia, in any age group except for the 90+, where it was higher in women. AD was more prevalent in women at most ages, and VaD was only more prevalent in men aged 65-69. Meta-regression revealed that gender differences in Any dementia prevalence, may be explained by the gender differences in life expectancy and education. Interpretation: Globally, there are no gender differences in dementia incidence except in the 90+ age-group. Greater focus on the role gender inequality and life expectancy play as a potential explanations of gender differences in dementia and AD prevalence is needed. Registration Details: The review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, CRD42017053915) and reported in accordance with the PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). Funding Information: ARC Laureate Fellowship FL190100011, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Grants 1100579, 1102694. NHMRC Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration Declaration of Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest.

Attitudes towards Parental Employment across Europe, in Australia and in Japan

Based on the Generations and Gender Survey this paper studies attitudes towards parentalemployment in 14 European countries—among them ten located in central and easternEurope, Australia and Japan. In a multivariate framework we examine how the acceptanceof the employment of mothers of pre-school children differs. Our aim is to find out howattitudes vary across countries and sex. Since the role of fathers in the process ofsocialisation of their children has been underestimated and underinvestigated for a longtime, we take the challenge of studying attitude towards fathers’ concentration on work.The country-specific ranking in terms of traditional attitudes towards employment ofmothers with pre-school children is in tune with the expectations derived from the SecondDemographic Transition (SDT) theory, with the exception of Romania. Australia holds amedium position, Japan an ambivalent one. We find a large diversity in the level oftraditionalism among the central and eastern European countries. Variation in genderdifferences is substantial; differences are largest where SDT is at an advanced level.Regarding fathers’ concentration on work, the majority presumes negative consequencesfor children, but the answering pattern shows no clear relation with advancement in theSDT.

Gender Differences in the Interest in Mathematics Schoolwork Across 50 Countries.

Although much research has found girls to be less interested in mathematics than boys are, there are many countries in which the opposite holds. I hypothesize that variation in gender differences in interest are driven by a complex process in which national culture promoting high math achievement drives down interest in math schoolwork, with the effect being amplified among girls due to their higher conformity to peer influence. Predictions from this theory were tested in a study of data on more than 500,000 grade 8 students in 50 countries from the 2011 and 2015 waves of TIMSS. Consistent with predictions, national achievement levels were strongly negatively correlated with national levels of math schoolwork interest and this variation was larger among girls: girls in low-achievement, high-interest countries had especially high interest in math schoolwork, whereas girls in high-achievement, low-interest countries had especially low interest in math schoolwork. Gender differences in math schoolwork interest were also found to be related to gender differences in math achievement, emphasizing the importance of understanding them better.

Gender Differences within the Firm

We document gender differences in the price paid for work-related air travel among similar workers within a firm. We show that women pay consistently less per ticket than men, after accounting for a large set of covariates that include the characteristics of the trips, the employers, and the employees. A large proportion of the lower fares paid by women is explained by women booking flights earlier than men. We investigate potential mechanisms that could explain the observed gender differences. We find that gender differences increase with age, but we find no deviation from this trend during the childbearing years. We also find significant variation in gender differences across the regions of the world. Using country-level data on preference differences we report that positive and negative reciprocity are factors associated with the documented gender differences, although this result is only suggestive. The documented gender differences have important monetary implications for firms and suggest a potentially important role of morale within a firm.

Gender Differences within the Firm: Evidence from Two Million Travelers

We document gender differences in the price paid for work-related air travel among similar workers within a firm. We show that women pay consistently less per ticket than men, after accounting for a large set of covariates that include the characteristics of the trips, the employers, and the employees. A large proportion of the lower fares paid by women is explained by women booking flights earlier than men. We investigate potential mechanisms that could explain the observed gender differences. We find that gender differences increase with age, but we find no deviation from this trend during the childbearing years. We also find significant variation in gender differences across the regions of the world. Using country-level data on preference differences, we report that positive and negative reciprocity are factors associated with the documented gender differences, although this result is only suggestive. The documented gender differences have important monetary implications for firms and suggest a potentially important role for workers’ morale within a firm.

A Multilevel Analysis of Regional and Gender Differences in the Drinking Behavior of 23 Countries

Introduction: Drinking behavior differs not only among countries, but also among regions within a country. However, the extent of such variation and the interplay between gender and regional differences in drinking have not been explored and are addressed in this study. Methods: Data stem from 105,061 individuals from 23 countries of the GENACIS data set. The outcomes were heavy drinking (10/20 g or more of pure ethanol per day for women/men), and risky single occasion drinking (RSOD) (5+ drinks per occasion) at least monthly. Analyses used binary logistic mixed models. Variance at specific levels was measured by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Gender differences in outcomes were measured using gender ratios. Results: Country-level ICC was 0.13 (95% CI: 0.09–0.18) for heavy drinking and 0.16 (95% CI: 0.10–0.26) for RSOD. Within-country regional-level ICC for heavy drinking and RSOD was 0.02 (95% CI: 0.009–0.05; 0.01–0.04, respectively), implying that 2% of variation in heavy drinking and RSOD was explained by regional variation. Variance in drinking indicators was larger for women compared to men across countries. Gender ratios were higher in low- and middle-income countries. Conclusions: Regional variations in risky drinking were more often present in low- to middle-income countries as well as in a few higher-income countries, and could be due to cultural and demographic differences. Variations in gender differences were larger on the country level than on the regional level, with lower-income countries showing larger differences. These results can help to better identify specific high-risk groups for prevention strategies.

A systematic review of exercise addiction: examining gender differences

Exercise addiction is a rising preoccupation for researchers as a susceptible cause of serious health issues and negative consequences for individuals. Although there are numerous studies that have analysed exercise addiction, only a few have examined possible gender differences. To estimate if there is a prevalence difference between men and women relating to exercise addiction, a systematic review was conducted. Bibliographic searches were performed via PubMed and PsycINFO databases limited to English language, studies on humans, and since 2000, with the search terms: ‘exercise addiction inventory’ and ‘exercise dependence scale’, with a result of 590 potential relevant entries. Titles were then reviewed for duplicates and non-peer reviewed papers, which were then excluded. This resulted in a list with of 433 articles. Subsequently, abstracts and methods were reviewed using the following inclusion criteria: studies using the Exercise Addiction Inventory and/or the Exercise Dependence Scale, as these are the only available screening tools to identify the individual at risk of exercise addiction. The full text of the resulting 88 articles was then analysed, focusing on studies providing data about gender differences on the prevalence of exercise addiction (number of participants, percentages, and/or means and standard deviations). As reported by the 27 studies included in the final systematic review that met all the inclusion criteria, the effect size reflects variation in gender differences. Cohen’s d was between .04 and .98, suggesting that men are more addicted to exercise than women. Only two studies reported that the prevalence for exercise addiction was higher in women than men. However, our study concludes that more research is needed to understand the gender differences on the prevalence of exercise addiction, and the nature of this potential disorder.

Gender and research publishing in India: Uniformly high inequality?

Abstract Women’s access to academic careers has been historically limited by discrimination and cultural constraints. Comprehensive information about gender inequality within disciplines is needed to understand the problem and target remedial action. India is the fifth largest research producer but has a low international index of gender inequality and so is an important case. This study assesses gender inequalities in Indian journal article publishing in 2017 for 186 research fields. It also seeks overall gender differences in interests across academia by comparing the terms used in 27,710 articles with an Indian male or female first author. The data show that there are at least 1.5 male first authors per female first author in each of 26 broad fields and 2.8 male first authors per female first author overall. Compared to the USA, India has a much lower share of female first authors but smaller variations in gender differences between broad fields. Dentistry, Economics and Maths are all more female in India, but Veterinary is much less female than in the USA. There is a tendency for males to research thing-oriented topics and for females to research helping people and some life science topics. More initiatives to promote gender equality in science are needed to address the overall imbalance, but care should be taken to avoid creating the larger between-field gender differences found in the USA.

Gender differences in the quality of leisure: a cross-national comparison

ABSTRACT Considerable work-family research has investigated the gendered division of work and care. Gender differences in leisure time have received much less attention from work-family scholars, despite the potential importance of such inequalities for women’s quality of life. Combining key insights from the substantial gendered leisure studies literature with work-family scholarship, the current study examines cross-national variation in gender differences in leisure quality. Using data on 23 countries from the 2007 International Social Survey Program, we expected that women’s leisure quality would be lower than men’s, but the gender gap would be smaller in countries with more gender egalitarian attitudes and divisions of care (via de-familialisation and paternity leave) and where women have more bargaining power. Our results show that these country characteristics moderate the association between gender and the extent to which free time is used to relax and recover. In countries with conservative gender norms, low levels of childcare coverage, limited paternity leave and lower political power for women, women’s leisure quality is lower than men’s. In more egalitarian countries, the gender gap in leisure quality is lower and in some cases, reversed. These results are in line with findings from cross-national research on the gendered division of labor and offer an important contribution to understanding gender differences in leisure quality across countries.

Gender Differences in Use of Complementary and Integrative Health by U.S. Military Veterans with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain.

The Veterans Health Administration promotes evidence-based complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies as nonpharmacologic approaches for chronic pain. We aimed to examine CIH use by gender among veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain, and variations in gender differences by race/ethnicity and age. We conducted a secondary analysis of electronic health records provided by all women (n=79,537) and men (n=389,269) veterans age 18 to 54years with chronic musculoskeletal pain who received Veterans Health Administration-provided care between 2010 and 2013. Using gender-stratified multivariate binary logistic regression, we examined predictors of CIH use, tested a race/ethnicity-by-age interaction term, and conducted pairwise comparisons of predicted probabilities. Among veterans with chronic musculoskeletal pain, more women than men use CIH (36% vs. 26%), with rates ranging from 25% to 42% among women and 15% to 29% among men, depending on race/ethnicity and age. Among women, patients under age 44 who were Hispanic, White, or patients of other race/ethnicities are similarly likely to use CIH; in contrast, Black women, regardless of age, are least likely to use CIH. Among men, White and Black patients, and especially Black men under age 44, are less likely to use CIH than men of Hispanic or other racial/ethnic identities. Women veteran patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain are more likely than men to use CIH therapies, with variations in CIH use rates by race/ethnicity and age. Tailoring CIH therapy engagement efforts to be sensitive to gender, race/ethnicity, and age could reduce differential CIH use and thereby help to diminish existing health disparities among veterans.

Gender Differences within the Firm: Evidence from Two Million Travelers

We document gender differences in the price paid for work-related air travel among similar workers within a firm. We show that women pay consistently less per ticket than men, after accounting for a large set of covariates that include the characteristics of the trips, the employers, and the employees. A large proportion of the lower fares paid by women is explained by women booking flights earlier than men. We investigate potential mechanisms that could explain the observed gender differences. We find that gender differences increase with age, but we find no deviation from this trend during the childbearing years. We also find significant variation in gender differences across the regions of the world. Using country-level data on preference differences, we report that positive and negative reciprocity are factors associated with the documented gender differences, although this result is only suggestive. The documented gender differences have important monetary implications for firms and suggest a potentially important role for workers’ morale within a firm.

Patriarchy, Gendered Spheres, or Evolutionary Adaptation? A Cross-National Examination of Adolescent Boys and Girls Access to Home Resources

:Using data from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), this article examines gender differences in obtaining a wide array of educational, social, and cultural resources across forty countries, and assesses the extent to which these differences are consistent with predictions that come from rational choice, cultural, and evolutionary approaches. Analyses confirm that daughters are the greater beneficiaries of social and cultural resources, as well as of some educational resources. Meanwhile, sons have greater exposure to a smaller number of resources that are conducive to the acquisition of technological skills. These patterns are consistent with the thesis that there are gendered spheres of investment in home resources. Although gender inequality measured at the national level reconfigures the effects of gender on home resources, particularly cultural activity, there appears to be some dearth of a strong consistent pattern about the cross-national variations in gender differences. Results also fail to support evolutionary predictions, most notably of a strong version of the Trivers-Willard hypothesis that son favoritism should prevail in high-status families and daughter favoritism in low-status families.

Professional care seeking for mental health problems among women and men in Europe: the role of socioeconomic, family-related and mental health status factors in explaining gender differences.

This comparative study examines cross-national variation in gender differences in primary and specialized mental health care use in Europe. We investigate to what extent socioeconomic, family-related, and mental health factors explain the gender difference, and how the impact of these groups of determinants on gender differences in mental health care use varies between countries. Data from the Eurobarometer 248 (2005-2006) for 29 European countries is used and country-specific logistic regression analyses are performed. Gender differences in professional care seeking are largely need based. In almost one-third of the countries examined, the gender difference is mainly attributable to women's poorer mental health status. However, in some countries, family and socioeconomic characteristics also have an independent contribution to the gender difference in mental health care use. Women's higher likelihood of a lower socioeconomic position, might partly explain their higher primary care use, while in some countries, it restricts their specialized care use. In addition, some social conditions, as having children and being widowed, seem to function in a few countries as suppressors of women's care use. Our study has shown that the gender difference in mental health care use, with women having a higher care use, is not a consistent European phenomenon and is dependent on the type of care provider, with greater gender inequity in the use of primary health care. The social roles adopted by men and women have in some countries on top of the mental health status a relevant influence on the greater tendency among women to contact a care provider. How the socioeconomic and family characteristics moderate the relation between gender and mental health care use is not straightforward and country dependent.

Gender differences in self-conscious emotional experience: A meta-analysis.

The self-conscious emotions (SCE) of guilt, shame, pride, and embarrassment are moral emotions, which motivate adherence to social norms and personal standards and emerge in early childhood following the development of self-awareness. Gender stereotypes of emotion maintain that women experience more guilt, shame, and embarrassment but that men experience more pride. To estimate the magnitude of gender differences in SCE experience and to determine the circumstances under which these gender differences vary, we meta-analyzed 697 effect sizes representing 236,304 individual ratings of SCE states and traits from 382 journal articles, dissertations, and unpublished data sets. Guilt (d = -0.27) and shame (d = -0.29) displayed small gender differences, whereas embarrassment (d = -0.08), authentic pride (d = -0.01), and hubristic pride (d = 0.09) showed gender similarities. Similar to previous findings of ethnic variations in gender differences in other psychological variables, gender differences in shame and guilt were significant only for White samples or samples with unspecified ethnicity. We found larger gender gaps in shame with trait (vs. state) scales, and in guilt and shame with situation- and scenario-based (vs. adjective- and statement-based) items, consistent with predictions that such scales and items tend to tap into global, nonspecific assessments of the self and thus reflect self-stereotyping and gender role assimilative effects. Gender differences in SCE about domains such as the body, sex, and food or eating tended to be larger than gender differences in SCE about other domains. These findings contribute to the literature demonstrating that blanket stereotypes about women's greater emotionality are inaccurate.