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Objective: ADHD is associated with impairment in several important areas of life for college students, including lower grades and lower degree completion rates. Further, college students with ADHD may be involved in higher levels of problematic gaming than their peers, conveying incremental impairment. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to examine whether problematic gaming is associated with impairment in the context of elevated ADHD symptoms in college students, with a focus on possible sex differences. Method: College students (N = 1,489; M.sub.age=19.13, 69.4% female, 86.7% white) from three universities completed an online survey assessing ADHD symptoms, problematic gaming, and functional impairment. Results: There was a significant 3-way interaction among inattention symptoms, problematic gaming, and sex on impairment, such that impairment was greatest among female college students high in inattention (IA) and problematic gaming. There was not a significant 3-way interaction that included hyperactivity/impulsivity (HI) symptoms, but significant 2-way interactions indicated that women who game experience more impairment than men who game, and that when gaming is added to elevated HI, impairment increases significantly. Conclusions: Our data suggest that problematic gaming by college students with elevated ADHD symptoms might lead to additional impairment, especially in women. We discuss clinical implications such as a potential problematic gaming module for college ADHD treatments, and a harm-reduction approach to gaming in this population., Author(s): Elizabeth K. Lefler [sup.1] , Helena F. Alacha [sup.2] , John M. Vasko [sup.3] , Judah W. Serrano [sup.3] , Alison Looby [sup.3] , Kate Flory [sup.4] , Cynthia [...]

The information-processing model proposes that people with high trait anxiety tend to allocate cognitive resources to negative information, leading to negative attentional bias which is the vulnerability factor of anxiety. However, there is a dearth of longitudinal studies investigating the moderation effect of gender on the causal relationship of trait anxiety to negative and positive attentional bias in children. The current studies aimed to assess whether trait anxiety at time one predicted negative and positive attentional bias at time two for girls and boys, respectively. The moderation effect of gender on the relationship was also tested. The study found that high trait anxiety predicted high positive attentional bias in boys. High trait anxiety also showed a trend to be a significant predictor of attentional avoidance in girls. Gender significantly moderated the causal relationship of trait anxiety to negative attentional bias. The findings had significant implications for establishing the gender-specific information-processing model for children., Author(s): Qiaochu Zhang [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/03q8dnn23, grid.35030.35, 0000 0004 1792 6846, Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, [...]

As more adolescents are developing a stronger dependence on their mobile devices, smartphone addiction has become a common concern among both the public and researchers. We aimed to examine whether alienation mediated the association between peer relationships and smartphone addiction in adolescents and whether this mediating process was moderated by sex. Our study included 555 adolescent participants (261 boys and 294 girls). The results indicated that peer relationships were negatively associated with smartphone addiction and that alienation mediated this relationship. Furthermore, sex moderated both the direct and indirect associations between peer relationships and smartphone addiction in adolescents. Specifically, in the second stage of the mediation process, the association between alienation and smartphone addiction became nonsignificant for boys, and the direct association between peer relationships and smartphone addiction became nonsignificant for girls. These findings illustrate that peer relationships are a protective factor for adolescent smartphone addiction and that this dynamic has significant sex differences., Author(s): Wei Wang [sup.1] , Jing Liu [sup.2] , Yongli Liu [sup.3] , Pengcheng Wang [sup.4] , Zhaoming Guo [sup.5] , Defan Hong [sup.5] , Suo Jiang [sup.5] Author Affiliations: [...]

The current paper investigated underlying mechanisms that produce culture and gender differences in social anxiety. European-Canadian (n = 99; 47% female) and Asian-Canadian (n = 94; 54% female) undergraduate students completed questionnaires measuring levels of independence, interdependence, masculinity, femininity, and social anxiety. Asian Canadians reported a similar level of social anxiety to European Canadians, and females reported higher social anxiety than males. Mediational analyses revealed that levels of independence, interdependence, and masculinity mediated the association between culture and social anxiety, whereas levels of masculinity mediated the association between gender and social anxiety. Cultural differences in social anxiety are explained by the extent to which individuals define themselves as independent and interdependent, while gender differences in social anxiety are explained by the extent to which individuals identify themselves with a masculine gender role. Our findings suggest the orthogonal impact of culture and gender on individuals' social anxiety. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed., Author(s): Kristen E. Zentner [sup.1] , Hajin Lee [sup.2] , Bryce S. Dueck [sup.3] , Takahiko Masuda [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.254645.4, 0000 0001 0702 7079, Faculty of Graduate Studies, [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major threat to the health and well-being of people around the world that has impacted freedom of movement, social interaction and the economy. The aim of the present work was twofold: first, to study the presence of mental distress, positive and negative experiences and affect balance in women and men in Spain in two different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, the initial 'first state of alarm' phase, characterized by maximum restrictions, and in the 'new normal' phase with minimal restrictions, and second, to study the protective role of age, educational level, self-esteem, marital status and social support against mental distress, and as factors that increase the affect balance of women and men in the above mentioned phases of the first wave of the COVID- 19 pandemic in Spain. The study sample consisted of 652 women and 652 men from the general population, aged between 18 and 88 years, who were evaluated through self-reports. Results show greater mental distress in women than men but, strikingly, the magnitude of such differences were greater in the 'new normal' phase than in the maximum restriction phase. In addition, in this last phase, women also experienced more negative feelings and less affect balance than men. High self-esteem and social support were also found to be protective factors for mental health, both in women and men, during the two phases of the pandemic studied. In conclusion, our study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has especially impacted the well-being of women., Author(s): M. Pilar Matud [sup.1] , Jesús Zueco [sup.2] , Amelia Díaz [sup.3] , Mª José del Pino [sup.4] , Demelsa Fortes [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.10041.34, 0000000121060879, Department of [...]

The main objective of this study was to examine how parental characteristics, such as social anxiety (SA) and parental overprotection, and child's behavioral inhibition (BI) interact and contribute to the manifestation of SA symptoms in preschoolers. Parents (Mothers: n = 319; Fathers: n = 263) of children aged between 3 and 6 years answered to self-report measures of overprotection and SA and measures of SA and BI about their children. A positive moderate direct association was observed between children's BI and children's SA, independently of gender. Overprotection arises as a mediator of the effects of the parents' social anxiety on children's SA; however, this mediation depends both on the child's and parents' gender. Only mother's SA was directly related to children's SA, independently of the gender of the child. Overall, these findings extend to preschool children the previous studies that consider parents' overprotective styles and social anxiety, as well as child's BI, the main variables underlying the SA in childhood. In addition, our results highlight the importance of considering the moderator role of gender in the origin and maintenance of SA symptoms in preschoolers., Author(s): Catarina C. Fernandes [sup.1] , Ana T. Martins [sup.1] , Andreia Santa-Rita [sup.2] , Luís Faísca [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.7157.4, 0000 0000 9693 350X, Department of Psychology and [...]

Cyberchondria refers to excessive and repeated online health-related searching, which is associated with increased distress and anxiety. The Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) is the most widely used measure for assessment of cyberchondria, and its shortened version (CSS-12) has recently been developed. The aim of the present study was to develop the Spanish version of the CSS-12 and test its psychometric properties. A community sample of 432 Spanish-speaking adults (67.6% women; mean age = 36.00 ± 15.22 years) completed the Spanish translation of CSS-12 along with measures of health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, anxiety and depressive symptoms. The Spanish version of the CSS-12 comprises a general cyberchondria factor and four specific factors ('excessiveness', 'compulsion', 'distress', and 'reassurance'). Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis indicated measurement invariance across gender groups. Internal consistency values for the total score and subscales were good to excellent. The CSS-12 showed strong correlations with health anxiety, and moderate to low correlations with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms, supporting the convergent and divergent validity of the CSS-12, respectively. In conclusion, these results show that the CSS-12 is a valid and reliable tool for measuring cyberchondria in both genders in the general Spanish population., Author(s): Sandra Arnáez [sup.1] , Gemma García-Soriano [sup.1] , Jesús Castro [sup.1] , David Berle [sup.2] [sup.3] , Vladan Starcevic [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.5338.d, 0000 0001 2173 938X, Department [...]

Different psychosocial variables are related to disordered eating attitudes in adolescents, especially in girls. But some studies show that the variables involved in eating disorders may be different in boys and girls. The aim of this study was to analyse the psychosocial profile related to disordered eating attitudes in adolescents of both sexes, separately. Method: a cross-sectional study was conducted in 1630 Spanish adolescents, 890 of whom were girls with an average age of 14 (SD = 1.34) selected from secondary schools in the province of Alicante through random sampling stratified by school year. Results: The cluster analysis showed two profiles in both sexes. One profile presents high disordered eating attitudes, where the highest scores were in body dissatisfaction, perfectionism, pressure to lose weight and social comparison, and the lowest scores were for self-esteem. This contrasts with the other profile that presents low disordered eating attitudes. The logistic regression model showed that girls were 3.8 times more likely to have disordered eating attitudes if they dieted, experienced body dissatisfaction and compared themselves socially with their peers. Disordered eating attitudes in boys was 3.3 times greater when they experienced body dissatisfaction and pressure to lose weight. Conclusion: These results showed that both sexes present similar profiles. Girls and boys present disordered eating attitudes when they have low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, self-oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism, comparison with peers, pressure to lose weight, or are on a diet. In future studies, it will be necessary to develop further longitudinal studies which could help to shed light on the risks and protective factors of eating disorders., Author(s): Lidia Pamies-Aubalat [sup.1] , Yolanda Quiles Marcos [sup.1] , María Soledad Torregrosa Díez [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.26811.3c, 0000 0001 0586 4893, Behaviour Sciences and Health Department, Miguel Hernandez [...]

Practitioners often screen depression among the general population with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale (Radloff, 1977 (See CR19)). However, few studies tested the scale for bias (by gender and age) across a wide age range. This study does so with a partial credit Rasch model via Winsteps® (Linacre, 2018 (See CR11)) on 34,762 Chinese people, 10-99 years old. Results showed one gender Differential Item Functioning (DIF) item (cry) and six age DIF items. As low positive-affect was not a good indicator of depression, its four items were excluded, yielding a 16-item CES-D (CES-D16). At the same level of depression, females report crying more often than males do. Compared to young people at the same depression level, older people felt less fearful, cried less, were bothered less often, had more sleep problems, needed more effort to do things, and could not get going more often. When using the CES-D16 to examine the general population of Chinese people across different genders and ages, researchers should pay special attention to these DIF items., Author(s): Jinxin Zhu [sup.1] , Ming Ming Chiu [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.221309.b, 0000 0004 1764 5980, Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, , 15 Baptist University Road, [...]

Previous studies have demonstrated that poor quality of parental attachment and low levels of empathy are associated with adolescent's depressive symptoms. However, the relationships between parental attachment, empathy and depressive symptoms and how they differ by gender remain unclear. The present study aimed to clarify the distinct associations among both paternal and maternal attachments and depressive symptoms via cognitive empathy and affective empathy and whether the pathways were different for adolescent males and females. A sample of 374 Chinese adolescents participated in the survey and completed scales of parental attachments, depressive symptoms and empathy. Results revealed affective empathy partially mediated the relationship between maternal attachment and depressive symptoms and cognitive empathy did not emerge as a significant mediator. Gender showed moderating effects on associations among parental attachments, empathy and depressive symptoms. Specifically, paternal attachment was only significantly associated with affective empathy in adolescent males, while adolescent females showed significant associations between maternal attachment and affective empathy, and the pathway from paternal attachment, cognitive empathy/affective empathy to depressive symptoms. The findings indicate there are multiple pathways from parental attachments to depressive symptoms in adolescents, and gender plays an important moderating role., Author(s): Hui Chen [sup.1] [sup.2] , Jocelyn I. Meza [sup.3] , Yuan Yan [sup.4] , Qinglu Wu [sup.5] , Xiuyun Lin [sup.1] [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.20513.35, 0000 0004 1789 [...]

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show an enhanced response to stressors, and gender plays an important role in stress response. Thus, autistic traits (ATs) in the general population and gender may regulate the emotion changes before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the present study, participants were divided into higher and lower ATs groups. The generalized linear models were used to estimate the effects of the independent variables (e.g. the COVID-19 pandemic status (before, during), gender (male, female), and AT groups (higher ATs, lower ATs) and their interactions on emotions measured by the Positive and Negative Affect scales. The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic reduced positive emotions and increased fear and anger. Furthermore, compared with the status before the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals with higher ATs and females experienced stronger anger and fear than individuals with lower ATs and males during the pandemic. The present study revealed the emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and greater emotional susceptibility to the pandemic among individuals with higher ATs and females. Our findings provide prospective evidence for understanding the ASD/ATs-related enhanced response to pathogen threat-related stressors and have implications for COVID-19 crisis interventions., Author(s): Xudong Zhao [sup.1] [sup.2] , Binglei Zhao [sup.3] , Wenrui Li [sup.1] , Yang Cai [sup.1] , Wendian Shi [sup.1] , Chunbo Li [sup.2] [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.412531.0, [...]

The development of a high-end cannabinoid-based therapy is the result of intense translational research, aiming to convert recent discoveries in the laboratory into better treatments for patients. Novel compounds and new regimes for drug treatment are emerging. Given that previously unreported signaling mechanisms for cannabinoids have been uncovered, clinical studies detailing their high therapeutic potential are mandatory. The advent of novel genomic, optogenetic, and viral tracing and imaging techniques will help to further detail therapeutically relevant functional and structural features. An evolutionarily highly conserved group of neuromodulatory lipids, their receptors, and anabolic and catabolic enzymes are involved in a remarkable variety of physiological and pathological processes and has been termed the endocannabinoid system (ECS). A large body of data has emerged in recent years, pointing to a crucial role of this system in the regulation of the behavioral domains of acquired fear, anxiety, and stress-coping. Besides neurons, also glia cells and components of the immune system can differentially fine-tune patterns of neuronal activity. Dysregulation of ECS signaling can lead to a lowering of stress resilience and increased incidence of psychiatric disorders. Chronic pain may be understood as a disease process evoked by fear-conditioned nociceptive input and appears as the dark side of neuronal plasticity. By taking a toll on every part of your life, this abnormal persistent memory of an aversive state can be more damaging than its initial experience. All strategies for the treatment of chronic pain conditions must consider stress-related comorbid conditions since cognitive factors such as beliefs, expectations, and prior experience (memory of pain) are key modulators of the perception of pain. The anxiolytic and anti-stress effects of medical cannabinoids can substantially modulate the efficacy and tolerability of therapeutic interventions and will help to pave the way to a successful multimodal therapy. Why some individuals are more susceptible to the effects of stress remains to be uncovered. The development of personalized prevention or treatment strategies for anxiety and depression related to chronic pain must also consider gender differences. An emotional basis of chronic pain opens a new horizon of opportunities for developing treatment strategies beyond the repeated sole use of acutely acting analgesics. A phase I trial to determine the pharmacokinetics, psychotropic effects, and safety profile of a novel nanoparticle-based cannabinoid spray for oromucosal delivery highlights a remarkable innovation in galenic technology and urges clinical studies further detailing the huge therapeutic potential of medical cannabis (Lorenzl et al.; this issue). Keywords: Endocannabinoid system, Chronic pain, Novel galenic, Author(s): Walter Zieglgänsberger [a]; Rudolf Brenneisen [b]; Achim Berthele [c]; Carsten T. Wotjak [a]; Borwin Bandelow [d]; Thomas R. Tölle [c]; Beat Lutz [e] Phytocannabinoids Cannabis triggers a complex set [...]

Disease prevention behaviour is essential during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. How people respond to information and regulations to control this infectious disease can be influenced by their age and generational identity. An individual with an optimal level of psychological flexibility can adapt to challenging situations more efficiently. Hence, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the moderating effect of generation on the relationship between psychological flexibility and COVID-19 preventive behaviour among different generational cohorts of women (baby boomers, X, Y, and Z). This relationship was rarely addressed in the literature, which is what inspired this study. Data were collected through an online survey. The responses of 834 Hungarian speaking women between the ages of 18 and 75 years old were successfully gathered. Four generational cohorts were represented in the sample population: baby boomers (age > 56), X (age 41-55), Y (age 24-40), and Z (age 18-25). The moderation effect was calculated using the PROCESS macro in SPSS. A statistically significant moderation effect of generation was found on the relationship between psychological flexibility and COVID-19 prevention behaviour and the interaction added a small but significant contribution to the final model predicting preventive behaviour. In Generation Z, psychological flexibility predicted an increase in preventive behaviour, but no significant prediction was found among other generational cohorts. Females in their twenties seemed to be more engaged in COVID-19 prevention behaviour, if their psychological flexibility was higher, but failed to comply with health recommendations and safety protocols at low levels of flexibility. This study may provide a new perspective on how generational cohorts can influence the effect of psychological factors on COVID-19 preventive behaviour. Prevention of avoidance behaviours and facilitation of acceptance is definitory for psychologically flexible behaviours, while disease avoidance is crucial in prevention behaviour of COVID-19. Further research is needed to clarify our findings. Keywords: Pandemic, Mental health, Adaptation to change, Generational identity, Moderation analysis, April 2021 Introduction Since the World Health Organization officially declared the COVID-19 a pandemic (WHO, 11th of March, 2020), multiple health guidelines were imposed by governments. Still ongoing, some countries [...]

Background: Major depressive disorder is a chronic illness with a higher incidence in women. Dysregulated neural oscillatory activity is an emerging mechanism thought to underlie major depressive disorder, but whether sex differences in these rhythms contribute to the development of symptoms is unknown. Methods: We exposed male and female rats to chronic unpredictable stress and characterized them as stress-resilient or stress-susceptible based on behavioural output in the forced swim test and the sucrose preference test. To identify sex-specific neural oscillatory patterns associated with stress response, we recorded local field potentials from the prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, nucleus accumbens and dorsal hippocampus throughout stress exposure. Results: At baseline, female stressresilient rats innately exhibited higher theta coherence in hippocampal connections compared with stress-susceptible female rats. Following stress exposure, additional oscillatory changes manifested: stress- resilient females were characterized by increased dorsal hippocampal theta power and cortical gamma power, and stress-resilient males were characterized by a widespread increase in high gamma coherence. In stress-susceptible animals, we observed a pattern of increased delta and reduced theta power; the changes were restricted to the cingulate cortex and dorsal hippocampus in males but occurred globally in females. Finally, stress exposure was accompanied by the time-dependent recruitment of specific neural pathways, which culminated in system-wide changes that temporally coincided with the onset of depression-like behaviour. Limitations: We could not establish causality between the electrophysiological changes and behaviours with the methodology we employed. Conclusion: Sex- specific neurophysiological patterns can function as early markers for stress vulnerability and the onset of depression-like behaviours in rats., Introduction About 10% of the world population has major depressive disorder (MDD), and prevalence is 2 times greater in women than in men. (1,2) Chronic stress is an established risk [...]

Research has supported the notion that gender plays a significant role in coping and mental health outcome among parents of children with ASD. The current study aims to examine gender role in the relationship between mental health outcome and coping in parents of children with ASD in Singapore. This study involved 97 fathers and 106 mothers of children with ASD completing self-report questionnaires. MANOVA revealed mothers experienced significantly higher stress levels than fathers. Stress was a significant predictor of depression for fathers but not for mothers. Regression analyses found use of active avoidance coping moderated the relationship between stress and depression in both parents. Implications of these findings on intervention are discussed., Author(s): Karen Qian Ping Ang [sup.1] , Pek Ru Loh [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) grid.456586.c, James Cook University, , 149 Sims Drive, 387380, Singapore, Singapore (Aff2) 0000 0001 2224 0361, [...]

Introduction As mounting evidence underscores the importance of both men and women taking steps before pregnancy to improve reproductive outcomes, public health priorities are shifting toward a more gender-inclusive program of promoting preconception health (PCH). This study examined whether prescriptive gender stereotypes, defined as men's and women's beliefs about PCH behavioral norms each gender should uphold, were positively associated with intentions to engage in behaviors to protect a future child's health. Methods Data came from a June 2017 online survey of 609 U.S. men and women ages 18-44. Two six-item scales of prescriptive same- and opposite-gender stereotypes were used to predict a six-item scale of intentions to engage in six recommended PCH behaviors (i.e., avoiding smoking, secondhand smoke, drinking, exposure to bisphenol A and pesticides, and preventing Zika infection). Multiple linear regression models also adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics. Results Among both male and female respondents, PCH prescriptive gender stereotypes for men were rated significantly lower than those for women. Adjusting for covariates, stronger prescriptive same-gender stereotypes were associated with increased PCH intentions (men: B = 0.496, p < 0.001; women: B = 0.486, p < 0.001). Opposite-gender stereotypes were also positively associated with PCH intentions (men: B = 0.205, p < 0.001; women: B = 0.235, p < 0.001). Current every day smoking status (men and women), being uninsured (women only), and having children (women only) were also associated with lower PCH intentions. Conclusion Prescriptive gender stereotypes may play an important, yet slightly different, role in promoting PCH behavior among men and women., Author(s): Susan Mello [sup.1] , Andy S. L. Tan [sup.2] [sup.3] , Ashley Sanders-Jackson [sup.4] , Cabral A. Bigman [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 0001 2173 3359, grid.261112.7, Department of [...]

Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED) is becoming a common drinking pattern among young adults in South Europe. Additionally, alcohol consumption has increased among young women, narrowing the gender gap in alcohol use. In the scope of the European action-research project ALLCOOL', this study explores sex-related differences on HED among young adults [18-29] living in Southern European cities of Porto, Tarragona and Bologna. A total of 1141 participants completed a self-administered questionnaire that measured drinking patterns, protective behavioural strategies and alcohol-related negative consequences. Data analysis revealed significative sex-related differences: men present higher levels of HED and suffer more negative consequences; while women use more protective behavioural strategies. These differences can be explained in terms of gender roles that invite men to excess and women to self-control. These results might inform gender-sensitive community interventions and policies addressing HED.Keywords: Heavy Episodic drinking, alcohol drinking, sex-related differences, protective behavioral strategies, alcohol-related consequences, Southern Europe, INTRODUCTIONAlcohol consumption per capita in Europe has been decreasing in the last 20 years (WHO, 2014), however, there are some drinking patterns emerging. Firstly, alcohol consumption among young people is [...]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there are indications of gender-related voice problems in our transmasculine participants and to analyze how discrepancies between participant self-evaluations and researcher-led examinations can be best negotiated to ensure a participant-centered interpretation. Method: We conducted a participant-centered mixed-methods study combining qualitative content analyses of semistructured interviews, acoustical voice analyses, and an examination of gender attributions to voice. Fourteen German-speaking transmasculine people, 14 cisfemale control persons, and 7 cismale control persons participated. The data were examined for indications of gender-related voice problems pertaining to vocal gender presentation and gender attribution to voice received from others. Results: Eleven participants (79%) presented with indications of gender-related voice problems. Problems included dissatisfaction with gender-related voice features, difficulties with control of vocal gender presentation, and mismatch between desired gender attribution and gender attributions received from others. Discrepancies between participant self-evaluations and researcher-led examinations were observed in a number of cases. Conclusion: Transmasculine speakers may experience a range of gender-related voice problems. Research and clinical practice with transmasculine people need to be adapted to better match the diversity of the population and the complexity of the processes that shape the production of speaker vocal gender in interaction., In this article, we will focus on transmasculine people, a group that has been traditionally underrepresented in the clinical voice literature. Transmasculine people are assigned female gender at birth but [...]

This study explores whether instruments used to measure Job Control and Psychological Job Demands function differently by sex. We evaluated the comparability of these measures by sex using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis. All estimates were invariant by sex, except for the intercept for the item assessing how 'hectic' a worker perceives his/her job (which contributes to the Demands measure). This item intercept was statistically significantly higher for women than men, but not practically so. These findings suggest that the differences observed between men and women in the impact of work stress on health cannot be explained by measurement bias (when using the work stress measures employed in this study). Further research is needed to understand why work stress appears to affect the health of men and women differently. Keywords: Psychosocial Work Stress; Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis; Sex; Measurement; Psychological Demands; Job Control, Introduction The impact of the psychosocial work environment on health has been the subject of scientific investigations for several decades (Eller et al., 2009; Gilbert-Ouimet, Trudel, Brisson, Milot, & Vezina, [...]

Background/Objectives: We previously found that the OPUS School Meal Study improved reading and increased errors related to inattention and impulsivity. This study explored whether the cognitive effects differed according to gender, household education and reading proficiency at baseline. Subjects/Methods: This is a cluster-randomised cross-over trial comparing Nordic school meals with packed lunch from home (control) for 3 months each among 834 children aged 8 to 11 years. At baseline and at the end of each dietary period, we assessed children's performance in reading, mathematics and the d2-test of attention. Interactions were evaluated using mixed models. Analyses included 739 children. Results: At baseline, boys and children from households without academic education were poorer readers and had a higher d2-error%. Effects on dietary intake were similar in subgroups. However, the effect of the intervention on test outcomes was stronger in boys, in children from households with academic education and in children with normal/good baseline reading proficiency. Overall, this resulted in increased socioeconomic inequality in reading performance and reduced inequality in impulsivity. Contrary to this, the gender difference decreased in reading and increased in impulsivity. Finally, the gap between poor and normal/good readers was increased in reading and decreased for d2-error%. Conclusions: The effects of healthy school meals on reading, impulsivity and inattention were modified by gender, household education and baseline reading proficiency. The differential effects might be related to environmental aspects of the intervention and deserves to be investigated further in future school meal trials., Author(s): L B Sørensen [sup.1] , C T Damsgaard [sup.1] , R A Petersen [sup.1] , S-M Dalskov [sup.1] , M F Hjorth [sup.1] , C B Dyssegaard [sup.2] , [...]

Background: Anxiety disorders are more prevalent in women than in men. Despite this sexual dimorphism, most experimental studies are conducted in male participants, and studies focusing on sex differences are sparse. In addition, the role of hormonal contraceptives and menstrual cycle phase in fear conditioning and extinction processes remain largely unknown. Methods: We investigated sex differences in context-dependent fear acquisition and extinction (day 1) and their retrieval/expression (day 2). Skin conductance responses (SCRs), fear and unconditioned stimulus expectancy ratings were obtained. Results: We included 377 individuals (261 women) in our study. Robust sex differences were observed in all dependent measures. Women generally displayed higher subjective ratings but smaller SCRs than men and showed reduced excitatory/inhibitory conditioned stimulus (CS+/CS-) discrimination in all dependent measures. Furthermore, women using hormonal contraceptives showed reduced SCR CS discrimination on day 2 than men and free-cycling women, while menstrual cycle phase had no effect. Limitations: Possible limitations include the simultaneous testing of up to 4 participants in cubicles, which might have introduced a social component, and not assessing postexperimental contingency awareness. Conclusion: The response pattern in women shows striking similarity to previously reported sex differences in patients with anxiety. Our results suggest that pronounced deficits in associative discrimination learning and subjective expression of safety information (CS- responses) might underlie higher prevalence and higher symptom rates seen in women with anxiety disorders. The data call for consideration of biological sex and hormonal contraceptive use in future studies and may suggest that targeting inhibitory learning during therapy might aid precision medicine., Introduction Anxiety and stress-related disorders are highly prevalent in the general population and are frequently studied in the laboratory by means of fear conditioning and extinction tasks, which serve as [...]

Examination of gender and age difference in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) based on 9.380 subjects aged 7 through 29 years show that the prevalence of current DSM-IV-like ADHD was 9.2% with a male:female ratio of 2.28:1 and the prevalence of DSM-IV-like ADHD was highest in children.

To date, the pathogenesis of schizophrenia remains poorly understood. However, neurodevelopmental theories have been used to explain this complex disorder, as converging lines of evidence suggest abnormal trajectory of brain [...]

Objective: The present study extends the literature on Factors involved in college students' drinking tendencies by examining differences between men and women in their ability to accurately estimate personal intoxication. The study also assessed whether men and women who typically consume large quantities of alcohol when they attend parties have more difficulty accurately assessing intoxication compared with lighter drinkers. Method: The research used the external cueing approach (ECA) of Turrisi and colleagues as the informational paradigm to examine 3.707 college students' gender, typical drinking at parties, and how they relate to perceptions of intoxication. Results: The study revealed that approximately 20% (n = 710) of participants underestimated their blood alcohol concentration using the ECA. Among participants who made underestimation errors, gender differences were observed in that women made significantly more underestimation errors in the scenarios that contained four to five drinks and men made more underestimation errors in the scenarios that contained six to seven drinks. In addition, a three-way interaction revealed that female students who reported typically drinking larger amounts of alcohol in party settings were more likely to make errors when estimating their intoxication for moderately high numbers of drinks (e.g., four to five drinks). Conclusions: The results are discussed in terms of examining the importance of college student drinking, gender, typical alcohol consumption at a party, and estimation of intoxication. Implications of gender effects in relation to high-risk drinking activities (i.e., pregaming and drinking games) as well as prevention efforts are discussed. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 70: 964-970, 2009), COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE AT A HEIGHTENED risk for heavy episodic drinking and experiencing consequences related to drinking (Abbey et al., 1998; National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism, 2007; O'Malley and [...]

Objective: To determine whether there is a difference in the incidence of pressure ulcers (PU) between African American (AA) and White nursing home (NH) residents in the Southeastern United States. Methods: Data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Minimum Data Set were examined for 113,869 residents who were free of PU at NH admission during 1999-2002. Facility and neighborhood characteristics were abstracted from the Online Survey Certification and Reporting database and the 2000 U.S. Census respectively. Results: The incidence of PU in NH among AAs and Whites was 4. 7% (95% CL. 4.4-5.0) and 3.4 % (95% CI: 3.3-3.5) respectively. The association between race and PU development varied between males and females. Differences were noted between AA and White males who were dependent in mobility and between AA and White females who were bedfast and resided in facilities with less than 200 beds. Unlike for females, facility and neighborhood characteristics were not significant confounders in risk for PU incidence among males. Conclusion: PU occurred more frequently in AAs than in Whites. Results suggest that racial differences are marked among males and females with specific characteristics. Interventions for reducing this disparity should target these at-risk groups. KEYWORDS pressure ulcer, decubitus ulcer, nursing homes, African Americans, racial disparity DOI: 10.1080/089528/i0903284594

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

Objectives: There is a well-established association between gender and the prevalence of mental illness. The objective of this study was to determine whether gender also influences the timing of remission from illness. The regression analysis undertaken considered remission in terms of all ICD-9 mental disorders (codes 290-314). This analysis compares males and females on average length of treatment for mental illness and examines whether any gender differences in remission are generalized or disorder specific. Methods: The statistical analysis was based on longitudinal (1990-2001) administrative data on 5,118 females and 2,470 males. The target population represented all individuals with an ICD-9 diagnosis of mental illness who were treated through the Medical Services Plan in British Columbia. The regression analysis used the generalized estimating equations method to model differences in length of treatment. Results: There was a non-significant bivariate relation between gender and the timing of remission from mental illness. However, the multivariate findings demonstrated that a significant gender effect on remission emerges after controls were introduced for demographic and socio-economic characteristics. In particular, the timing of remission was somewhat longer for females. This effect was generalized and not restricted to specific illnesses. Conclusions: The emergence of a significant effect after considering demographic and socio-economic characteristics suggests that a social disadvantage within the male sample (more single males) was suppressing a small negative effect of female gender on the timing of remission. In other words, a social disadvantage among males concealed an unexplained female disadvantage in remission. Key words: Gender; remission; mental health La traduction du resume se trouve a la fin de l&apos;article. Objectifs : Il existe un lien confirme entre le sexe et la prevalence des maladies mentales. Nous avons cherche a determiner si le sexe influencait aussi le moment des remissions de ce genre de maladies. Au moyen d&apos;une analyse de regression, nous avons etudie les remissions de tous les troubles mentaux enumeres dans la CIM-9 (codes 290 a 314). L&apos;analyse comparait la duree moyenne des traitements pour maladie mentale chez les hommes et les femmes afin de deceler d&apos;eventuels ecarts entre les sexes dans les remissions et de determiner si ces ecarts etaient generalises ou propres a certains troubles. Methode : Notre analyse statistique etait fondee sur les donnees administratives longitudinales (1990-2001) de 5 118 femmes et de 2 470 hommes. La population cible englobait toutes les personnes presentant un diagnostic de maladie mentale selon la CIM-9 qui avaient ete traitees par le regime de sante de la Colombie-Britannique. Dans l&apos;analyse de regression, nous avons utilise la methode des equations d&apos;estimation generalisees pour modeliser les ecarts dans la duree des traitements. Resultats : Nous observons une relation bivariee non significative entre le sexe et le moment des remissions des maladies mentales. Cependant, les resultats de l&apos;analyse multivariee montrent l&apos;emergence d&apos;un effet sexospecifique significatif apres l&apos;introduction de variables de controle demographiques et socioeconomiques. En particulier, les remissions sont un peu plus tardives chez les femmes. Cet effet est generalise : il ne se limite pas a certaines maladies. Conclusion : L&apos;emergence d&apos;un effet significatif lorsqu&apos;on tient compte de variables demographiques et socioeconomiques donne a penser que l&apos;existence d&apos;un desavantage social dans l&apos;echantillon masculin (compose de plus de celibataires) a annule un leger effet nefaste dans le moment des remissions chez les femmes. Autrement dit, un desavantage social chez les hommes masquait un desavantage inexplique sur le plan des remissions chez les femmes. Mots cles : sexospecificite; remission; sante mentale, Gender differences in the prevalence of mental illness are well documented, (1-6) but whether gender also influences the timing of remission is unclear. Do the factors that contribute to a [...]

Different methods of poisoning used by individuals with the diagnosis of parasuicide admitted to the Loghman Hospital, Tehran, from 2000 to 2004 were investigated, with particular focus on gender and age differences. Drugs, pesticides, and other agricultural chemicals (women: 12.7%, men: 9%) were the most commonly used methods. In males, the percentage of use of drugs increased with age, but the frequency of pesticides use decreased with age. In females, drugs were most often used in the youngest age group, whereas the use of pesticides was lowest in the youngest age category. Females outnumbered males, especially in the youngest age group of 10 to 19 years olds. Drugs and pesticides were the substances used most often for parasuicide in each age group regardless of gender.

Objectives: This purpose oft his study was to explore the following question: Are there gender differences among older individuals with a history of heroin addiction with regard to social and family relationships and health problems? Methods: Eight gender-specific focus groups were conducted with 38 (19 women, 19 men) older (50+ years) individuals with long-term histories of heroin dependence. Four groups were conducted in a methadone maintenance (MM) clinic and four groups were derived from the Los Angeles community. Results: Modest gender differences were observed, but mainly in the focus-group dynamics. Women typically described the impact of their addiction on their families, while men typically described their surprise at still being alive. Hepatitis C was the primary health concern in all groups; mental health issues were also discussed. Discussion: Remarkable gender differences were not apparent in the qualitative experiences of these participants. Instead, we found overriding similarities related to the interactive effects of drug use and aging. Longitudinal studies of this population as they age and interact with the health-care system and other social systems will help to untangle the complicated relationship between aging, drug addiction, gender, and health. KEYWORDS heroin, aging, gender, focus groups

Despite the concept of social capital receiving great attention in the area of health research, few studies have analyzed the differential effects of social capital between genders. This article assesses gender differences in the relationships between social capital and smoking and drinking behavior in Taiwan. Data on individual sociodemographic characteristics, smoking, drinking, and social capital were obtained from the Taiwan Social Change Survey conducted in 1995 and in 2000, The overall response rate was 67%. In total, 3713 women and men aged over 20 years living in 204 neighborhoods were interviewed, Social capital indicators were aggregated at the neighborhood level, and included neighborhood closeness, political influence, social contact, social trust, and social participation. The data were analyzed with multilevel binomial regression models, Gender differences were found in some aspects of social capital. Stronger effects of social trust on smoking were found for women than for men, whereas stronger effects of neighborhood closeness on drinking were found for women than for men, Social participation was positively associated with drinking in both genders. The findings of this study provide new evidence for the differential effects of social capital by gender in Taiwan, suggesting that more studies are needed to understand social capital's effects in Asian societies and the mechanisms by which the effects may vary with gender. Keywords: Taiwan Neighborhoods Social capital Gender Smoking Drinking

Our objective was to elucidate potential causes of higher rates of suicide attempts in females compared to males in southeastern Turkey through a 1-year survey. Gender-related differences observed in 96 subjects who attempted suicide by poisoning for the first time were as follows: in comparison to male, females were predominantly within the age interval of 15-24 years, experienced more stressful events in the previous week before suicide attempt, had lower education level, and had a lower rate of employment. One year after the suicide attempt, unfavorable attitude of family, lack of support, persisting unfavorable lifestyle comparable with that prior to the first attempt, and higher rates of domestic violence were more pronounced in females compared to males. These findings might be contributing factors to the higher suicide attempt rates observed in females compared to the males.

To determine whether the effect of antidepressant exposure on suicide rate is modified by age and gender in Hungary, annual antidepressant prescription rates and suicide rates of about 10 million inhabitants between 1999-2005 were analyzed by age and gender groups. The suicide rate was inversely related to the increased use of antidepressants in both genders. The strongest association was found in the oldest age groups, where the increase in antidepressant use was highest, while there was no association in the under 20 or 50-69 age groups in either gender. Antidepressant prescription rate was related to suicide rate after controlling for divorce rate or unemployment rate, but not after controlling for alcohol consumption rate.

Concerns have been raised related to the intersection of gender and diagnosis, particularly with respect to biases in diagnoses made according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.; American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The authors review the literature on the prevalence of diagnoses by gender, sex bias in diagnosis, the problematic impact of particular diagnoses on women, and the relationship of diagnosis to socialization and social conditions. Alternative diagnoses, diagnostic procedures, and diagnostic foci that can help counselors to most effectively avoid gender bias are offered., The field of abnormal psychology has had a troubled relationship with women. Feminists have asserted that "diagnoses such as nymphomania, hysteria, neurasthenia, erotomania, kleptomania, and masochism have served to enforce [...]

This study investigates the relation of five chronic cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM) to perceived health, and the moderating effects of sex and age. In a community-based cross-sectional telephone survey in Hong Kong, 7730 Chinese aged 25-74 were interviewed in 1994-1996. The odds ratio for poor perceived health associated with each condition was calculated adjusting for age, sex and education. Subjects free from the six conditions were treated as the comparison group. Hypertension, angina, DM, coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke were significantly associated with poor perceived health. The odds ratio of poor perceived health was significantly greater in men than in women for having more than one condition among DM, CHD and stroke (p = 0.02), and insignificantly greater for stroke, CHD and angina. The odds ratios were significantly greater in the young (25-39) versus the old (60-74) for DM (p = 0.008) in men and women combined, and for having either DM, CHD or stroke in men (p = 0.02). These findings suggest that the relation of DM, CHD and stroke with poor perceived health tends to be stronger in men and younger adults. These findings have implications for health care workers and home carers who need to appreciate that the same condition may have a different perceived impact on persons of different sex and age, and be sensitive to their varying needs. Keywords: Hong Kong; Cardiovascular diseases; Cross-sectional studies; Perceived health; Sex differences; Age differences

Although the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and health is well-established in Western industrialized countries, few studies have examined this association in developing countries, particularly among older cohorts. We use the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS), a nationally representative survey of Mexicans age 50 and older, to investigate the linkages between three indicators of SES (education, income, and wealth) and a set of health outcomes and behaviors in more and less urban areas of Mexico. We consider three measures of current health (self-rated health and two measures of physical functioning) and three behavioral indicators (obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption). In urban areas, we find patterns similar to those in industrialized countries: higher SES individuals are more likely to report better health than their lower SES counterparts, regardless of the SES measure considered. In contrast, we find few significant SES-health associations in less urban areas. The results for health behaviors are generally similar between the two areas of residence. One exception is the education obesity relationship. Our results suggest that education is a protective factor for obesity in urban areas and a risk factor in less urban areas. Contrary to patterns in the industrialized world, income is associated with higher rates of obesity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption. We also evaluate age and sex differences in the SES health relationship among older Mexicans. The results suggest that further economic development in Mexico may lead to a widening of socioeconomic inequalities in health. The study also provides insight into why socioeconomic gradients in health are weak among Mexican-Americans and underscores the importance of understanding health inequalities in Latin America for research on Hispanic health patterns in the US. Keywords: Mexico: Socioeconomic status; Health: Health inequalities: Older adults; Area

Sex differences in health, and the reality of a gender system, are well-known, but we know little about how this connects to opinions on fairness and desired change. This study aims to explore two principal questions: how to compare the position of women and men within-state and how to choose between-states, where a state is defined as a situation in which individuals have a particular set of resources, rights and duties, and if components in the set are altered, a new state for the same individuals appears. Based on various normative rules (monistic view or separate spheres, equity as choice or ethics of care, equity by attainment or shortfall: variants of welfarism, feminism and conservatism), a survey among Swedish public health workers was carried out. The results demonstrate a major rejection of the idea of compensation between health, power, influence and resources, and of considering past processes when judging fairness as to women and men. Moreover, most respondents believe that a biologically based difference in health is fair and reject health maximization as a guiding principle. The support for gender equality is strong when contrasted with the conservative goal, and subsists when contrasted against the Pareto criterion and trading-off health/income as well. Results that call for additional research and exchange of views include that common notions in research and policy-making are rejected by a majority, and that females and males differ considerably when judging change from a societal perspective. Keywords: Gender; Health; Fairness; Preferences

This paper tests the hypothesis of an emerging or increasing female excess in general ill-health and physical symptoms, as well as psychological distress, during early to mid-adolescence. Self-reported data on general health (longstanding illness and health in the last 12 months), recent symptoms (classified as `physical' and `malaise') and depressive mood were obtained from a large, Scottish, school-based cohort at ages 11, 13 and 15. Generally high levels of health problems at age 11 tended to increase with age, these increases being greater for females than males, not only in respect of depression and `malaise' symptoms, but also limiting illness, `poor' self-rated health, headaches, stomach problems and dizziness. The consequence, by age 15, is the emergence of a female excess in general ill-health and depressive mood, and a substantial strengthening of the small excess in both `physical' and `malaise' symptoms already apparent at 11 years. These findings are discussed in relation to explanations for the adult female excess in poorer health, and the emergence of a female excess of depression during adolescence. Keywords: Adolescence; Gender; Self-reported health; Psychological distress; Scotland