Gender equality in couples and self-rated health - A survey study evaluating measurements of gender equality and its impact on health

Abstract

BackgroundMen and women have different patterns of health. These differences between the sexes present a challenge to the field of public health. The question why women experience more health problems than men despite their longevity has been discussed extensively, with both social and biological theories being offered as plausible explanations. In this article, we focus on how gender equality in a partnership might be associated with the respondents' perceptions of health.MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional survey with 1400 respondents. We measured gender equality using two different measures: 1) a self-reported gender equality index, and 2) a self-perceived gender equality question. The aim of comparison of the self-reported gender equality index with the self-perceived gender equality question was to reveal possible disagreements between the normative discourse on gender equality and daily practice in couple relationships. We then evaluated the association with health, measured as self-rated health (SRH). With SRH dichotomized into 'good' and 'poor', logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with the outcome. For the comparison between the self-reported gender equality index and self-perceived gender equality, kappa statistics were used.ResultsAssociations between gender equality and health found in this study vary with the type of gender equality measurement. Overall, we found little agreement between the self-reported gender equality index and self-perceived gender equality. Further, the patterns of agreement between self-perceived and self-reported gender equality were quite different for men and women: men perceived greater gender equality than they reported in the index, while women perceived less gender equality than they reported. The associations to health were depending on gender equality measurement used.ConclusionsMen and women perceive and report gender equality differently. This means that it is necessary not only to be conscious of the methods and measurements used to quantify men's and women's opinions of gender equality, but also to be aware of the implications for health outcomes.

Why sex and gender matter in implementation research

“…Gender relations [6, 28, 33]Refers to how we interact with or are treated by people in the world around us, based on our ascribed or experienced gender.How might the outcomes of implementation interventions differ by sex and gender according to whether the degree to which the geographic setting is culturally homogeneous, diverse or gender equitable?What are the implications of an implementation intervention being communicated or delivered to women only, men only, men and women separately or together? How is this mediated by cultural context?The Self-Perceived and Self-Reported Gender Equality scale [77]. Institutionalized gender [6, 28, 33]Reflects the distribution of power between men and women in the political, educational, and social institutions in society.…”

Mediating role of self‐efficacy in the relationship between family social support and hypertension self‐care behaviours: A cross‐sectional study of Saudi men with hypertension

“…In reviewing the literature, a qualitative study conducted in Colombia suggested that household members with chronic conditions can help support and remind each other in performing self‐care behaviours (eg, take medication) (Legido‐Quigley et al, ). Further, perceived family support is essential for the patients to improve adherence to healthy self‐care behaviours (Sörlin, Lindholm, Ng, & Öhman, ). Consistent with the traditional Saudi culture (Alrukban et al, ), we found 86% of respondents reported strong family support.…”

Time trends of comparative self-rated health in adults aged 25-34 in the Northern Sweden MONICA study, 1990-2014

“…Gender refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women” [ 7 ]. Sweden is regarded as a country with a high level of gender equality in international comparison, and gender equality is an undisputable societal norm [ 8 ]. Still gender continues to play a considerable part in how work, wealth, power, and time use are distributed in the Swedish society [ 9 ].…”