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Fulltext Male involvement in maternal health: perspectives of opinion leaders

Aborigo RA, Reidpath DD, Oduro AR, Allotey P

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth, 2018 01 02;18(1):3.
PMID: 29291711 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-017-1641-9

BACKGROUND: Twenty years after acknowledging the importance of joint responsibilities and male participation in maternal health programs, most health care systems in low income countries continue to face challenges in involving men. We explored the reasons for men's resistance to the adoption of a more proactive role in pregnancy care and their enduring influence in the decision making process during emergencies.
METHODS: Ten focus group discussions were held with opinion leaders (chiefs, elders, assemblymen, leaders of women groups) and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with healthcare workers (District Directors of Health, Medical Assistants in-charge of health centres, and district Public Health Nurses and Midwives). The interviews and discussions were audio recorded, transcribed into English and imported into NVivo 10 for content analysis.
RESULTS: As heads of the family, men control resources, consult soothsayers to determine the health seeking or treatment for pregnant women, and serve as the final authority on where and when pregnant women should seek medical care. Beyond that, they have no expectation of any further role during antenatal care and therefore find it unnecessary to attend clinics with their partners. There were conflicting views about whether men needed to provide any extra support to their pregnant partners within the home. Health workers generally agreed that men provided little or no support to their partners. Although health workers had facilitated the formation of father support groups, there was little evidence of any impact on antenatal support.
CONCLUSIONS: In patriarchal settings, the role of men can be complex and social and cultural traditions may conflict with public health recommendations. Initiatives to promote male involvement should focus on young men and use chiefs and opinion leaders as advocates to re-orient men towards more proactive involvement in ensuring the health of their partners.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Fulltext PERANAN WANITA ISLAM DALAM MENYAMPAIKAN MESEJ DAKWAH KEPADA MASYARAKAT MENURUT PERSPEKTIF AL-QURAN

Aini Sofea Che Daud & Berhanundin Abdullah

AL-QIYAM International Social Science and Humanities Journal, 2018;1(1):1-10.
MyJurnal

The involvement of women preachers in the field of preaching is also a major contributor to the process of delivering the preaching to the community. Thus, the importance of Islamic women's role in delivering the content of their preaching focused on aspects related to women and society based on the main sources of the Quran and the sunnah. Therefore, the objective of this study is to study the role of Muslim women in delivering the message of preaching to the community according to the Quranic perspective. This study uses qualitative method which is a documentary study which is accompanied by the arguments of the Quran, Hadith and the views of several commentators on the topic of the study. The study found that women play a very important role in communicating the message of faith such as issues of faith, sharia, morals and current issues of women and society based on the Quranic message. This is because the Muslim preacher's delivery is more personalized and influenced by a more feminine and family-oriented approach.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Attention, Impulsiveness, and Gender in Academic Achievement Among Typically Developing Children

Alavi M, Seng JH, Mustaffa MS, Ninggal MT, Amini M, Latif AA

Percept Mot Skills, 2018 Nov 14.
PMID: 30426868 DOI: 10.1177/0031512518809163

Although several studies have examined the relationships among attention, impulse control, gender, and academic achievement, most have focused on clinical samples and have considered only one or two academic subjects. This study investigated these relationships among typically developing children using general achievement measures (academic scores and grades). Our participants were 270 typically developing primary school students (142 boys and 128 girls) of different nationalities living in Malaysia, recruited with purposive sampling with a mean age of 9.75 years. We found that both attention and impulse control significantly predicted academic achievement. Girls had a higher level of attention and impulse control than boys, but gender was not a significant moderator between either attention or impulse control and academic achievement. We discuss the implications of these findings and the need for further research.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Doing gender better: can the UN step up?

Allotey P, Remme M, Lo S

Lancet, 2019 06 15;393(10189):2371-2373.
PMID: 31155269 DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30988-2
Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Greek adaptation of the Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) in adults from the Republic of Cyprus: A bidimensional model may not be universal

Argyrides M, Anastasiades E, Maïano C, Swami V

Appetite, 2024 Mar 01;194:107180.
PMID: 38145878 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2023.107180

The Teruel Orthorexia Scale (TOS) is a 17-item instrument designed to assess distinct facets of Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) and Healthy Orthorexia (HO). While a bidimensional model of TOS scores has been supported in diverse national and linguistic groups, the psychometric properties of the TOS have not been previously assessed in Greek-speaking populations. To rectify this, we assessed the psychometric properties of a novel Greek translation of the TOS in a sample of adults from Cyprus. A total of 1248 respondents (710 women, 538 men) completed the Greek TOS, as well as previously validated measures of perfectionism, obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, eating restriction, negative affect, and appearance evaluation. Our results showed that a bidimensional model of the TOS had less-than-adequate fit when modelled using both confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). Conversely, both exploratory factor analysis and ESEM supported extraction of a 3-factor model consisting of a HO facet and separate components of emotional orthorexia and cognitive-social orthorexia. This 3-factor model showed a lack of measurement bias (measurement invariance across gender identity and lack of differential item functioning as function of age and body mass index), but there were differences in latent factor means as function of respondent age and body mass index. The 3-factor model showed adequate evidence of construct validity, with the latent emotional orthorexia and cognitive-social orthorexia facets showing significant and moderate associations with the additional constructs measured in the survey. Broadly speaking, these findings support the psychometric properties of a 3-factor model of the Greek TOS, but also suggest that the bidimensional model of the TOS may not have universal applicability. We encourage further assessments of factorial validity in other national and linguistic contexts.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Gendered burdens and impacts of SARS-CoV-2: a review

Ayittey FK, Dhar BK, Anani G, Chiwero NB

Health Care Women Int, 2021 2 23;41(11-12):1210-1225.
PMID: 33616506 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2020.1809664

Using the SRQR EQUATOR checklist, we review the gendered burdens and impacts of SARS-CoV-2. Although men are primarily detected to be slightly more vulnerable in succumbing to the ongoing COVID-19 contagion, many researchers have recognized that women are facing more of the devastating brunt in secondary terms. Aside gendered health and social impacts, women are more disproportionately disadvantaged than men in economic terms, as they are predominantly found in the part-time and informal occupations, which have been closed down for months now since the emergence of the current global crisis. Also, since women form the vast proportion of the caregivers within the health sector, their role in handling the pandemic as frontline respondents at the hospitals put them in higher risks of contracting the disease. Despite this higher risk of infection, the peculiar attentions to women's health in the planning and rolling out of actions to contain the virus have been overlooked. Additionally, their unpaid domestic care works have also increased due to closure of schools and businesses, which have forced family members to stay at home for as long as movement control orders remain in place. In this confined state, the domestic violence against women have been recorded to be on the increase. To recommend measures that consider gendered dimensions of the current crisis, we have reviewed the various sex-based burdens and impacts of the pandemic, and proceeded to suggest necessary response actions to handle the situation. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of the outbreak on women, and how the gendered flaws in the current response strategies could be avoided in managing future global crises.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity*
Tarantism, dancing mania and demonopathy: the anthro-political aspects of 'mass psychogenic illness'

Bartholomew RE

Psychol Med, 1994 May;24(2):281-306.
PMID: 8084927

This study questions the widely held assumption that the phenomenon known as mass psychogenic illness (MPI) exists per se in nature as a psychiatric disorder. Most MPI studies are problematical, being descriptive, retrospective investigations of specific incidents which conform to a set of pre-existing symptom criteria that are used to determine the presence of collective psychosomatic illness. Diagnoses are based upon subjective, ambiguous categories that reflect stereotypes of female normality which assume the presence of a transcultural disease or disorder entity, underemphasizing or ignoring the significance of episodes as culturally conditioned roles of social action. Examples of this bias include the mislabelling of dancing manias, tarantism and demonopathy in Europe since the Middle Ages as culture-specific variants of MPI. While 'victims' are typified as mentally disturbed females possessing abnormal personality characteristics who are exhibiting cathartic reactions to stress, it is argued that episodes may involve normal, rational people who possess unfamiliar conduct codes, world-views and political agendas that differ significantly from those of Western-trained investigators who often judge these illness behaviours independent of their local context and meanings.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Fulltext Male involvement in maternal healthcare through Community- based Health Planning and Services: the views of the men in rural Ghana

Bougangue B, Ling HK

BMC Public Health, 2017 09 06;17(1):693.
PMID: 28874157 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-017-4680-2

BACKGROUND: The need to promote maternal health in Ghana has committed the government to extend maternal healthcare services to the door steps of rural families through the community-based Health Planning and Services. Based on the concerns raised in previous studies that male spouses were indifferent towards maternal healthcare, this study sought the views of men on their involvement in maternal healthcare in their respective communities and at the household levels in the various Community-based Health Planning and Services zones in Awutu-Senya West District in the Central Region of Ghana.
METHODS: A qualitative method was employed. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with married men, community health officers, community health volunteers and community leaders. The participants were selected using purposive, quota and snowball sampling techniques. The study used thematic analysis for analysing the data.
RESULTS: The study shows varying involvement of men, some were directly involved in feminine gender roles; others used their female relatives and co-wives to perform the women's roles that did not have space for them. They were not necessarily indifferent towards maternal healthcare, rather, they were involved in the spaces provided by the traditional gender division of labour. Amongst other things, the perpetuation and reinforcement of traditional gender norms around pregnancy and childbirth influenced the nature and level of male involvement.
CONCLUSIONS: Sustenance of male involvement especially, husbands and CHVs is required at the household and community levels for positive maternal outcomes. Ghana Health Service, health professionals and policy makers should take traditional gender role expectations into consideration in the planning and implementation of maternal health promotion programmes.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Bisexual feelings and opposite-sex behavior in male Malaysian medical students

Buhrich N, Armstrong MS, McConaghy N

Arch Sex Behav, 1982 Oct;11(5):387-93.
PMID: 7181646

The sexual identity of 65 Malaysian male medical students was investigated by anonymous questionnaire. Of these students, 40% were aware of homosexual feelings prior to age 15 years, and 16% were so aware currently. There were correlations between current homosexual feelings and feminine sex dimorphic behavior during childhood and between current homosexual feelings and feminine gender identity. The results are discussed in light of results of a similar questionnaire completed by 138 male medical students in Sydney, Australia.
Study site: National University of Malaysia (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity*
Resistance and empowerment against racism: A preregistered study of associations with body appreciation and body acceptance by others in racialised minority adults in the United Kingdom

Chan J, Craddock N, Swami V

Body Image, 2023 Sep;46:1-8.
PMID: 37149923 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.04.010

Research on body image and racism has largely focused on how individual experiences of racism are associated with detrimental body image outcomes. However, research has not yet examined how resistance and empowerment against racism (REAR) - a repertoire of proactive strategies aimed at preventing or challenging racism both at the individual and collective levels - shape positive body image outcomes. Here, 236 women and 233 men who identified as belonging to racialised minority groups in the United Kingdom completed the REAR Scale - which measures REAR along four dimensions - as well as measures of body appreciation and body acceptance by others. Correlational analyses indicated significant inter-correlations between nearly all REAR domains and body image-related variables in men, whereas relationships in women were largely non-significant. Linear model analyses indicated that greater leadership for resistance against racism was significantly associated with higher body appreciation in women and men. Greater interpersonal confrontation of racism was significantly associated with both body appreciation and body acceptance by others in men, but not in women. These results suggest that REAR may play a role in shaping body image-related outcomes in people of colour, but that these effects are also be shaped by the intersection of gender and race.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Gendering of avatars for online self-representation

Cheong, Lee Mei, Fariza Hann Abdul Razak

CREAM : Current Research in Malaysia (Penyelidikan Terkini di Malaysia), 2013;2(2):89-100.
MyJurnal

This exploratory study is part of an on-going project about digital cultures on ageism, anonymity, and gendering. An avatar is the graphical representation of the online user. The study investigates the avatars drawn by a group of 76 young adults studying in a local university. A face-to-face interview was conducted to ascertain the features drawn. Results show that the avatars are more characterized by the sexual features related to the body, face, clothes, and a major number of context elements. The females tend to represent themselves in greater detail than the males. The former created gendered identities for themselves according to their offline gender identity and social contexts. The study illustrates that the hand drawing is an effective tool that analyses the online representation in an unobtrusive way. The expressions of gendering show that gender is consciously constructed. Gendering of avatars does permeate the virtual world. This study is a valuable addition to the growing body of work on social interaction in cyberspace.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Change in self-concept during adolescence

Chiam HK

Adolescence, 1987;22(85):69-76.
PMID: 3591504

Malaysian adolescents, like their Western counterparts, undergo rapid growth and development. It is hypothesized that self-concept improves as adolescents mature and become more adjusted to the changes. This study therefore sought to ascertain whether the self-concept changes with age, not only in the global sense but in the various components of the self-concept. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Brookover Scale of Academic Ability were administered to 375 adolescent boys, ranging in age from 14.7 to 17.0 years, and to 289 adolescent girls, ranging in age from 14.4 to 17.2 years. The findings show that the self-concept of adolescent boys changes with age in the direction predicted. The trend is less obvious and less consistent for girls.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Fulltext Psycho-social and spiritual backgrounds, experiences, and needs as a transsexual: a qualitative study within Persatuan Insaf Pahang

Drama, S., Maliya, S., Liyana, A., Farhani, S., Jannah, R., Razman., M.R.

International Medical Journal Malaysia, 2016;15(2):27-36.
MyJurnal

Introduction: Transsexuals face discriminations and rejections from the Malaysian society. The number of
studies done on understanding the phenomenology, experiences, and problems faced by transsexuals is still
few in Malaysia. This research aims to document their psycho-social and spiritual backgrounds and the
relevant experiences, and to explore their perceptions and needs as male-to-female transsexuals in the
context of Persatuan Insaf Pahang, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: A qualitative research was carried out
in July and August 2015 among eight male-to-female transsexual adults in Kuantan, Pahang. Snowball
sampling was used. Participants who gave consent were interviewed in two focus groups. Data obtained was
transcribed and used as the primary data source. Results: Subjects in this study reported confusions over
their gender identity since childhood. They struggled against conflicts regarding their transsexuality in
adolescence, and eventually many quit their studies. As adults, they were discriminated against in
employment and religious settings. They provided positive feedbacks on religious authorities who could
understand problems unique to transsexuals and empathise with the transsexual community. Conclusion: The
psycho-sexual phenomenology is the same in transsexuals all over the world. Misunderstanding and
discrimination from the society remain heavy towards this community. Transsexuals should learn to adapt to
meeting expectations from the society as well, so they could be accepted in public. They will need religious
guidance and spiritual support for better quality of life. Dedicated efforts are still needed in training
professionals in the educational, medical, and religious fields to attend to the specific needs of transsexuals
in this country.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Putative Androgen Exposure and Sexual Orientation: Cross-Cultural Evidence Suggesting a Modified Neurohormonal Theory

Ellis L, Lykins A, Hoskin A, Ratnasingam M

J Sex Med, 2015 Dec;12(12):2364-77.
PMID: 26663858 DOI: 10.1111/jsm.13070

According to neurohormonal theory, prenatal androgens are key determinants of sexual orientation. As a reputed marker for prenatal androgens, the 2D:4D finger length ratio has been used in more than a dozen studies to test the hypothesis that prenatal androgens influence sexual orientation. Findings have been very inconsistent.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
When Health Intersects with Gender and Sexual Diversity: Medical Students' Attitudes Towards LGBTQ Patients

Fazli Khalaf Z, Liow JW, Nalliah S, Foong ALS

J Homosex, 2023 Jul 29;70(9):1763-1786.
PMID: 35285780 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2022.2042662

A central tenet of the health professions is that of equitable access to health care. However, disparities in equitable healthcare provision continues to be a challenge in many societies due to prejudices against the LGBTQ community. This study was aimed at exploring the attitudes of medical students toward LGBTQ patients in Malaysia. A qualitative approach was adopted to seek depth of understanding of clinical year medical students' perceptions and attitudes toward LGBTQ patients. Data were collected in 2018 through individual interviews and focus group discussions with a total of 29 participants, using a semi-structured question guideline. Purposive sampling comprised representation from the three major ethnic groups in Malaysia. Thematic analysis using NVivo highlighted three main themes i.e., neutrality, in compliance with the Professional Code of Conduct; implicit biases and tolerance of an Odd Identity; explicit biases with prejudices and stereotyping. The lack of knowledge and understanding of the nature and issues of sexuality is problematic as found in this study. They are primarily biases and prejudices projected onto marginalized LGBTQ patients who must contend with multiple jeopardies in conservative societies such as in Malaysia. With some state policies framed around Islam the concern is with the belief among Malay/Islamic students for LGBTQ individuals to go through conversion 'therapies' to become cisgender and heterosexual.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
The portrayal of men and women in television advertisements: an updated review of 30 studies published since 2000

Furnham A, Paltzer S

Scand J Psychol, 2010 Jun 1;51(3):216-36.
PMID: 20338017 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00772.x

In 1999, Furnham and Mak published a review of 14 content-analytic studies of sex roles stereotyping in television commercials. All these studies were based on the McArthur and Resko (1975) content categories. This paper updates that review considering 30 studies in over 20 countries published between 2000 and 2008. Studies were from Australasia, Austria, Bulgaria, Ghana, Hong Kong, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Malaysia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. They examined over 8,000 advertisements. National and cultural differences in gender stereotypes are also considered in the light of this data. The popularity of, and the problems associated with, the research paradigm are considered.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Addressing men and gender diversity in education: a promising solution to the HIV/AIDS epidemic

Ghajarieh AB, Kow KY

Health Care Women Int, 2011 Apr;32(4):314-27.
PMID: 21409664 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2010.532577

To date, researchers investigating gender in relation to social issues underscore women and appear to sideline men. Focusing on women in studies concerning sociogender issues may exclude not only men from mainstream research, but also those who do not fit into the binary gender system, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) people. One area closely related to gender issues is the HIV epidemic. Mainstream discussions of men and other versions of masculinity and femininity including GLBT people in the gender-related studies of the HIV epidemic can decrease the vulnerability of individuals against HIV infections regardless of their biological sex.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity*
Fulltext Gender identity, healthcare access, and risk reduction among Malaysia's mak nyah community

Gibson BA, Brown SE, Rutledge R, Wickersham JA, Kamarulzaman A, Altice FL

Glob Public Health, 2016 Aug-Sep;11(7-8):1010-25.
PMID: 26824463 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2015.1134614

Transgender women (TGW) face compounded levels of stigma and discrimination, resulting in multiple health risks and poor health outcomes. TGW identities are erased by forcing them into binary sex categories in society or treating them as men who have sex with men (MSM). In Malaysia, where both civil and religious law criminalise them for their identities, many TGW turn to sex work with inconsistent prevention methods, which increases their health risks. This qualitative study aims to understand how the identities of TGW sex workers shapes their healthcare utilisation patterns and harm reduction behaviours. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 male-to-female transgender (mak nyah) sex workers in Malaysia. Interviews were transcribed, translated into English, and analysed using thematic coding. Results suggest that TGW identity is shaped at an early age followed by incorporation into the mak nyah community where TGW were assisted in gender transition and introduced to sex work. While healthcare was accessible, it failed to address the multiple healthcare needs of TGW. Pressure for gender-affirming health procedures and fear of HIV and sexually transmitted infection screening led to potentially hazardous health behaviours. These findings have implications for developing holistic, culturally sensitive prevention and healthcare services for TGW.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity
Knowledge on involvement during pregnancy among fathers in respective areas in Kuantan, Malaysia

Hanapi NNM, Isa MLM, Yusof AM

Enferm Clin, 2019 09;29 Suppl 2:572-578.
PMID: 31302017 DOI: 10.1016/j.enfcli.2019.06.008

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify the knowledge on the involvement of father during pregnancy among fathers in the respective area in Kuantan.
METHOD: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional with a quantitative study. There were 103 participants recruited. The data of this study were analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) with one-way ANOVA and Pearson correlation test for significant analyses.
RESULT: The result showed that half of the fathers have high knowledge of pregnancy and knowledge on involvement regarding pregnancy. There is a significant difference between age factors with mean knowledge of father regarding pregnancy. Meanwhile, there is also a significant difference between age and knowledge on the involvement of father during pregnancy. In addition, a number of children and knowledge on the involvement of father during pregnancy also showed a significant association. The knowledge level of father regarding pregnancy and the knowledge on involvement during pregnancy among fathers is directly, linearly and moderately correlated.
CONCLUSION: This study can be concluded that fathers in Kuantan are possessed average knowledge on involvement regarding pregnancy. This shows that man lag behind in their responsibilities in pregnancy. In which, they do not clearly know what their role is during pregnancy.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity*
The Missing Uterus, the Missed Diagnosis, and the Missing Care. Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser Syndrome in the Lives of Women in Malaysia

Hatim H, Zainuddin AA, Anizah A, Kalok A, Daud TIM, Ismail A, et al.

J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol, 2021 Apr;34(2):161-167.
PMID: 33189898 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpag.2020.11.009

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the diagnosis of Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) syndrome on affected Malaysian women.
DESIGN: Qualitative study with a quantitative component.
SETTING: Pediatric and adolescent gynecology unit at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Malaysia.
PARTICIPANTS: Twelve women with MRKH.
INTERVENTIONS: Face-to-face interview and short questionnaire.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Thematic analysis was used to understand participants' experiences.
RESULTS: There were 7 themes identified: (1) delayed diagnoses; (2) doctors' roles and attitudes; (3) gender identity; (4) family and society's response; (5) reaction toward infertility; (6) managing sexual intimacy; and (7) coping mechanisms. Several participants consulted their physicians regarding their primary amenorrhea at an opportunistic setting. When they were referred to the gynecologists, they were dismayed at the lack of information given. The term, "MRKH" plays an important role to ease information-seeking. Participants felt that the doctors were insensitive toward them. Mental illness is a significant complication of MRKH. All participants acknowledged that infertility was the hardest part of the condition. The importance of blood lineage affects their outlook on childbearing options. Some were afraid of sexual intimacy and worried that they would not be able to satisfy their partners. Participants gained support and bonded with their counterparts in the MRKH support group.
CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary approach including medical, psychological, and social support is essential for the management of MRKH. Adequate information and sexual education plays the utmost importance in preventing social-related complications of MRKH.

Matched MeSH terms: Gender Identity

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