scholarly journals Dimensional characterizations of gender diversity are associated with higher polygenic propensity for cognitive performance in a neurodiverse sample

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor R Thomas ◽  
Ashton J Tener ◽  
Ji Seung Yang ◽  
John F Strang ◽  
Jacob J Michaelson
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Polygenic Scores ◽  
And Gender

Both sex and gender are characteristics that play a key role in risk and resilience in health and well-being. Current research lacks the ability to quantitatively describe gender and gender diversity, and is limited to endorsement of categorical gender identities, which are contextually and culturally dependent. A more objective, dimensional approach to characterizing gender diversity will enable researchers to advance the health of gender-diverse people by better understanding how genetic factors interact to determine health outcomes. To address this research gap, we leveraged the Gender Self-Report (GSR), a questionnaire that captures multiple dimensions of gender diversity. We then performed polygenic score associations with brain-related traits like cognitive performance, personality, and neuropsychiatric conditions. The GSR was completed by N = 818 independent adults with or without autism in the SPARK cohort, and GSR factor analysis identified two factors: Binary (divergence from gender presumed by designated sex to the opposite) and Nonbinary (divergence from male and female gender norms) Gender Diversity (BGD and NGD, respectively). We performed polygenic associations (controlling for age, sex, and autism diagnostic status) in a subset of N = 452 individuals and found higher polygenic propensity for cognitive performance was associated with greater BGD (B = 0.017, p = 0.049) and NGD (B = 0.036, p = 0.002), and higher polygenic propensity for educational attainment was also associated with greater NGD (B = 0.030, p = 0.015). We did not observe any significant associations with personality or neuropsychiatric polygenic scores in this sample. Overall, our results suggest cognitive processes and gender diversity share overlapping genetic factors, indicating the biological utility of the GSR while also underscoring the importance of quantitatively measuring gender diversity in health research contexts.

scholarly journals The genetic background of the associations between sense of coherence and mental health, self-esteem and personality

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karri Silventoinen ◽  
Eero Vuoksimaa ◽  
Salla-Maarit Volanen ◽  
Teemu Palviainen ◽  
Richard J. Rose ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sense Of Coherence ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Risk Tolerance ◽  
Personality Factors ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Psychological Traits ◽  
Polygenic Scores

Abstract Purpose Sense of coherence (SOC) represents coping and can be considered an essential component of mental health. SOC correlates with mental health and personality, but the background of these associations is poorly understood. We analyzed the role of genetic factors behind the associations of SOC with mental health, self-esteem and personality using genetic twin modeling and polygenic scores (PGS). Methods Information on SOC (13-item Orientation of Life Questionnaire), four mental health indicators, self-esteem and personality (NEO Five Factor Inventory Questionnaire) was collected from 1295 Finnish twins at 20–27 years of age. Results In men and women, SOC correlated negatively with depression, alexithymia, schizotypal personality and overall mental health problems and positively with self-esteem. For personality factors, neuroticism was associated with weaker SOC and extraversion, agreeableness and conscientiousness with stronger SOC. All these psychological traits were influenced by genetic factors with heritability estimates ranging from 19 to 66%. Genetic and environmental factors explained these associations, but the genetic correlations were generally stronger. The PGS of major depressive disorder was associated with weaker, and the PGS of general risk tolerance with stronger SOC in men, whereas in women the PGS of subjective well-being was associated with stronger SOC and the PGSs of depression and neuroticism with weaker SOC. Conclusion Our results indicate that a substantial proportion of genetic variation in SOC is shared with mental health, self-esteem and personality indicators. This suggests that the correlations between these traits reflect a common neurobiological background rather than merely the influence of external stressors.

scholarly journals Can evolutionary thinking shed light on gender diversity?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 351-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernadette Wren ◽  
John Launer ◽  
Michael J. Reiss ◽  
Annie Swanepoel ◽  
Graham Music
Keyword(s):  
Gender Identity ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Medical Intervention ◽  
List Type ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Medical Interventions ◽  
The Core ◽  
Causal Pathways ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Shed Light

SUMMARYIssues of sexual reproduction lie at the core of evolutionary thinking, which often places an emphasis on how individuals attempt to maximise the number of successful offspring that they can produce. At first sight, it may therefore appear that individuals who opt for gender-affirming medical interventions are acting in ways that are evolutionarily disadvantageous. However, there are persuasive hypotheses that might make sense of such choices in evolutionary terms and we explore these here. It is premature to claim knowledge of the extent to which evolutionary arguments can usefully be applied to issues of gender identity, although worth reflecting on the extent to which nature tends towards diversity in matters of sex and gender. The importance of acknowledging and respecting different views in this domain, as well as recognising both the uncertainty and likely multiplicity of causal pathways, has implications for clinicians. We make some suggestions about how clinicians might best respond when faced with requests from patients in this area.LEARNING OBJECTIVESAfter reading this article you will be able to:•understand evolutionary arguments about diversity in human gender identity•identify strengths and weaknesses in evolutionary arguments applied to transgender issues•appreciate the range and diversity of gender experience and gender expression among people who present to specialist gender services, as well as the likely complexities of their reasons for requesting medical intervention.

Sex and Gender Interactions in the Lives of Patients with Spondyloarthritis in Spain: A Quantitative-qualitative Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1429-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mar Blasco-Blasco ◽  
María Teresa Ruiz-Cantero ◽  
Lucero Aida Juárez-Herrera y Cairo ◽  
Vega Jovaní ◽  
Eliseo Pascual
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Disease Activity ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Diagnostic Delay ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Traditional Gender Roles ◽  
Contextual Support ◽  
Partner Relationships ◽  
And Gender

Objective.To illustrate the experiences and contextual support perceived by men and women with spondyloarthritis (SpA) in relation to their demanding productive and reproductive roles.Methods.A quantitative-qualitative study of 96 men and 54 women with SpA was conducted at the Alicante University General Hospital, in a Spanish Mediterranean city, from March 2013 to February 2014. Descriptive and qualitative content analyses compared working lives and family/partner relationships of male and female patients.Results.Working life: both women (55.6%) and men (51.04%) were similarly affected, but women had worse disease activity (5.4 vs 4.0, p = 0.01) and less antitumor necrosis factor-α therapy (56.7% vs 77.6%, p < 0.05). Different patterns were found by gender: women mostly practiced presenteeism whereas men practiced absenteeism, women took antiinflammatories prior to work and men after work, employers suggested more frequently the beneficial actions for men, and some women withdrew permanently from the labor market. Family/partner relationships: women were more affected (57.4%) than men (41.7%), with worse results for diagnostic delay (11.2 vs 6.4 yrs, p = 0.02), disease activity (5.8 vs 3.6, p < 0.001), and physical function (5.2 vs 3.8, p = 0.02). Gender role conflicts emerged, with women developing strategies to face compulsory housework whereas men avoided them; women regretted neglecting their children and men not sharing leisure activities with them.Conclusion.Our study highlights the vital complexity in which patients with SpA are immersed, especially for women in a country where a mix of new and traditional gender roles coexist. Awareness of its existence is crucial when professionals strive to provide healthcare focused on their well-being in addition to medical therapy.

scholarly journals Dynamics of Gender-Specific Behaviors in the Digital Educational Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (24) ◽  
pp. 155-166
Author(s):  
Jeļena Badjanova ◽  
Dzintra Iliško ◽  
Svetlana Ignatjeva ◽  
Margarita Nesterova
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Educational Environment ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Teachers Professional Development ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Gender Specific

During the social distancing, an increasing number of people use communication applications, various types of digital tools and programs. Various video conferencing platforms are regularly used in the educational environment. The study presents the analyses how intensive is the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in the educational environment and how it can change cognitive-behavioral gender differences. This is particularly important to pay a special attention to the analysis of gender as a dynamic category, to take into account the processes of gender socialization and transformation of gender identification in the changing social environment. The research methods also included a set of additional methods, such as a focus group on different aspects of gender-specific behavior in the digital learning environment, putting together collages, as well as the method of the unfinished sentence related to the impact of ICT on teachers' professional development and well-being. In the course of the study, it was recognised that the design of social models of male and female gender-specific behaviour includes more than the basic gender identity and gender stability: in today's society, there is a multiplicity of views on the similarities and differences of gender-specific behaviours, and a rapid change in the accepted social guidelines and behavioural patterns is in progress, socio-cultural norms that define the psychological characteristics of women and men, their patterns of behaviour.

scholarly journals Mutual conditioning of gender and love: Towards a non-gendered idea of humanity

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Slater
Keyword(s):  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Human Condition ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Philosophical Debate ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Gender Divisions ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Cultural Freedom ◽  
Cultural Constructions

It is a presumed opinion that gender and love mutually condition each other and that this presumption ought to be embraced by cultural norms, religion, human rights and the ethic of freedom. The notion of mutual conditioning presupposes a healthy and principled environment that facilitates the free dynamic interaction between gender and love. It is the purpose of this article to explore the outcomes of the gender revolution and the additional strands of complexities that it contributed to the human condition. Although feminism has created terminologies such as sex and gender, it is believed that these words have outlived their usefulness to make way for the present-day evolution towards a non-gendered idea of humanity. Gender diversity seeks mutuality, and true love accommodates multiplicity; hence, the interacting and intra-acting of gender and love inevitably come face-to-face with cultural, legal, social, religious and moral milieus that hamper or even contradict the concept of mutual conditioning. This article seeks to trace the evolution of gender within diverse cultural constructions created by new liberal living conditions, but which have not yet infiltrated the diverse cultural domains where gender remains an entity without cultural freedom and therefore undermines the process of mutual conditioning of gender and love. The idea of gender as transcending bodily sex forms part of an old theological and philosophical debate; it, however, resurfaces here while revisiting Aristotle’s idea of a non-gendered society or humanity. A degendered society implies a society that is free from dependence on gender, whereas a non-gendered humanity transcends gender divisions and associations, with its aspirations linked to the transcendence or consciousness of human nature. Love, in this sense, transcends all human dissections, and this article ascertains its capacity to mutually condition the diversity of gender and love.

Sex and gender: More than just demographic variables

2021 ◽  
pp. e20210027
Author(s):  
Callaghan Walter
Keyword(s):  
Armed Forces ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Canadian Armed Forces ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Published Research ◽  
Health And Well Being

LAY SUMMARY Taking as a starting point that sex and gender are not the same thing, a principal understanding of Gender-Based Analysis Plus (GBA+), this article reviews research published in 2020 on the health and well-being of Veterans and currently serving members of the Canadian Armed Forces. The purpose of this review was to see how sex and gender were referred to in this published literature. The published research tended not to differentiate between sex and gender, often using the two terms as though they referred to the same thing. Possible reasons for why this has happened are explored, as is the importance of treating sex and gender as fundamentally different things.

Measuring Sex and Gender in Aging and Alzheimer’s Research: Results of a National Survey

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shana D Stites ◽  
Hannah Cao ◽  
Kristin Harkins ◽  
Jason D Flatt
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cohort Studies ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Sociocultural Diversity ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Published Research

Abstract Objective Differences between men and women are common in published research on aging and Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). What do these differences mean? To answer this, rigorous measurement is needed. We investigated current methods for measuring sex/gender in aging and AD/ADRD cohort studies. Method An online survey was sent to NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) (n=38) and investigator-initiated cohort studies (n=38) to assess practices around enrollment of men and women and measurement of sex and gender. Results The response rate was 65.8% (n=50). All enrolled men and all but two investigator-initiated studies enrolled women. Most cohorts (43/50) had no documented definitions for categories of “men” or “women”. Over 85% of cohorts relied solely on self-report questions to capture sex/gender data (n=43/50). Issues with administration were also identified (n=7). Discussion Our findings identify gaps in current approaches used to measure sex and gender in aging and AD/ADRD research. We discuss opportunities to bridge these gaps and advance measurement of sex and gender in aging and AD/ADRD research. Changes are needed to ensure inclusion and representation of sociocultural diversity in research samples, and consistency in data collection in aging and AD/ADRD research.

Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 5-11
Author(s):  
Caitlin Ryan ◽  
David Huebner ◽  
Rafael M. Diaz ◽  
Jorge Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Self Report ◽  
And Bisexual ◽  
Pencil And Paper ◽  
And Gender

OBJECTIVE We examined specific family rejecting reactions to sexual orientation and gender expression during adolescence as predictors of current health problems in a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. METHODS On the basis of previously collected in-depth interviews, we developed quantitative scales to assess retrospectively in young adults the frequency of parental and caregiver reactions to a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation during adolescence. Our survey instrument also included measures of 9 negative health indicators, including mental health, substance abuse, and sexual risk. The survey was administered to a sample of 224 white and Latino self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults, aged 21 to 25, recruited through diverse venues and organizations. Participants completed self-report questionnaires by using either computer-assisted or pencil-and-paper surveys. RESULTS Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection. Latino men reported the highest number of negative family reactions to their sexual orientation in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS This study establishes a clear link between specific parental and caregiver rejecting behaviors and negative health problems in young lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Providers who serve this population should assess and help educate families about the impact of rejecting behaviors. Counseling families, providing anticipatory guidance, and referring families for counseling and support can help make a critical difference in helping decrease risk and increasing well-being for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.

scholarly journals Transmuting Gender Binaries: The Theoretical Challenge

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surya Monro
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Gender Diversity ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Sex And Gender ◽  
New Wave ◽  
Transgender Studies ◽  
Poststructuralist Theory ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Empirical Material

This paper provides a cross-cultural account of gender diversity which explores the territory that is opened up when sex, gender, and sexual orientation, binaries are disrupted or displaced. Whilst many people who identify as trans or intersex see themselves as male or female, others identify in ways which destabilize sex/gender and sexual orientation binaries. The paper provides a typology of ways in which sex/gender diversity can be conceptualized, and draws out the implications for theorizing gender. It discusses the contributions made by the new wave of authors working in the field of transgender studies; authors who draw on and inform the sociology of sex and gender, feminisms, and poststructuralist theory. It based on empirical material from research carried out in India and the UK.

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