Exploring new tendencies of gender and health in university students
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Exploring new tendencies of gender and health in university students Sara Esteban-Gonzalo 1
&
Juan Luis González-Pascual 2 & Mónica Gil-Del Sol 2 & Laura Esteban-Gonzalo 2,3
Received: 18 September 2020 / Accepted: 3 November 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract In light of the impact of gender roles on health, the aims of the present study are (1) to assess the associations between femininity/ masculinity and gender typologies, and health indicators (mental health, wellbeing, and self-perceived health) and (2) to identify patterns of gender roles and health indicators, thus exploring new tendencies in gender and health in Spanish university students in the framework of the androgyny model. The sample was made up of 795 university students from Madrid and Toledo. Data collection was completed during 2019. Measures of self-rated health, mental health (GHQ12), and wellbeing (MHC-SF) were considered as health indicators, while the Bem Sex Roles Inventory (BSRI) was used to measure gender roles. Multilevel analysis was employed to value associations between masculinity and femininity and gender typologies with self-rated health, mental health, and wellbeing. Furthermore, cluster analysis was used to explore general tendencies in gender roles and health, while also considering biological sex composition. The best predictor of mental health was found to be masculinity, rather than femininity. Cluster analysis showed a dominance of androgyny and undifferentiated typologies with proportionally similar biological sex composition. Results confirmed the androgyny model, highlighting the role of androgyny and masculinity as protective factors of mental health. Cluster analysis suggested less gender-typed individuals and more flexible ways of adapting to gender roles in university students. Health systems, governments, and public institutions must take these results into account when designing health prevention and intervention policies. Social agents, educators, and the media must also collaborate in the achievement of equalitarian gender roles, which could result in a minimization of gender-related health differences. Keywords Masculinity . Femininity . Mental health . Wellbeing . University students
Introduction Concerns about gender inequalities are increasing in multiple fields and sectors. Professionals and experts from various disciplines are visualizing gender disparities in working conditions (salaries, working sectors, working opportunities), family structures, distribution of work, legal rights, access to education, and health (Padovani 2016; Harcourt 2016). Local, national, and international institutions as well as NGOs all around the globe are trying to increase awareness of gender
* Sara Esteban-Gonzalo [email protected] 1
Faculty of Biomedicine, Psychology Department, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
2
Faculty of Biomedicine, Nursing Department, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
3
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing Dep
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