The (in)visible gender of third age in nursing knowledge

This is a bibliographic study in which a research of scientific production regarding to Woman in the Third Age was proceeded, analizing the catalogue of Dissertations and Thesis of the Center of Studies and Researches in Nursing (CEPEn) of the Brazilian Association of Nursing (ABEn) available in CD-ROM, comprising the period from 1979 to 1999. The objective was to know the removals and approaches in nursing knowledge concerning the study object from the doctorate thesis "The ageing women's knowledge and health practices in gender perspective". It was concluded that the issue of woman in the third age was investigated in few studies. In addition, those researches' objects was strongly removed from gender issues, demonstrating that sexual approach of ageing was out of consideration, as well as denial of woman's social roles.     

Knowledge and truths about nursing: discourse of new students

It is a study with a qualitative approach that proposes to analyze truths regimes that pass by and along Nursing as a profession, as manifested by students entering in the Graduate Course 2004/2, 2005/1 and 2005/2. The Discourse Analysis has been used as a methodological option for analyzing the data, under Michel Foucault's approaches. Three great themes have come out of such context of analysis and discussion: the traversing of gender knowledges in Nursing practice; Nursing as a knowledge made hierarchical; making as a might in Nursing's academic and professional day-by-day. Social conceptions became self evident, going through invisible knowledges that legitimate health and nursing practices, making them unquestionable.     

Rural and Small-Town Attitudes About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy: A Community and Provider Sample

CONTEXT: While there has been considerable research on prenatal alcohol use, there have been limited studies focused on women in rural and small-town environments. PURPOSE: This 2-part study examines gender differences in attitudes and perceived barriers to intervention in large community sample of persons living in rural and small-town environments in Kentucky (n = 3,346). The study also examines rural/small-town prenatal service providers' perceptions of barriers to assessment and intervention with pregnant substance abusers (n = 138). METHODS: Surveys were administered to a convenience sample of employees and customers from 16 rural and small-town community outlets. There were 1503 males (45%) and 1843 females (55%) ranging in age from under 18 years old to over 66 years old. Surveys also were mailed to prenatal providers in county health departments of the 13-county study area, with 138 of 149 responding. FINDINGS: Overall results of the community sample suggest that neither males nor females were knowledgeable about the harmful effects of alcohol use during pregnancy. Results also indicate substantial gender differences in alcohol attitudes, knowledge, and perceived barriers. Further, prenatal care providers identified several barriers in assessment and treatment of pregnant women with alcohol use problems in rural and small-town communities, including lack of knowledge and comfort with assessment as well as a lack of available and accessible treatment for referrals.     

Prevalence of health conditions and predictors of mortality in oldest old Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites

BackgroundThe oldest old represent a unique group of older adults. This group is rapidly growing worldwide and yet there are gaps in the knowledge related to their health condition. Ethnic differences in disease prevalence and mortality must be understood to better care for the oldest old.ObjectiveTo compare prevalence of common health conditions and predictors of mortality in oldest old Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites.MethodsThis study included 568 community-dwelling Mexican Americans (MA) aged 85 years and older from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly 2004–2005 and 933 non-Hispanic whites (NHW) of the same age from the Health and Retirement Study 2004. Measures included sociodemographic variables, self-reported medical conditions, activities of daily living (ADLs), and instrumental activities of daily living. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine 2-year mortality in both populations.ResultsHeart attack was significantly more prevalent in oldest old NHW compared with MA, regardless of gender. Conversely, diabetes was significantly more prevalent among MA men and women compared with their NHW counterparts. Compared with NHW men, MA men had significantly higher prevalence of cognitive impairment and hypertension. Additionally, prevalence of hip fracture was significantly higher for MA women compared with NHW women. Significant differences in ADL disability were observed only between both groups of women, whereas significant differences in instrumental activities of daily living disability were observed only between men. MA men and women had higher prevalence of obesity compared with NHW. Predictors of 2-year mortality for both ethnic groups included older age, male gender, and ADL disability. Cognitive impairment was a mortality predictor only for NHW. Similarly, lung disease was a predictor only for MA.ConclusionHealth-related conditions that affect the oldest old vary by gender and ethnicity and entail careful evaluation and monitoring in the clinical setting. Better care requires inclusion of such differences as part of the comprehensive evaluation of the oldest old adults.     

Publications on women, health and gender in Spain (1990-2005)

BACKGROUND: The studies on women, gender and health are increasingly more frequent in Spain. This research is aimed at ascertaining the topics dealt with in these publications, the disciplines studying said topics, the sex of the leading author and whether these topics have been approached from a gender-related standpoint. METHODS: A search was conducted for published studies in Biomedicine, Sociology, Nursing, Anthropology and Psychology databases. The main key words used were [women or gender] and [health] and [Spain]. Original articles, reviews and monographic studies, both national and international, published within the 1990-2005 period were included. The variables taken into consideration were the topic of study, field of expertise, gender focus and sex of those publishing the work. A total of 298 works were included. RESULTS: The topics dealt with the most were sexual and reproductive health (39.2%) and mental health (12.4%). A total of 58.7% of the works were authored by a woman as the leading author and 47.3% had no gender focus. A total of 85.3% of the publications on sexual and reproductive health do not incorporate the gender standpoint, whilst 94.1% of the works on productive and reproductive work did however include this standpoint. A total of 80.4% of the works in Biomedicine have no gender focus. CONCLUSIONS: Even though they are scarce, the works having a gender focus are signed mostly by women as the leading authors. In the material studied, women's health continues to be confined to reproduction, it being necessary for other factors having a direct bearing on women's health to be included.     

Suicide in the elderly from a gender perspective

This study examines the relationship between suicide and aging from a gender perspective, examining the socially imposed boundaries of masculinity and femininity in the lives of elderly people who committed suicide. It is a qualitative study in which 50 psychosocial autopsies conducted with elderly relatives were selected from 10 cities in the North, South, Northeast and Midwest of Brazil. In this article we have identified situations of gender vulnerabilities in the lives of 13 people who committed suicide: 10 men and 3 women selected for their exemplary character. Two main categories were listed: the first refers to femininity including the "gender destiny" experienced by elderly women who commit suicide when they can no longer care for themselves or work. The second concerns the hegemonic masculinity in crisis, in which old men die after changing from the role of providers due to retirement or illness. It should be stressed that gender norms, codes of honor, power inequalities and stereotypes affect both women and men in terms of susceptibility to suicidal behavior.     

不同性别社区老年人骨质疏松相关知识调查

目的 了解石河子市不同性别老年人骨质疏松相关知识的知晓情况,为有目的行健康教育干预提供科学依据.方法 采用调查问卷,以分层抽样方法,对石河子市3个社区450名60岁及以上的老年人进行入户一对一问卷调查.结果 老年男性骨质疏松知识平均得分为(19.14±9.12)分,得分率为36.8％,及格率为8.9％;老年女性骨质疏松知识平均得分为(16.50±9.32)分,得分率为31.7％,及格率仅为6.2％.多元线性逐步回归分析,年龄、文化程度和医疗保障是影响老年男性骨质疏松知识得分的主要因素;年龄和文化程度是影响老年女性知识得分的主要因素.结论 应重点加强教育程度低的、高龄的老年人群以及无医疗保障的老年男性骨质疏松相关知识的健康教育力度.     

Gender trends in occupancy rates in mental health beds in Northern Ireland

Based on census material from 1926 to 1991, this study focuses on gender differences in occupancy rates in mental health beds in Northern Ireland. More specifically, using two sets of research literature--the relationships between war and mental health and gender and mental health respectively--it explores changing patterns in bed occupancy in terms of both gender and age differences within this society. The results suggest that, although men and women no longer vary in terms of their overall occupancy rates within mental health facilities in Northern Ireland, within their respective male and female sub-populations, however, some notable age-specific differences have now emerged. Since 1981, whereas increases in mental health bed occupancy among women have been exclusively confined to the old (65 years or older), among males, it is the very young, specifically men aged 15-24 years, who have demonstrated the most dramatic rise in bed usage. It is important to note, however, that these age-specific gender increases cannot be accounted for by demographic changes in the general population. The authors suggest that, at least as far as men are concerned, the increasing pattern of vulnerability among the young may be attributed to the impact of changing definitions of mental disorder rather than to the effect of political violence on mental health. It is to this group of individuals--the cohort of men born since the outbreak of civil unrest in Northern Ireland in 1969--that future research should be directed.     

深圳市南山区人工流产女青年性相关知识和性行为调查

目的:研究人工流产女青年的性知识掌握情况和性行为特征。方法:以自填式问卷,对年龄≤24岁,自愿要求行人工流产的女青年618名进行横断面调查。结果:女青年的避孕知识和生殖健康知识缺乏,其中部分知识点知晓情况已婚者好于未婚者,具有显著性差异(P<0．05)。41．0％的人知道性生活后立即冲洗阴道不能有效避孕,知道避孕失败可用紧急避孕作为补救方法的占52．2％, 口服避孕药和紧急避孕药服用时间回答正确的分别占9．2％和30．0％,认为使用避孕套比安全期和体外射精避孕有效的分别占56．2％和61．1％。调查对象首次性行为和首次人工流产的平均年龄分别为20．42岁和21．42岁,其中首次人工流产年龄≤19岁的占16．5％。最近3个月内性生活时有效避孕措施使用率低,均使用避孕套的仅为9．2％,29．3％使用过紧急避孕药。34．0％的女青年为多次人工流产。结论:人工流产女青年性相关知识掌握较差,有效避孕措施使用率低,首次性行为年龄小, 多次人工流产率高。应对青少年加强性教育,促进安全、有效避孕措施的使用,减少非意愿妊娠的发生。     

已婚妇女社会性别意识和家庭地位状况调查

目的:了解我国农村地区妇女的社会性别意识和家庭地位状况,为下一步工作提供参考依据。方法:2004年11~12月在河北、湖北和四川的3个人口基金项目县,对1227名有0~7岁孩子的妇女进行面对面的问卷调查。调查对象采用多阶段整群抽样方法获得。结果:农村妇女的家庭地位有了明显的提高,80%的妇女能够自己决定自己的婚姻,70%的妇女能够参与到家庭决策过程中,"男主外,女主内"的家庭分工已经越来越少。但调查妇女的社会性别平等意识仍然较弱,男性仍然在家里占据主导地位。家庭资源较为贫乏时,绝大多数妇女都选择首先将家庭卫生资源和营养资源分配给丈夫、儿子和丈夫的父母,而将自己排在最后。男性在妇女生殖健康行为中发挥重要作用。教育程度对妇女社会性别意识有重要影响。结论:我国农村地区育龄妇女的社会性别意识和家庭地位状况还存在很多问题,需要加强社会性别平等和男性参与生殖健康方面的宣传教育,真正实现社会性别平等。     

Constructions of various femininities among the oldest old women

This study forms part of the Ume? 85+ Study, and the aim was to explore various gendered constructions of femininities among the oldest old women. Femininities are seen as various ways of shaping oneself as a woman in relation to the impact of historical, social, and cultural circumstances. Thematic narratives were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Through interpreting these narratives in the light of gender theories, we were able to discern four femininities: "being connected," "being an actor," "living in the shadow of others," and "being alienated." The oldest old women displayed complex outlooks on femininities, and no femininity was interpreted as being in the center related to the other femininities. Further research is needed in order to disclose the complexity of femininities related to factors such as social class, ethnicity, and financial situation among the oldest old, and to acquire a greater knowledge of various femininities.     

Developing and testing the effectiveness of an educational booklet about breast self examination on university nursing students' knowledge and practices

The aims of this study were to develop an educational booklet about breast self-examination and test its effectiveness on University Nursing Students' knowledge and practices. A pre and post-test with no control group design was adopted in this study. A convenient sample of 212 Nursing students at the Faculty of Nursing, Alexandria University, who accepted to participate in the study and enrolled in the first academic year, during the first semester (2001-2002) were included in this study. A specially designed, self-administered questionnaire sheet was used and analyzed to determine the level of Nursing students' knowledge and practices related to BSE. According to Nursing students' needs, an educational booklet about BSE was developed and given to them. After 3 months, reassessment of Nursing students' knowledge and practices was carried out using the same questionnaire sheet to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed booklet. The study revealed a general lack of knowledge and practices related to BSE among Nursing students, where poor total score of knowledge and practices was obtained by most of them before distribution of the educational booklet. The study also revealed that the developed educational booklet about BSE had an obvious effect on improving Nursing students' knowledge and practices regarding BSE, where a highly significant difference was found between their knowledge and practices before and after distribution of the educational booklet. So, improving the health behavior, especially BSE, among Nursing students is needed to help them assume their responsibility towards prevention. This should be carried through the use of the currently developed educational booklet about BSE by all Nursing students.     

Gender differences in old age mortality: roles of health behavior and baseline health status

This research aims to further current understanding of gender differences in old age mortality. In particular, it assesses the relative importance of health behavior and baseline health conditions in predicting the risk of dying, and how their effects differ between elderly men and women. Data for this research came from a prospective study of a national sample of 2,200 older adults in Japan from 1987 to 1999. Hazard rate models were employed to ascertain the interaction effects involving gender and health behavior (i.e., smoking and drinking) and baseline health status. Gender differences in old age mortality in the Japanese are quite pronounced throughout all of our models. In addition, interaction effects of gender and smoking, functional limitation, and cognitive impairment, indicate that females in Japan suffer more from these risk factors than do their male counterparts. Failure to adjust for population heterogeneity may lead to a significant underestimation of female advantage in survival. The inclusion of health behavior and health status measures only offsets a limited proportion of this gender differential. The increased mortality risk due to smoking, functional limitation, and cognitive impairment among elderly Japanese women suggests that narrowing of gender gap in mortality may be due to not only changes in the levels of these risk factors but also their differential effects on men and women.     

Experience of women in labor. Nurses' observations

This study emerged from my own experience in Obstetric Nursing and my living in Obstetrics. I searched for comprehending the real meaning of delivery labor experiences as a situated phenomenon. It is a qualitative research with phenomenological approach. The lying-in women were the witnesses through the question: 'What was your daily experience in the pre-delivery room like?' Through analysis and hermeneutics of speeches, I have used the knowledge of Matin Heidegger's philosophical-theoretical referential. Thus, I managed to clarify that the parturient is fearful when left by herself in her experience, showing surprise for the labor of delivery is singular, noting down the pain as a possibility of the existential limit, being open to help and noticing the impersonality of care provided. With this watchful sense, I approached the comprehension of a lying-in woman as a being-in-a-world-with-health-professionals. This discovery indicated the possibility of new ways of caring in Obstetrics.     

Effects of an AIDS education program on the knowledge,attitudes and practices of low income black and Latina women

The purpose of this study was to test the effects of an AIDS education program on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of low income black and Latina women. A pretest-posttest nonequivalent control group design was used with a 2–3 month retest of the experimental group. The sample consisted of 506 experimental and 206 control group women who were clients of the Public Health Foundation's Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in Los Angeles County. The program included a slide-tape presentation, and educational and resource brochures in English and Spanish. Knowledge, attitudes, and sexual and drug use practices were measured using a structured questionnaire that was developed in English and Spanish. Content validity and reliability of the questionnaire were established. A 2-way repeated measures ANOVA examined differences in pretest-posttest knowledge, attitudes, and practices for experimental and control groups and for both racial/ethnic groups. The experimental group made significant gains over the control group on pretest-posttest measures of knowledge and attitudes. Both experimental and control groups made significant changes in practice. Changes in knowledge were retained on retest; changes in practices came close to significance on retest. Blacks and Latinas differed on pretest knowledge and attitudes but not practices. Blacks had more knowledge and positive attitudes on pretest. However, posttest improvements for both knowledge and attitudes were greater in Latinas than in blacks. A multiple regression analysis revealed that the best predictors of knowledge, attitudes and practices were racial/ethnic group, education, and religion. It is concluded that a didactic audio visual program can positively affect the knowledge and possibly the practices of participants and that these are retained over time but that changes in attitudes will take further efforts.Jacquelyn H. Flaskerud is Professor at UCLA, School of Nursing. Adeline M. Nyamathi is an Assistant Professor at UCLA, School of Nursing.This study was supported in part by grants from the American Foundation for AIDS Research, #000284 and #000598R and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, AI-15332.     

Preparing the awakening of Lilith: gender in nursing in articles of REBEn in th 80s and 90s

This study presents an analysis of the conditions of women/nurses in the articles published by REBEn (Brazilian Journal of Nursing) in the 1980's and 1990's. Initially, the researcher intended to analyze specifically those articles which had some reference to gender. However, in the beginnings of the 1980's, some articles pointed in the direction of the social problems involving women and the implication of these problems to nurses, without making explicit reference to gender category. Thus, the author decided to evaluate abstracts and the content of different articles, in order to detect those which were related to the subject of investigation. Eleven articles and two thematic editorials selected show that REBEn, although timidly, is a magazine which is updated regarding decisive moments of women's worldwide movement.     

Macro‐level gender equality and depression in men and women in Europe

A recurrent finding in international literature is a greater prevalence of depression in women than in men. While explanations for this gender gap have been studied extensively at the individual level, few researchers have studied macro‐level determinants of depression in men and women. In the current study we aim to examine the micro–macro linkage of the relationship between gender equality and depression by gender in Europe, using data from the European Social Survey, 2006–2007 (N = 39,891). Using a multilevel framework we find that a high degree of macro‐level gender equality is related to lower levels of depression in both women and men. It is also related to a smaller gender difference in depression, but only for certain social subgroups and only for specific dimensions of gender equality.     

Developing knowledge and a profession: 70 years of the Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem

Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem-REBEn (Brazilian Journal of Nursing) is now 70 years old. It was created in 1932, and was initially called Anais de Enfermagem. Its main purpose was to be a communication link among Brazilian professionals of nursing. REBEn, which is directly linked to ABEn (Brazilian Association of Nursing), also has as its objective the publicizing of scientific production in different fields of knowledge which can be of interest for the nursing profession. The journal went through many difficulties before achieving the current status of most important publishing in the field of nursing in Brazil. The periodical was developed along many generations and has now achieved intellectual maturity which guaranteed its inclusion in the international indexation of scientific periodicals.