"Self-control" concerns for men and women: refinement and extension of a construct

This study develops and refines aspects of the construct of self-control according to a four-quadrant model: Assertive-positive, assertive-negative, yielding-positive, and yielding-negative. Twenty-six men and 78 women evaluated areas of their life in terms of the perceived degree to which they utilized these various dimensions of control. Results indicated that, depending on the specific area of clinical concern (e.g., interpersonal relationships, professional pursuits, emotional expression, health), there were significant differences in the kinds of self-control strategies that Ss tended to employ. From a clinical perspective, while Ss in this sample exercised a high degree of assertive-positive control in their professional lives, in the interpersonal and affective spheres they perceived themselves to be more out of control and exercising more negative-assertive control.     

Re-evaluation of waist circumference in metabolic syndrome: a comparison between Japanese men and women

We re-evaluated the criteria for waist circumference to predict the accumulation of the components of metabolic syndrome. We used data for 3,185 Japanese, aged 20-79 years. Metabolic syndrome has recently been redefined by a new criterion in Japan, in which waist circumference cutoff points, i.e. 85 cm for men and 90 cm for women, are employed. Among the 3,185 Japanese considered in the present study, 335 men (26.8%) and 69 women (3.6%) were diagnosed as having metabolic syndrome. A cutoff point as a predictor for 2 or more components of metabolic syndrome was evaluated by sensitivity/specificity and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The optimal point was estimated as being approximately 85 cm of waist circumference in men and 75 cm in women. We therefore recommend a cutoff value, 75 cm of waist circumference, for the criterion of metabolic syndrome in women.     

Women sleep objectively better than men and the sleep of young women is more resilient to external stressors: effects of age and menopause

The aims of this study were to: (i) assess gender differences of objective sleep patterns in a general population sample; (ii) evaluate the effects of menopause and hormone treatment (HT) on the sleep of the same cohort; and (iii) examine gender differences in sleep resilience towards external stressors. The participants were (i) 1324 subjects without sleep complaints, recruited from the general population of Central Pennsylvania that spent one night in the sleep laboratory and (ii) 66 young, healthy volunteers whose sleep was disturbed during night four by an external stressor, i.e. 24-h blood drawing (average of nights 2 and 3 versus night 4). Women compared with men in the general population sample had significantly higher percentage of sleep time, lower percentage of stage 1, and higher percentage of slow wave sleep. Also, menopause, in the absence of HT, was associated with prolonged sleep latency and decreased deep sleep. Finally, young, healthy women compared with men experienced less sleep disturbance because of blood draws as indicated by a significantly smaller change in per cent sleep time, and percentage of stage 1 sleep. These findings suggest that women without sleep complaints sleep objectively better across age than men and the sleep of young women is more resistant to external stressors. Also, gonadal hormones exert a beneficial effect on women's sleep. This gender dimorphism in sleep regulation may have been to protect women from the demands of infant and child care, and in part, might contribute to women's lower cardiovascular risks and greater longevity.     

Brave men and timid women? A review of the gender differences in fear and anxiety

Substantial evidence indicates that women report greater fear and are more likely to develop anxiety disorders than men. Women's greater vulnerability for anxiety disorders can be partly understood by examining gender differences in the etiological factors known to contribute to anxiety. This review examines evidence for gender differences across a broad range of relevant factors, including biological influences, temperamental factors, stress and trauma, cognitive factors, and environmental factors. Gender differences are observed with increasing consistency as the scope of analysis broadens to molar levels of functioning. Socialization processes cultivate and promote processes related to anxiety, and moderate gender differences across levels of analysis.     

The effects of continuous and interval training in women and men

Summary Fourteen Subjects (6 male, 8 female) participated in a training program upon a bicycle ergometer for 7 weeks. Group CT followed a continuous training regimen 4 days per week at 70% O₂ max. Group IT trained by an interval method at 100% O₂ max. The duration of each training session was assigned so that each subject would complete 10,000 kpm of work per session during the first week. Each subsequent week, the work load was increased 3000 kpm. Pretraining tests included O₂ max, standard 7 min tests at 80% O₂ and 90% O₂, an endurance test at 90%, and an intense anaerobic work bout at 2400 kpm. Variables assessed were O₂, HR, and blood lactic acid concentrations. The mean increase in O₂ max was 5.1 ml/kg min (15%) for both groups with a corresponding increase in maximal lactate of 20 mg-%. The response to the post-training tests was nearly identical for both groups: submaximal heart rate at the same absolute work load declined 17 beats/min (CT) and 15 beats/min (IT), submaximal lactate levels declined significantly, endurance ride duration increased 26 min. Continuous and interval training at 70% and 100% O₂ max respectively produce identical changes in heart rate response, blood lactic acid concentration and O₂ max when the total work load is equated per training session.     

Qualitative analysis of cancer telephone consultations: Differences in the counseling needs of Japanese men and women

ObjectiveTo analyze large-scale data obtained from telephone cancer consultations and clarify sex differences in the information sought by callers to guide future cancer survivor support.MethodsWe qualitatively analyzed 10,534 cases of telephone consultations with cancer patients. The relationships between callers’ words and sex were visualized through a correspondence analysis, and the keywords extracted were visualized with a dependency relationship to the words “worry” and “anxiety,” which had a high prevalence in the text data.ResultsMost of the male callers sought consultation about stomach cancer (11.8%), the consultations were predominantly about “suspicion of having cancer” (25.2%), and males indicated that the goal was to gather accurate information. Female callers mostly sought consultation about breast cancer (18.4%) were mainly interested in learning about “treatment” (31.0%), and mostly used the keywords "worry" and "anxiety." The total number of callers without a definitive diagnosis accounted for 20% of all consultations.ConclusionsHealthcare providers need to understand unique sex-based coping styles and perform regular follow-ups. There is also a need for online platforms that provide information from the patient’s perspective.Practical implicationsProviding a cancer consultation support system and easy-to-understand medical information will improve communication between survivors, their families, and medical staff.     

Sociological differences between women and men: implications for autoimmunity

There are an enormous number of incorrect stereotypes that characterize the differences between women and men. Indeed, nearly all of these stereotypes are based on cultural inaccuracies and faulty data without consideration of biology and the distinct sociological differences between genders. Sociological differences are those that relate to the development, structure, interaction and behavior of organized groups of human beings, or societies, and their values and beliefs. Gender is a social construct referring "to the culturally and historically based differences in the roles, attitudes and behaviors of men and women" ([1], p.1) as shaped by norms and stereotypes. Sex, on the other hand, serves to classify living things according to their reproductive organs and functions assigned by chromosomal complement (according to the US Institute of Medicine) and the physical and biological characteristics arising from these organs and functions. The two terms are generally viewed as dichotomous; however, they are closely intertwined in as yet hardly understood ways, and it is frequently difficult to distinguish between them since gendered life experiences can have profound effects on body structure and function [2]. In this review, we will examine to what extent gender roles and stereotypes shape the daily lives of women in their roles as students, employees, wives, and mothers and their health. These data have implications for the etiology of autoimmunity and also for differences in the natural history of disease.     

A cross-sectional study of sarcopenia in Japanese men and women: reference values and association with cardiovascular risk factors

In this study of Japanese men and women, we determine reference values for sarcopenia and test the hypothesis that sarcopenia is associated with risk factors for cardiovascular disease, independent of waist circumference. A total of 1,488 Japanese men and women aged 18–85 years participated in this study. Appendicular muscle mass (AMM) was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Reference values for classes 1 and 2 sarcopenia (skeletal muscle index: AMM/height², kg m⁻²) in each sex were defined as values one and two standard deviations below the sex-specific means of reference values obtained in this study from young adults aged 18–40 years. The reference values for class 1 and class 2 sarcopenia were 7.77 and 6.87 kg m⁻² in men and 6.12 and 5.46 kg m⁻² in women. In subjects both with class 1 and class 2 sarcopenia, body mass index and % body fat were significantly lower than in normal subjects. Despite whole-blood glycohaemoglobin A1c in men with class 1 sarcopenia was significantly higher than in normal subjects, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in women both with class 1 and class 2 sarcopenia were significantly higher than in normal subjects, using one-way ANCOVA with adjustment for the covariate of waist circumference. Although sarcopenia is associated with thin body mass, it is associated with more glycation of serum proteins in men and with greater arterial stiffness in women, independent of waist circumference.     

Association of candidate gene polymorphisms with bone mineral density in community-dwelling Japanese women and men

Although bone mineral density (BMD) is a complex trait that is influenced by both genetic and environmental factors, heritability studies in twins and families have shown that genetic factors account for 60-85% of the variance in BMD. We examined the relations of six candidate gene polymorphisms to BMD in community-dwelling women and men. The 2238 subjects (1110 women, 1128 men) were aged 40-79 years and were randomly recruited to a population-based prospective cohort study of aging and age-related diseases in Japan. BMD at the distal and proximal radius was measured by peripheral quantitative computed tomography, and BMD for the total body, lumbar spine (L2-L4), right femoral neck, and right trochanter was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Genotypes for the 1019Cright curved arrow T (Pro319Ser) polymorphism of GJA4 and the 1462Aright curved arrow G (Lys469Glu) polymorphism of ICAM1 were determined with a fluorescence-based allele-specific DNA primer assay system, and those for the 386Gright curved arrow A (Ala99Thr) polymorphism of PLOD1, the Aright curved arrow G polymorphism of CNR2, the 1583Gright curved arrow A (Arg528Lys) polymorphism of ALAP, and the -514Cright curved arrow T polymorphism of LIPC were determined by melting curve analysis. The polymorphisms of ALAP and PLOD1 were associated with BMD in premenopausal women; those of ICAM1 and LIPC with BMD in postmenopausal women; that of CNR2 with BMD in premenopausal and postmenopausal women; and that of GJA4 with BMD in men. Among these polymorphisms, those of ICAM1, CNR2, and GJA4 were markedly associated with BMD. These results suggest that ALAP, PLOD1, ICAM1, LIPC, and CNR2 are susceptibility loci for reduced bone mass in Japanese women and that GJA4 constitutes such a locus in Japanese men. The polymorphisms of ICAM1 and CNR2 may confer susceptibility to postmenopausal osteoporosis in women, and that of GJA4 to osteoporosis in men.     

A heartfelt response: Oxytocin effects on response to social stress in men and women

Background

Animal research indicates that oxytocin is involved in social behavior, stress regulation, and positive physiologic adaptation. This study examines whether oxytocin enhances adaptive responses to social stress and compares effects between men and women.

Methods

Hypotheses were tested with a placebo-controlled, double-blind experiment. Social stress was induced. Changes in cardiovascular reactivity, affect, and behavior were assessed.

Results

Participants given oxytocin, relative to placebo, responded to social stress with a challenge orientation characterized by a benign pattern of cardiovascular reactivity. Gender differences emerged. Men given oxytocin reported less negative affect and had greater vagal rebound, while women given oxytocin reported more anger and had better math performance following social stress.

Discussion

Findings indicate oxytocin stimulates an approach-oriented cardiovascular profile during social stress, suggesting mechanisms by which oxytocin might improve physical health. However, before considering oxytocin as therapeutic or uniformly enhancing health, greater understanding of possible gender differences in effects is needed.     

The effects of short-term resistance training on endocrine function in men and women

This investigation examined hormonal adaptations to acute resistance exercise and determined whether training adaptations are observed within an 8-week period in untrained men and women. The protocol consisted of a 1-week pre-conditioning orientation phase followed by 8 weeks of heavy resistance training. Three lower-limb exercises for the quadriceps femoris muscle group (squat, leg press, knee extension) were performed twice a week (Monday and Friday) with every other Wednesday used for maximal dynamic 1 RM strength testing. Blood samples were obtained pre-exercise (Pre-Ex), immediately post-exercise (IP), and 5?min post-exercise (5-P) during the first week of training (T-1), after 6 weeks (T-2) and 8 weeks (T-3) of training to determine blood concentrations of whole-blood lactate (LAC), serum total testosterone (TT), sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), cortisol (CORT) and growth hormone (GH). Serum TT concentrations were significantly (P?≤?0.05) higher for men at all time points measured. Men did not demonstrate an increase due to exercise until T-2. An increase in pre-exercise concentrations of TT were observed both for men and women at T-2 and T-3. No differences were observed for CORT between men and women; increases in CORT above pre-exercise values were observed for men at all training phases and at T-2 and T-3 for women. A reduction in CORT concentrations at rest was observed both in men and women at T-3. Women demonstrated higher pre-exercise GH values than men at all training phases; no changes with training were observed for GH concentrations. Exercise-induced increases in GH above pre-exercise values were observed at all phases of training. Women demonstrated higher serum concentrations of SHBG at all time points. No exercise-induced increases were observed in men over the training period but women increased SHBG with exercise at T-3. SHBG concentrations in women were also significantly higher at T-2 and T-3 when compared to T-1 values. Increases in LAC concentrations due to exercise were observed both for men and women for all training phases but no significant differences were observed with training. These data illustrate that untrained individuals may exhibit early-phase endocrine adaptations during a resistance training program. These hormonal adaptations may influence and help to mediate other adaptations in the nervous system and muscle fibers, which have been shown to be very responsive in the early phase of strength adaptations with resistance training.     

The effects of long-term simulated microgravity on neuromuscular performance in men and women

The effects are reported of prolonged exposure to simulated microgravity (strict bed rest in an antiorthostatic position –?6° head-down tilt, HDT) on voluntary and electrically evoked contractions of the triceps surae muscle in men (n?=?6) and women (n?=?4). The subjects served as their own controls. Bed rest is a model that has commonly been used to simulate spaceflight. Measurements made in the control condition (10–8 days before the beginning of HDT) and after 120-days of HDT (on the 3rd day after it ended) included examination of the properties of isometric maximal voluntary contractions (MVC), isometric twitch contractions (P_t) and tetanic contractions (P_o). After HDT, the MVC decreased by means of 44% and 33%, P_t by means of 36% and 11%, P_o by means of 34% and 24%, in the men and the women, respectively. The difference between P_o and MVC, expressed as a percentage of P_o and referred to as force deficiency (FD), has also been calculated. The FD increased by means of 60% and 28.8% in the men and the women, respectively. Time-to-peak tension of the triceps surae muscle increased by means of 12% and 14% in the men and the women, respectively, but half-relaxation time decreased by means of 9% and 19%. Total contraction time increased by a mean of 23% in the men and decreased by a mean of 17% in the women. Force-velocity of properties of the triceps surae muscle calculated according to a relative scale of voluntary contraction development significantly decreased more in the women than the men. The calculations of the same properties of electrically evoked contraction development did not differ substantially from the initial physiological state. It can be concluded that not only were the contractile properties of the triceps surae muscle significantly different in the men and the women, but that the effects of exposure to simulated microgravity on these properties were also different. These differences may be explained by sex differences in the muscle tissue itself and in its maximal neural activition.     

"Between men": patient perceptions and priorities in a rehabilitation program for men with prostate cancer

The objective of the study is to compare consumer aspects of an informative, a physical, and a combined informative and physical rehabilitation program included in the "Between men" project for newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients. A consecutive series of patients was randomized. Programs were especially developed for prostate cancer patients. The format was 7 weekly sessions. The results show that the perceived benefits of relaxation was greater in the combination group than in the physical training group only. In comparison with the physical group more patients in the informative groups (information and information+physical training) rated the knowledge received as very important. The majority of patients (90%) was of the opinion that the "Between men" programs, should be continued. Independent of the actual program given, patients opted for the combination program or information alone but not the physical training alone program.     

Cardiovascular effects of social support in the work place: twenty-four-hour ECG monitoring of men and women

Psychosocial work characteristics, such as work demand, work control, and social support at work, have been shown to be related to the development of coronary heart disease in epidemiological studies. However, the mechanisms which mediate the social and psychological effects on the cardiovascular system are not known. We have studied the direct cardiovascular effects of psychosocial work environment characteristics in 148 working men and women, representing seven different occupational groups (physicians, teachers, musicians, policemen, train engineers, prison personnel, and saw mill workers). Besides standardized measures of work demand, work control, and social support, ambulatory 24-hour monitoring of electrocardiograms in the customary work and home environment was performed. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured as well as other standard physiologic risk factors for coronary heart disease. Mean heart rates were found to be significantly higher in persons reporting low social support at work. This effect was maintained during working hours as well as during leisure time and rest. Of the other related physiologic risk factors, systolic, but not diastolic blood pressure was found to be higher in persons reporting low social support. Smoking, alcohol consumption and relative body mass index were not related to social support at work. Controlling for age, sex and physical strain at work, strengthened the association of low social support with elevated heart rates.