Mortality and morbidity data
suggest men have shorter life expectancies than women and outrank women on
several leading causes of death. These gendered disparities may be influenced
by psychosocial factors like masculinity.
Three studies (Total N=546) examined
the role of masculinity in men's doctor choices and doctor-patient
interactions. In studies 1 and 2, men completed measures of masculinity, gender
bias, and doctor preference. Using structural equation modeling, we tested the
direct relationship between masculinity and male doctor preference and the
indirect relationship of masculinity on male doctor preference through an
association with gendered competence stereotypes. Participants in study 3
disclosed symptoms in private followed by disclosure to a male or female
interviewer in a clinical setting.
Using repeated measures ANOVA, we examined
the interaction among symptom reporting, masculinity and doctor gender,
controlling for participant comfort. In study 1, results suggested that
masculinity encouraged choice of a male doctor directly and indirectly via
beliefs that men make more competent doctors than women; study 2 directly
replicated the results of study 1. In study 3, independent of participant
comfort, an interaction between interviewer gender and masculinity emerged such
that men scoring higher on masculinity reported symptoms less consistently to
male interviewers (relative to higher scoring men reporting to female
interviewers); the reverse was found for men scoring low on masculinity.
Taken
together these studies suggest masculinity may affect men's health by
encouraging choice of a male doctor with whom doctor-patient communication may
be impaired.
Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/t3Z4Ct
By: Himmelstein MS1, Sanchez DT2.
- 1Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Electronic address: mary.himmelstein@gmail.com.
- 2Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
- Prev Med. 2015 Dec 24. pii: S0091-7435(15)00381-3. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.12.008.
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