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Operationalization and Reporting Practices in Manuscripts Addressing Gender Differences in Biomedical Research: A Cross-Sectional Bibliographical Study

Author

Listed:
  • Lori van den Hurk

    (Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Sarah Hiltner

    (Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

  • Sabine Oertelt-Prigione

    (Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
    AG10 Sex- and Gender-Sensitive Medicine, Medical Faculty OWL, University of Bielefeld, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany)

Abstract

Historically, authors in the biomedical field have often conflated the terms sex and gender in their research significantly limiting the reproducibility of the reported results. In the present study, we investigated current reporting practices around gender in biomedical publications that claim the identification of “gender differences”. Our systematic research identified 1117 articles for the year 2019. After random selection of 400 publications and application of inclusion criteria, 302 articles were included for analysis. Using a systematic evaluation grid, we assessed the provided methodological detail in the operationalization of gender and the provision of gender-related information throughout the manuscript. Of the 302 articles, 69 (23%) solely addressed biological sex. The remaining articles investigated gender, yet only 15 (6.5%) offered reproducible information about the operationalization of the gender dimension studied. Followingly, these manuscripts also provided more detailed gender-specific background, analyses and discussions compared to the ones not detailing the operationalization of gender. Overall, our study demonstrated persistent inadequacies in the conceptual understanding and methodological operationalization of gender in the biomedical field. Methodological rigor correlated with more nuanced and informative reporting, highlighting the need for appropriate training to increase output quality and reproducibility in the field.

Suggested Citation

  • Lori van den Hurk & Sarah Hiltner & Sabine Oertelt-Prigione, 2022. "Operationalization and Reporting Practices in Manuscripts Addressing Gender Differences in Biomedical Research: A Cross-Sectional Bibliographical Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:21:p:14299-:d:960429
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sophie Horstmann & Corinna Schmechel & Kerstin Palm & Sabine Oertelt-Prigione & Gabriele Bolte, 2022. "The Operationalisation of Sex and Gender in Quantitative Health–Related Research: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-21, June.
    2. Nauman, Ahmad Tauseef & Behlouli, Hassan & Alexander, Nicholas & Kendel, Friederike & Drewelies, Johanna & Mantantzis, Konstantinos & Berger, Nora & Wagner, Gert G. & Gerstorf, Denis & Demuth, Ilja & , 2021. "Gender Score Development in the Berlin Aging Study II : A Retrospective Approach," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue 12.
    3. Mathias Wullum Nielsen & Jens Peter Andersen & Londa Schiebinger & Jesper W. Schneider, 2017. "One and a half million medical papers reveal a link between author gender and attention to gender and sex analysis," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 1(11), pages 791-796, November.
    4. Kath Woodward & Sophie Woodward, 2015. "Gender studies and interdisciplinarity," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 1(palcomms2), pages 15018-15018, August.
    5. Janine A. Clayton & Francis S. Collins, 2014. "Policy: NIH to balance sex in cell and animal studies," Nature, Nature, vol. 509(7500), pages 282-283, May.
    6. Cara Tannenbaum & Robert P. Ellis & Friederike Eyssel & James Zou & Londa Schiebinger, 2019. "Sex and gender analysis improves science and engineering," Nature, Nature, vol. 575(7781), pages 137-146, November.
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