Gender role affects experimental pain responses: A systematic review with meta‐analysis

Abstract

Gender role refers to the culturally and socially constructed meanings that describe how women and men should behave in certain situations according to feminine and masculine roles learned throughout life. The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the relationship between gender role and experimental pain responses in healthy human participants. We searched computerized databases for studies published between January 1950 and May 2011 that had measured gender role in healthy human adults and pain response to noxious stimuli. Studies were entered into a meta-analysis if they calculated a correlation coefficient (r) for gender role and experimental pain. Searches yielded 4465 'hits' and 13 studies were eligible for review. Sample sizes were 67-235 participants and the proportion of female participants was 45-67%. Eight types of gender role instrument were used. Meta-analysis of six studies (406 men and 539 women) found a significant positive correlation between masculine and feminine personality traits and pain threshold and tolerance, with a small effect size (r = 0.17, p = 0.01). Meta-analysis of four studies (263 men and 297 women) found a significant negative correlation between gender stereotypes specific to pain and pain threshold and tolerance, with a moderate effect size (r = -0.41, p < 0.001). In conclusion, individuals who considered themselves more masculine and less sensitive to pain than the typical man showed higher pain thresholds and tolerances. Gender stereotypes specific to pain scales showed stronger associations with sex differences in pain sensitivity response than masculine and feminine personality trait scales.

One and a half million medical papers reveal a link between author gender and attention to gender and sex analysis

“…Women and men are exposed to different occupational hazards (e.g., ergonomic demands and psychosocial stressors), and differ on a wide array of health-related lifestyle behaviours (e.g., exercise, alcohol and tobacco use) 16,17 . Further, gendered psychosocial factors have been found to predict recurrent outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome and to moderate patient-perceptions of pain 18,19 . Despite robust evidence, associations between gender, biological sex and health outcomes remain largely neglected in the literature 20 , with potentially life-threatening and costly consequences.…”

Comparison of the effects of interferential current between male and female healthy adults

“…According to Alabas et al [31], different stereotypes could play a more important role than gender in relation to pain. It is possible that during this study some participants could have faced higher current intensities than others because of their own tolerance, so we suggest that further studies may take the psychological profile into account while choosing the sample.…”

Objective pain sensitivity affects sleep quality in opioid dependent males on methadone maintenance therapy

“…Only male subjects were included in the current study but this reflected the cohort population of drug abusers in Malaysia where more than 90% of them are males (Manan et al, 2013). Furthermore, this can minimise the possible effects of gender had on cold pressor pain response (Fillingim and Maixner, 1995;Fillingim et al, 2009;Alabas et al, 2012;Racine et al, 2012) and sleep (Krishnan and Collop, 2006).…”