Understanding gender inequity in brain health outcomes: missed stroke as a case study for intersectionality

Abstract

Recent attention into sex and gender-based inequities surrounding outcomes for brain health disorders has generated momentum toward addressing what has been called the “brain health gap.” Importantly though, “women” are not uniform demographic group. In this perspective piece, we discuss misdiagnosis in stroke as an aspect of access and quality of care within brain health. Drawing on narrative data from a mixed methods study of young stroke survivors we suggest that while missed stroke isn't only an issue of gender, if we are going to understand gender-based gaps in access and navigation through stroke care, we have to understand how intersections of gender with age, ethnoracial identity, nationality, language, (dis)ability, and other aspects of social identity come together to create affordances as well as biases that contribute to stroke outcomes.

Exploring unmet needs and preferences of young adult stroke patients for post-stroke care through PROMs and gender differences

“…First, enhancing HCPs' knowledge and understanding, directly from the patients' perspective of their health status, gender differences, and novel ideas for targeting post-stroke care interventions in a manner using PROMs (Reeves et al, 2018). Second, the importance of integrating an intersectionality framework in the development of needs, gender and age-specific post-stroke education and interventions appreciating how social identity may influence access, navigation, affordance, and biases; all of which may contribute to stroke outcomes (Berkhout et al, 2024). For example, their personal (e.g., parenting, driving, self-identity, social participation) and professional (e.g., RTW, career growth and development) life Third, the development of non-pharmacological and peer support interventions for the non-physical aspects of stroke (e.g., selfidentity, emotions, role, social participation) based on key goals of this patient population (e.g., RTW, remaining active in social and family lives, maintaining a career) (Sasikumar and Pikula, 2018).…”