A framework to analyse gender bias in epidemiological research

Area of Science:

• Health Research Methodology
• Gender Studies in Science
• Medical Sociology

Background:

• Gender bias, stemming from insensitivity or androcentrism, introduces systematic, gender-dependent errors in research.
• This bias can manifest in hypothesis development (discovery) and methodological processes (justification), leading to flawed research outcomes.
• Gender insensitivity in research results in partial or incorrect knowledge, systematically deviating from true values.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discuss conceptual and methodological gender biases affecting women's health research.
• To propose a framework for analyzing gender bias in the design and analysis of health research.
• To illustrate how gender insensitivity generates selection, measurement, and confounding biases in social and clinical research.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of gender bias in research.
• Development of a framework for analyzing gender bias in health research design and analysis.
• Illustrative examples of bias in social and clinical research contexts.

Main Results:

• Identified forms of conceptual and methodological gender bias impacting research.
• Presented a framework to systematically analyze gender bias in health research.
• Demonstrated how gender insensitivity leads to specific biases like selection, measurement, and confounding.

Conclusions:

• Re-examining research results is essential to uncover and correct gender bias.
• The proposed framework aids in identifying and mitigating gender bias in health research.
• Interpreting results with a gender-sensitive lens can generate new, accurate, gender-based knowledge.