Despite the fact that sex and gender are perhaps the most substantial determinants
of how we live as individuals and as societies, these two variables are often ignored
or poorly addressed in our research and practice. It seems that it is so core to our
existence that we forget to think about it, or examine it. For example, in my own
research team, we recently started asking our biomechanics lab about sex differences
in distal radius fracture mal-union and found that only male bones were being used,
because “female bones break too easily.” This is common in many areas of basic science.
A recent review in the leading journal, Pain, demonstrated that 79% of the studies published in the past 10 years have included
male subjects only, with 8% addressing females only, and only 4% explicitly testing
sex differences.
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This is at odds with the substantially higher burden of painful conditions in women,
and means that we do not understand the pain physiology of women.To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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References
- The case for the inclusion of female subjects in basic science studies of pain.Pain. 2005; 117: 1-5
- Gender differences in prevalence of upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders.Ergonomics. 2004; 47: 495-526
- Women, work and musculoskeletal health.Soc Sci Med. 2004; 58: 997-1005
- Distal radius fracture: a prospective outcome study of 275 patients.J Hand Ther. 2001; 14: 154-169
- Hard work at home: musculoskeletal pain among female homemakers.Ergonomics. 2012; 55: 201-211
- Shaping Science for a Healthier World.2014: 1-35
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 14, 2015
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Copyright
© 2016 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
