Deck 12: Gender and Physical Health

Question 1

In what way does having two X chromosomes provide a health advantage for girls and women?

A) X chromosomes are less likely to carry genetic diseases.
B) X chromosomes are less susceptible to genetic mutations.
C) Having two X chromosomes triggers the production of hormones that strengthen the immune system.
D) Having two X chromosomes allows normal genes on one X chromosomes to override any abnormalities on the other.

Answer 1

Having two X chromosomes allows normal genes on one X chromosomes to override any abnormalities on the other.

Question 2

In 1900, the leading cause of death was ______.

A) accidents
B) infectious disease
C) war
D) heart disease

Answer 2

infectious disease

Question 3

The more that ______ contributes to a given cause of death, the larger the sex differences in rates of death from that cause tend to be.

A) genetics
B) socioeconomic status
C) mental health
D) behavior

Answer 3

behavior

Question 4

In the US which of the following groups has the highest life expectancy?

A) gays and lesbians living in areas high in anti-gray prejudice
B) White people
C) Latino people
D) Black people

Question 5

In what way have highly active antiretroviral therapies (HAARTs) been shown to sometimes backfire in reducing the impact of HIV?

A) It may actually increase the ease in which HIV spreads.
B) Knowledge of its availability may cause people to be less concerned about risky sexual behaviors.
C) It gives people the false impression that they can no longer infect others with HIV.
D) It increases the suicide rate among HIV-positive patients.

Question 6

______ are DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes strands that protect genetic data and allow for cells to divide.

A) Monemes
B) Vacuoles
C) Ribosomes
D) Telomeres

Question 7

In which of the following causes of death should sex differences be the SMALLEST?

A) accidents
B) homicides
C) neurodegenerative disease
D) suicides

Question 8

Evolutionary theorists propose that males' bodies evolved to prioritize ______ and females' bodies evolves to prioritize ______.

A) self-preservation, procreation
B) procreation, self-repair
C) survival; signaling attractiveness
D) passing on their genes; ensuring the genes of their mates are passed on

Question 9

The typically higher levels of estrogen and women than men are associated with all of the following health benefits EXCEPT ______.

A) general decreased risks of cancer
B) lower blood pressure
C) the expression of longevity associated genes
D) increased cardiac output

Question 10

Which of the following changes in life expectancy over the past century is TRUE?

A) The gender gap in life expectancy is larger today than it was 100 years ago.
B) Men's life expectancy has increased by around 10 years.
C) Life expectancy peaked in the 1950s and has slowly declined since.
D) The gender gap in life expectancy is a relatively new phenomenon.

Question 11

Research on telomeres reveals that they may be key in understanding sex differences in what?

A) disease susceptibility
B) aging
C) aggression
D) genetic variability

Question 12

Men exhibit riskier behavior in each of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) driving
B) sexual behavior
C) leisure activities
D) in the workplace

Question 13

Women are more likely to suffer from various chronic pain conditions such as arthritis, neck or back pain, and headaches, which may rule out which of the following explanations of the morbidity-mortality paradox?

A) that women over inflate their self-reported ill health
B) that men over inflate their reports of physical health
C) that social norms influence how men describe their physical health
D) that because men die at a younger age fewer of them tend to suffer chronic illnesses

Question 14

Which of the following causes of death DECREASED in prevalence from 1900 to 2010?

A) Alzheimer's Disease
B) Heart disease
C) Cancer
D) Influenza

Question 15

Which of the following sex hormones is associated with suppressing the body's immune system?

A) progesterone
B) estrogen
C) testosterone
D) prolactin

Question 16

In which of the following ways may higher levels of testosterone in males affect their physical health?

A) increasing levels of bad cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular disease
B) increasing the rate of cell division and risks of cancer
C) overworking cardiac muscles by increasing metabolism
D) inhibiting neurogenesis leading to risks of neurodegenerative disease

Question 17

Which of the following is most consistent with how evolutionary theorists argue males adaptive strategies resulted in an earlier average age of death relative to females?

A) Males escape child-rearing responsibilities by exhibiting dangerous, unpredictable behavior.
B) Having sex with multiple partners increases exposure to sexually transmitted infections.
C) Shorter lifespans lead men to better take advantage of reproductive opportunities.
D) Risky and dangerous behavior gives males a reproductive advantage.

Question 18

Studies of HIV/AIDS among various populations in the United States reveals each of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) Latino people live in networks with higher concentrations of HIV-infected partners
B) HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects Black and Latino people in the United States
C) ethnic disparities in HIV infection rates are caused by differences in risky sexual behaviors
D) in the United States, but not globally, the majority of new HIV cases each year are among men

Question 19

The morbidity-mortality paradox refers to what?

A) the fact that women have higher rates of sickness but lower rates of death than men
B) the inverse relationship between morbidity and mortality
C) countries with higher life expectancies also tend to have higher rates of infectious disease
D) men have higher life expectancies than women after controlling for rates of sickness

Question 20

Which of the following trends likely contributed to a decrease in the gender longevity gap over the past few decades?

A) increased standards of living
B) decreases in the tendency to overwork
C) women becoming more likely to be targeted with violence
D) men reducing the gap in how much they smoke relative to women

Question 21

Which of the following factors is especially likely to discourage Black men, relative to White men, from seeking healthcare?

A) masculinity norms
B) mistrust of the healthcare industry
C) religious beliefs
D) reliance upon local communities

Question 22

What event may be largely responsible for the mistrust of the healthcare industry among African-Americans?

A) the Tuskegee syphilis study
B) the Milgram experiments
C) the Kligman dermatology experiments
D) the Skid Row cancer studies

Question 23

Which of the following groups of people in this United States will be least likely to have a doctor or healthcare provider they visit regularly?

A) Latino men
B) Latino women
C) White Women
D) White men

Question 24

How does high SES tend to relate to physical health?

A) It predicts lower morbidity but not lower mortality.
B) It predicts lower mortality but not lower morbidity.
C) It predicts both lower mortality and lower morbidity.
D) It predicts neither mortality nor morbidity.

Question 25

Imagine Linda and Bob both come into a doctor's office complaining of stress, lack of appetite, and fatigue. Doctors diagnose Linda with depression and Bob with overwork. Which of the following phenomenon likely helps explain the different diagnoses despite identical symptoms.

A) explicit physician expertise
B) pluralistic ignorance
C) cognitive dissonance
D) implicit physician biases

Question 26

People's levels of ______ explain sex differences in depression.

A) competitiveness
B) unmitigated communion
C) unmitigated agency
D) nurturance

Question 27

This trait negatively impacts physical health by leading people to be overly intrusive and to exert great deals of energy to support others.

A) competitiveness
B) unmitigated communion
C) unmitigated agency
D) nurturance

Question 28

Suppose you know a man who endorses very traditional beliefs about masculinity. How might you predict this to affect his behaviors relevant to seeking healthcare.

A) He will be more likely to seek female doctors.
B) He will communicate more openly with doctors.
C) He will be especially likely to postpone seeking medical help.
D) He won't hesitate to ask friends about his physical problems.

Question 29

______ is associated with eating fruits, vegetables, and fish, which likely explains a portion of sex differences in healthy diets.

A) Social support
B) Erectile dysfunction
C) Femininity
D) Estrogen production

Question 30

People of color in the United States are more likely to live in ______, making it more difficult for them to have access to fresh and healthy food.

A) food deserts
B) high crime areas
C) shared housing
D) urban environments

Question 31

The fact that women still outlive men even in gender egalitarian cultures suggests that ______ also influence sex differences in health and longevity

A) biological factors
B) social norms
C) personal values
D) social support

Question 32

Among groups that have similar roles for women and men, such as the Israeli Kibbutz societies, what impacts upon sex differences in mortality and morbidity do these egalitarian gender roles have?

A) Sex differences in health status or illness tend to be reduced or disappear entirely.
B) Sex differences in longevity disappear but differences in illness remain.
C) Meta-analyses of gender egalitarian cultures find no impact upon longevity or illness.
D) Sex differences in life expectancy become larger in such cultures.

Question 33

Which of the following healthy activities should you predict women to be less likely to engage in relative to men?

A) buckling their seatbelts
B) eating large portions of vegetables with every meal
C) avoiding cigarettes
D) being physically active each day

Question 34

Which of the following traits is associated with better adjustment to illness?

A) cooperativeness
B) competitiveness
C) warmth
D) nurturance

Question 35

Each of the following contribute to a substantial portion of the life expectancy gap between White men and Black men EXCEPT for ______.

A) homicide
B) heart disease
C) autoimmune diseases
D) cancer

Question 36

Men are more likely than women to do each of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) binge drink
B) live a sedentary lifestyle
C) drive dangerously
D) eat high-fat foods

Question 37

This trait negatively impacts physical health by creating interpersonal conflicts, eroding social support, and increases behaviors such as smoking and drinking.

A) competitiveness
B) unmitigated communion
C) unmitigated agency
D) nurturance

Question 38

Sex differences in mortality tend to be smaller in each of the following groups EXCEPT ______.

A) Israeli Kibbutz societies
B) ethnic minorities
C) nuns and monks
D) 7th-day Adventists

Question 39

Which of the following shares a positive relationship with physical inactivity?

A) the average income or wealth of a country
B) being male
C) youth/being young
D) working in an office

Question 40

Men around the world are more likely to be classified as ______ and women tend to be classified more often as ______.

A) overweight; obese
B) obese; underweight
C) healthy weight; overweight
D) underweight; obese

Question 41

Minority stress theory would argue that transgender individuals will be more likely to engage in what kind of health related behaviors?

A) healthcare seeking
B) unhealthy coping behaviors, such as alcohol use
C) risky leisure activities
D) unnecessary medical treatments

Question 42

Women still outlive men even in engender egalitarian cultures.

Question 43

Williams and Fredrikson-Goldsen (2014) found that same-sex couples who lived in ______ experience better health outcomes.

A) northern states
B) places that legally recognized their relationships
C) more affluent regions
D) environments with more racial and ethnic diversity

Question 44

Women outlive men in every country in the world.

Question 45

The feminization of poverty refers to ______.

A) the global tendency for women to experience disproportionate rates of poverty
B) stereotypes describing women as more impoverished
C) the phenomenon that feminine traits tend to promote poverty
D) norms dictating that women should not strive to have high incomes

Question 46

In most countries around the world, girls and women tend to be more physically active.

Question 47

The availability of treatments that greatly reduce the risk of dying from HIV-related causes may sometimes cause people to engage in riskier sex behaviors.

Question 48

Depression is classified as a(n) ______ disorder.

A) externalizing
B) internalizing
C) personality
D) cognitive

Question 49

The gender gap in life expectancy has grown over the past century.

Question 50

The medicalization of which of the following most directly contributes to views of women's bodies as being regularly sick?

A) menstruation
B) childbirth
C) menopause
D) pregnancy

Question 51

People who are more assertive tend to have fewer physical symptoms and better adjustment to illnesses than those who are lower in agency.

Question 52

The more that behavior contributes to a cause of death, the smaller the sex difference in rates of death from that cause.

Question 53

For every one of the top causes of death in 2010 except Alzheimer's disease, men died at higher rates than women.

Question 54

In the United States, men and women are equally likely to seek medical care.

Question 55

Alcohol abuse is classified as a(n) ______ disorder.

A) externalizing
B) internalizing
C) personality
D) cognitive

Question 56

When doctors know the sexual orientation and gender identity status of patients, it often increases the likelihood of ______.

A) poorer health outcomes
B) open doctor-patient communication that improves health outcomes
C) patients lying about their underlying conditions
D) doctors prescribing the wrong medications to their patients

Question 57

Well educated black men are still more likely to die from homicide than the least educated White men.

Question 58

Research finding that stressful events predict greater risk for cardiovascular disease among sexual minorities but not heterosexuals most directly supports which of the following?

A) stereotype threat
B) the orientation ideology hypothesis
C) internalized homophobia
D) minority stress theory

Question 59

______ posit(s) that belonging to a stigmatized group creates unique stressors, such as harassment, abuse, and employment discrimination, that combine to increase minority individuals' vulnerability to all types of health problems regardless of their SES.

A) Minority stress theory
B) Stereotype threat
C) Intersectional theories
D) Implicit biases

Question 60

Cesarean births (compared to rational births) are associated with each of the following EXCEPT ______.

A) decreased interactions with their infants upon returning home
B) less satisfaction with the birth experience
C) increased time required to bond with the infant
D) increased likelihood to breast-feed

Question 61

Research on telomeres, or DNA sequences at the ends of chromosomes, reveal that males' telomeres shorten more quickly than females'.

Question 62

What is meant by the morbidity-mortality paradox and how we know it exists? Describe how both errors in self-report and gender role ideologies may or may not explain this paradox.

Question 63

Increased testosterone leads to more robust immune system responses.

Question 64

How do communal and agentic traits relate to physical health? Provide examples of personality traits that have health benefits.

Question 65

Describe how having 2X chromosomes may provide a healthy advantage to girls and women?

Question 66

Why might living in a gender egalitarian society erase or reduce sex differences in longevity? To what extent is this actually the case?

Question 67

Identify two sets of personality traits that research shows predict physical health outcomes and discuss their outcomes. Describe how extreme versions of each of these sets of traits play a central role in physical health and how they contribute to health outcomes. To what extent do sex differences exist for extreme versions of these traits?

Question 68

What is meant by the "medicalization" of reproductive health? Describe how one aspect of women's reproductive health may be impacted by medicalization.

Question 69

Alcohol abuse is an example of an internalizing psychological disorder.

Question 70

Identify one genetic factor and one social factor that contribute towards sex differences in physical health. Describe evidence to support the influence of each factor that you identify. Overall, what conclusions can you draw about the relative contributions of biological and social factors to sex disparities in health?

Question 71

Actual healthcare-related discrimination is rare according to the experiences reported by transgrender people seeking medical care.

Question 72

Describe how implicit biases may impact women's health specifically in the context of heart disease.

Question 73

People of color in the United States are disproportionately likely to live in neighborhoods that lack accessible grocery stores.

Question 74

Briefly explain one physical health correlate for higher levels of estrogen and one for higher levels of testosterone.

Question 75

How might norms related to masculinity affect the diets of men and women and what effects might this have upon physical health?