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Yousef D Alqurashi,1 Abdullah S Alqarni,1 Faisal Maher Albukhamsin,1 Abdullah Abdulaziz Alfaris,1 Bader Ibrahim Alhassan,1 Waleed Khalid Ghazwani,1 Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Altammar,1 Mutlaq Eid Aleid,1 Hayfa Almutary,2 Abdulelah M Aldhahir,3 Saleh A Alessy,4 Rayyan Almusally,5 Abir Alsaid,5 Mahmoud Ibrahim Mahmoud,5 Hatem Othman Qutub,5 Tunny Sebastian,6 Suliman Alghnam,7 Michael I Polkey8 1Respiratory Care Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 2Medical Surgical Nursing Department, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 3Respiratory Therapy Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Saudi Electronic University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; 5Internal Medicine Department, King Fahd Hospital of the University, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Khobar, Saudi Arabia; 6Clinical Nutrition Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia; 7Population Health Section-King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; 8Royal Brompton Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKCorrespondence: Yousef D Alqurashi, Respiratory Care Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, 34221, Saudi Arabia, Email ydalqurashi@iau.edu.saIntroduction: Sleepy driving is associated with Motor Vehicles Accidents (MVAs). In Saudi Arabia, previous studies have addressed this association among men only. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of sleepy driving and associated factors between genders.Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, we offered a self-administered online questionnaire to 3272 participants from different regions of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included 46 questions covering sociodemographics, driving habits, sleeping habits, Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and Berlin questionnaire to assess the risk of sleep apnea. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine the significant factors associated with self-reported sleepy driving, defined as operating a motor vehicle while feeling sleepy in the preceding six months.Results: Of the 3272 invitees, 2958 (90%) completed the questionnaire, of which 1414 (48%) were women. The prevalence of sleepy driving in the preceding six months was 42% (men: 50% and women 32%, p< 0.001). Specifically, participants reported the following: 12% had had to stop their vehicle due to sleepiness (men: 16.2% and women 7%, p< 0.001), 12.4% reported near-miss accidents (men: 16.2% and women: 8.2%, p< 0.001) and 4.2% reported an accident due to sleepiness (men: 4.3% and women: 4%, p=0.645). In multivariable analysis, being male, younger age, use of any type of medications, shift working, working more than 12 hours per day, driving duration of 3– 5 hours per day, driving experience of more than 2 years, excessive daytime sleepiness and risk of having obstructive sleep apnea were all associated with increased likelihood of falling asleep while driving in the preceding 6 months.Conclusion: Sleepy driving and MVA are prevalent in both gender but was higher in men. Future public health initiatives should particularly focus on men, since men reported a greater likelihood of both sleep-related MVA and “near miss” events.Keywords: sleepiness, driving, obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, gender differences

This article presents the findings of a study that measured the extent gender differences in division of housework and religion affected marital conflict in Bamenda, Cameroon. There is extant literature on the general causes of marital conflict from Western studies, such as use of drugs, alcohol, physical and verbal abuse, income, unequal distribution of housework and infidelity, but there is a gap in the body of knowledge for Cameroon, Africa. Studying this phenomenon was of interest because it has been asserted that gender inequality is institutionalised in Cameroon. Rational choice theory (RCT) is used to analyse the phenomenon. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyse the quantitative data. A total of 180 participants completed the questionnaires. The findings revealed that there is no statistical difference between the wife doing all the household chores and marital conflict; equally, there is no statistical difference between the wife’s practice of religion and marital conflict. The findings of this study provide new data that could be used to inform public policy, and support educators, religious ministers and practitioners in conflict management. Recommendations are suggested for public policy consideration.

Sexual frequency of Spanish adolescents during confinement by COVID-19. The confinement situation due to COVID-19 has brought a great change in the lifestyles of young people. However, little is known about the impact that isolation has had on adolescent sexuality. The objective of this work is to know the sexual frequency of adolescents during confinement and its possible consequences, including gender perspective. 134 Spanish adolescents, between 16-20 years old, responded to an ad hoc online survey on sexuality, being 59.7% girls. 67.2% of the participants considered themselves heterosexual, 91.2% were confined to their parents, 59.7% were single and 40.3% had a stable partner. During confinement, an increase in the frequency of masturbation and online sexual activities has been observed, but these changes have only been statistically significant in boys. Among the causes of this increase, we find reasons such as “due to boredom”, “to relax”, or “due to an increase in sexual appetite”, with boys justifying it the most with emotional reasons. This higher sexual frequency generated a better mood and more relaxation, although many boys reported that sexual activities were less satisfactory. It would be necessary to continue studying the possible negative consequences that can arise from these changes in sexual frequency, and to analyze the role that emotions could be playing. All this to design campaigns to promote sexual health in times of confinement.

We investigated relationships between binge-eating symptoms and emotional-behavioral problems in 382 community-adolescents (aged 13‑18 years, M = 15, SD = 1; 61% girls), analyzing gender differences. Few studies have investigated binge eating in community-adolescents and none have explored gender differences in Italy. Participants completed the Binge Eating Scale (BES) and the Youth Self Report (YSR 11/18), which measures internalizing, externalizing and other problems (e.g. binge-drinking, substance abuse). 6% of adolescents (99% girls) were at-risk of binge-eating symptoms. In both gender, binge-eating symptoms were correlated with internalizing and other problems (all p

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and spectrum of KRAS mutations in men and women with colorectal cancer (CRC), and an impact of KRAS-mutation status on the clinical and morphological features of CRC. The study included 303 patients (168/55.4% women and 135/44.6% men) with CRC T2-4N0-2M0-1. We defined 7 KRAS SNP-mutations (G12D, G12A, G12R, G12C, G12S, G12V and G13D) located within codons 12 and 13 using Bio-Rad real-time thermal cyclers CFX96 and Real-Time-PCR- KRAS-7M Kit. The frequency of KRAS mutations was 35.6% in the CRC patients with a predominant presence of G>A transitions. The KRAS codon 12 and 13 mutations are predictive of poor prognosis The KRAS-mutated CRC has clinical features in view of the gender differences. KRAS-mutation status is a promising predictive biomarker of personalized treatment.

Early detection and treatment of psychological problems amongst refugee and immigrant youth is crucial to improve their developmental outcomes and their social integration. Multiple informants approach is a standard practice in detecting psychological problems. Based on its extensive empirical use, this approach is recommended in order to avoid bias or misinterpretation during the assessment of the youth mental health needs. However, very few studies have investigated the inter-informant agreement between teachers and youth in a multiethnic context. The current study explores teacher-youth inter-informant agreement in a culturally heterogeneous sample of refugee and immigrant adolescents from three high schools in Montreal. The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was administered to 113 recently arrived migrant adolescents (female, n = 55; male, n= 58) to assess their own emotional and behavioural symptoms. The SDQ was also administered to their teachers (n = 7) so that a comparison between self- and teacher reports could be made. Teacher-youth agreement was significant for the Emotional symptoms subscale, but this inter-informant agreement was significant for males only. These results underscore the need to raise school personnel awareness about potential undetected emotional problems in newly arrived refugee and immigrant female adolescents.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of age on pressure pain threshold (PPT) of cervico-facial muscles in healthy geriatric subjects and to investigate the role of gender and dominance on nociception.Background: Musculo-skeletal pain is common in the elderly, but being subjective, it risks to be underdiagnosed and undertreated. A useful method for assessment of local pain is determining PPT through pressure algometry. Ageing process seems to increase PPTs, but reference values for the assessment of pain in geriatric subjects are lacking.Methods: In this study, PPTs in temporal muscle, masseter, sternocleidomastoid, occipital and splenius capitis of 97 healthy elderly subjects were measured using Fischer algometer. Participants were divided by age in four classes (years 65-69; 70-74; 75-79; ≥80).Results: Women had lower PPTs in all muscles compared with men. Comparing PPTs obtained from the right and the left side, no significant differences were recorded neither in men nor in women. When dividing subjects by age class and education, in both genders no significant differences were observed in PPTs among the groups, neither in the right nor in the left sides.Conclusion: In conclusion, the present study reports reference PPT values for the cervico-facial muscles that can be applied to a population of healthy elderly subjects. After 65 years of age, further ageing does not influence PPTs in cervico-facial muscles whereas female gender has lower PPTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to attribute different mental states to distinct individuals, or Theory of Mind (ToM), is widely believed to be developed mostly during preschool years. How different factors such as gender, number of siblings or coarse personality traits affect this development is not entirely agreed upon. Here, we introduce a computerized version of the scaled ToM suite of tasks introduced by Wellman and Liu (2004), which allows us to meaningfully test ToM development on children 6 to 8-years old. We find that kids this age are still not entirely proficient in all ToM tasks, and continue to show a progression of performance with age. By testing this age range, too, we are able to observe a significant advantage of girls over boys in ToM performance. Other factors such as number of siblings, birth order, and coarse personality traits show no significant relation with the ToM task results. Finally, we introduce a novel way to quantify the scaling property of the suite involving a sequence of set inclusions and also, a comparison between specially tailored sets of logistic models. These measures confirm the validity of the scale in the 6 to 8-years old range.

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) affects males more than females. The reasons for the gender differences in PD prevalence remain unclear., Objective: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to update the overall male/female prevalence ratios (OPR)., Methods: We updated previous work by searching MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and OVID for articles reporting PD prevalence for both genders between 2011 and 2021. We calculated OPRs and investigated heterogeneity in effect estimates., Results: We included 19 new articles and 13 articles from a previously published meta-analysis. The OPR was 1.18, 95% CI, [1.03, 1.36]. The OPR was lowest in Asia and appeared to be decreasing over time. Study design, national wealth, and participant age did not explain OPR heterogeneity., Conclusion: Gender differences in PD prevalence may not be as stark as previously thought. Studies are needed to understand the role of other determinants of gender differences in PD prevalence., (© 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders Clinical Practice published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.)

Objectives. This study conceptualized loneliness as a mediator in the relation between social engagement and depressive symptoms and explored gender differences in the mediation model. Various indices of social engagement were considered including living arrangement, social network, and activity participation. Method. Using data from 674 community-dwelling Korean American older adults, we first examined the mediation effect of loneliness in the relation between each of 3 indices of social engagement (not living alone, social network, and activity participation) and depressive symptoms. Subsequently, gender differences in the mediation model were examined. Results. As hypothesized, loneliness was found to mediate the relation between each of the indices of social engagement and depressive symptoms in both men and women. We also observed gender differences in the strength of mediating effects; the effect of living alone was more likely to be mediated by loneliness among men, whereas women showed greater levels of mediation in the models with social network and activity participation. Discussion. Our findings suggest that loneliness may explain the mechanism by which deficits in social engagement exerts its effect on depressive symptoms and that gender differences should be considered in interventions targeting social engagement for mental health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study of 572 male and 120 female graduates of a boot camp investigates the potency of self-control as a predictor of recidivism in comparison to gender, age, and elements of life-course theory. It also examines whether the effects of self-control on recidivism are commensurate within the categories of gender. Recidivism is defined as a felony conviction or parole violation in a 5-year follow-up period. Cox's Proportional-Hazards Models indicate that self-control, gender, and age are significant predictors of recidivism when they are considered separately, and self-control and gender remain significant predictors when they are analyzed simultaneously. Furthermore, analyses show that low self-control is a stronger predictor of recidivism among men than women. Low self-control is a significant predictor of recidivism after elements of life-course theory are added to an analysis that also includes age and gender. Implications of these findings for self-control theory are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We tested whether individual differences in a component of early conscience mediated relations between parental discipline and externalizing behavior problems in 238 3.5-year-olds. Parents contributed assessments of discipline practices and child moral regulation. Observations of children's behavioral restraint supplemented parental reports. Parents and teachers reported on child externalizing symptoms. Parental induction, warm responsiveness, and less frequent use of physical punishment generally were associated with higher levels of moral regulation and fewer externalizing problems. Moreover, moral regulation partially mediated relationships between discipline and externalizing symptoms, with the clearest case of mediation involving induction. However, relationships were found for boys only. Results support a mediation model wherein inductive and physical discipline may influence the expression of boys' externalizing behavior through effects on conscience. Finally, results suggest that different developmental processes may be associated with early externalizing problems in boys and girls, and confirm that fathers' reports contribute to our understanding of the origins of child externalizing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Norwegian nation-wide sample of 1087 former adolescent psychiatric in-patients, 584 males and 503 females, were followed up 15-33 years after first hospitalization. On the basis of detailed hospital records from index hospitalization all were rediagnosed according to DSM-IV. The patient list was linked to the national criminal register and the diagnostic groups were compared as to gender-specific frequency of registered criminality. Next, the criminal career characteristics were compared in those with criminal records at follow-up, relative to mental disorder at index hospitalization. The prevalence of registered criminality, both overall and for specific types of crimes, differed significantly between diagnostic groups and between genders. In both genders criminal convictions were most frequent in disruptive behavior disorders and personality disorders, Among males, the lowest violent crime rate was observed in those with psychotic disorders. Males had more severe criminal careers than females, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The diagnoses and criminal profiles of the 10 most active criminals in the study sample were described closer, as were the 11 individuals found guilty of homicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the General Social Survey (GSS), we examine mean differences in measures of well-being, family attitudes, and socioeconomic status for individuals divorced, remarried, or in a first marriage. We sample individuals first married between 1965 and 1975, of which 48 percent reported being divorced or separated from their spouses. Overall, our comparisons support the divorce-stress-adjustment perspective in that the divorced/separated report the lowest levels of well-being relative to those in their first marriage, and they support the protective effect of marriage as remarried individuals report higher levels of well-being relative to the still divorced or separated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the development and testing of a self-report scale delineating the components of the experience of heterosexual intercourse of both men and women. In a preliminary study, 70 men freely expressed the feelings, thoughts, and motives involved in the experience of heterosexual intercourse. A content analysis revealed that the components of the experience of heterosexual intercourse found in the men's sample are very similar to those found in a women's sample in a previous study (Birnbaum, Glaubman, & Mikulincer, 2001). On this account, the Experience of Heterosexual Intercourse Scale (EHIS), which was used by Birnbaum and her colleagues, was administered to 181 women and 178 men. Overall, the results revealed that the experience of women was more centred on both the aversive and positive relational aspects of heterosexual intercourse than the experience of men. Findings are discussed in relation to sociobiological and social influence theories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper experimentally investigates a preference condition for loss aversion in the framework of cumulative prospect theory (CPT). We propose the concepts of absolute and relative loss premiums in order in measure the extent of loss aversion and to derive notions of increasing constant, and decreasing loss aversion. While in only one at the 28 choice situations analyzed loss neutrality and loss seeking can be rejected, about 51% of all choices are loss averse and, due to the large extent of loss aversion revealed by these choices, the average loss premium is positive for most choice situations. Female subjects exhibit both a more frequent occurrence and a larger extent of loss aversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-two men and 55 women used a self-monitoring procedure to keep an ongoing record of three aspects of sexual frequency in marital and cohabiting relationships: sexual initiations, responses to these initiations, and considering initiating but not doing so in additions respondents provided descriptive information on one negative and one positive response situations Two of the goals of the study were to deter- mine whether one or more of these aspects of sexual frequency: (1) was related to the factors relevant to sexual frequency; and (2) differed for men and women. A third goal was to determine the strategies individuals used to initiate sexual activity and to respond to sexual initiations, and to relate these to the partners response. The results indicated that male partners initiated and considered initiating, sex more often than did the female partners However, contrary to sex-role stereo- types, when the number of initiations was controlled, men and women did not differ in their responses to the sexual initiations. Regression analyses indicated that cohabiting (as compared to married) individuals and individuals, with greater sexual, satisfaction reported more initiations When the number of initiations was controlled, less sexually satisfied individuals we found to give more negative responses to initiations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A role-play procedure was used to investigate the effects of acceptance of rape supportive beliefs (RMA), sexual intimacy, and sexual arousal on behavior in sexual disagreement situations, In Experiment 1, 67 college women roleplayed their responses to their date's initial and continued unwanted sexual advances after viewing either an erotic or a neutral videotape. The women were more definite in their nonverbal responses to the "continued than to the Initial" sexual advances. Low RMA women were less definite, and high RMA women were more definite, in their nonverbal refusals of unwanted intercourse than of unwanted breast fondling. Low RMA women were more definite in their verbal refusals after viewing the neutral than the erotic. videotape. In Experiment 2, 78 college men role-played their responses to their date's first and second refusal. of their sexual advances, Men were less compliant in response to the first than to the second refusal High RMA men who viewed the neutral. film were less compliant than were low RMA men. However, high RMA men who viewed the erotic film were more compliant than high RMA men who viewed the neutral film. The men who viewed the neutral film were less compliant with refusals of breast fondling than with refusals of intercourse, Additionally, men who viewed the erotic film were more compliant with refusals of genital fondling than with refusals of intercourse. Finally, sexual experience and sex-role ideology predicted when the man would try the same advances again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pattern reversal evoked potentials (PREPs) were recorded in 51 normal elderly subjects (27 males, 24 females). Elderly females had shorter P100 and N150 latencies, greater P100-N150 amplitudes, and higher noise power than elderly males. The N150 latency differences were significant even when P100 latency effects were partialled out statistically. Gender differences in P100-N150 amplitude were independent of both noise power and PREP latency measures. These results provide evidence that., in the elderly, 1) gender differences in PREP amplitude reflect factors specific to CNS processing of visual stimuli rather than global CNS anatomic or physiological factors, 2) gender differences in P100 latency reported in younger groups are also present in the elderly, and 3) there are separable factors underlying gender differences in N150 and P100 latencies in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender differences in regard to aggressive behaviour were investigated in a series of studies of schoolchildren of different age cohorts: 8-year-olds (N = 85), 11-year-olds (N = 167), and 15-year-olds (N = 127). Different types of aggressive behaviour were measured with peer nomination techniques, supported by self-ratings. The social structure of the peer groups were also studied. The results of the 11-year-old cohort were previously presented by Lagerspetz et al. (1988; Aggressive Behavior 14:403-414), but they are compared here with the other age groups. The principal finding was that girls of the two older cohorts overall make greater use of indirect means of aggression whereas boys lend to employ direct means. Previously, the main difference between the genders has been thought to be that boys use physical aggressive strategies, while girls prefer verbal ones. Our studies suggest that the differentiation between direct and indirect strategies of aggression presents a more exact picture. Indirect aggressive strategies were not yet fully developed among the 8-year-old girls, but they were already prominent among the 11-year old girls. Aggressive behaviour was assessed overall by the children themselves to be the highest in this age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the shorter and longer implications of a father's absence from the home for the behavior of a national sample of 482 White children who were nine to 11 years old in 1990. The greater behavioral difficulty expressed by boys may partly reflect a stronger father-son bonding prior to the disruption, a bonding that has been interrupted. Finally, there is some suggestion from research on White children that mother-son acrimony increases after a divorce. There also is evidence for White children that a father's absence from the home is associated with a greater decline in the quality of the home environment for boys than for girls. Impressionistically, the strongest effects are in evidence when the father has recently exited, and these effects appear to be largely independent of prior family conditions that could be linked with both family disruption and child misbehavior. In the most general sense, the impressions left by the patterning of results are of greater interest than the significance or non-significance of specific coefficients.

This study examined possible gender differences for relative upper (elbow) to lower (knee) body strength and endurance, as well as relative flexion to extension strength and endurance. Seven women and nine men who were matched for both upper and lower body aerobic power were tested on an isokinetic strength instrument. Absolute isokinetic strength was lower (P<0-01) for the women than the men for all measurements. When strength was expressed per lean body weight, the women were weaker (P<005) only for elbow flexion strength. The women had a lower (P<005) upper to lower body strength ratio for flexion, but not for extension. There were also no differences (P>005) in isokinetic endurance fatigue decrements, or upper to lower body endurance ratios between genders. These data indicated that there were differences in absolute strength between the genders, but strength per lean body weight, as well as upper to lower body ratios for strength and endurance were similar for both genders. It was recommended that aerobic fitness and level of training be taken into account when strength and endurance were compared between the genders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Parental grieving for the loss of a baby following miscarriage or stillbirth can involve intense emotional distress and have implications for the quality of the relationship shared by the grieving parents. Evidence suggests that a relationship may be placed at risk during the grief process, with different forms and rates of grieving between the couple creating barriers to effective communication and increasing feelings of vulnerability. Fifty-one adults who had experienced the loss of a baby as a result of miscarriage or stillbirth took part in this preliminary study to identify gender differences in coping strategies used by males and females in dealing with their loss. Results suggested not only gender differences in chosen coping strategies, but also differences between women depending on the type of loss experienced (ie miscarriage or stillbirth). While men tended to worry, use social support and ignore the situation, women were more likely to seek spiritual support, use tension reduction, wishful thinking and seek support from others who had experienced the same loss. A tendency to use self-blame was also evident in the responses of the female subjects, in particular women who had suffered a miscarriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns have been expressed about the treatment of female faculty in academic accounting departments. A significant proportion of women faculty have indicated that it is more difficult for a woman to be promoted than it is for an equally qualified man. in this paper, we examine the publication productivity of 281 accounting faculty promoted to the rank of associate professor at AACSB accredited institutions over the six-year period of 1989 to 1994. Our results indicate that there are significant gender differences in the publication productivity of promoted faculty at non-doctoral, AACSB accredited institutions. Specifically, promoted female faculty had more publications than did promoted male faculty. Such differences persisted across a variety of publication measures. However, there were no differences when comparing male and female faculty promoted at doctoral institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects on driving performance of using a hands-free, mobile telephone were investigated in a pursuit-tracking task that simulated driving. Twenty subjects in two age groups, 19-26 years (median = 21 years) and 40-51 years (median 45·5 years), participated, with five males and five females in each group. The primary task was driving safely. The subjects drove for 20 min in each of three secondary task blocks with (i) a simple telephone conversation about a familiar topic, (ii) a difficult telephone conversation, incorporating a test of working memory, and (iii) car radio tuning and listening. Half of the driving was done on a simulated firm road surface and half on a slippery road surface. The subjects behaviour was subsequently observed and classified in four activity categories, two without and two with a secondary task, with driving (i) on a clear road, and (ii) with obstacles, and with driving involving the secondary task components of (iii) communication, and (iv) instrument manipulation. The results show different patterns of driving performance on the two road surfaces. For driving on the slippery road, a deterioration was especially marked during manipulation of the instruments, in particular the radio, which required more prolonged manipulation than the hands-free telephone. Driving during an easy telephone conversation was associated with the least performance decrement, and could, in some cases, be seen as facilitatory. The female subjects tended to perform less well than the male subjects while driving on a slippery road. Some of this difference could be attributed to less previous driving experience. In general, the male drivers exhibited better control while driving under difficult conditions. There was no difference in driving proficiency between the age groups. It is concluded that simply conversing over a hands-free telephone while driving does not in itself impair performance. However, a difficult conversation may affect the driving adversely, and any prolonged manipulation of the telephone is liable to produce a performance decrement, particularly under conditions that put heavy demands on the driver's attention and skill. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Road traffic accident involvement rates show clear age and gender differences which may in part be accounted for by differences in risk perception and perceptions of driving competence. The present study extends and replicates that of Matthews and Moran (1986). Young (18-30 years) and older (45-60 years) male and female drivers responded to a questionnaire on perceived accident risk and driving competence (judgment and skill) with respect to themselves and four target groups, and also rated a series of videotaped driving sequences with respect to likelihood of accident occurrence and perceived driving competence. Results showed that effects of rater characteristics were generally confined to the questionnaire. Younger males were perceived as most likely to experience an accident and were judged to be lower than other groups in driving competence. Younger groups showed little bias against older groups and vice versa, but gender-related bias was apparent. The findings of Matthews and Moran were generally confirmed. The results are discussed with reference to four main issues: (1) demographic bias effects -- which are generally weak; (2) stereotyping on the basis of gender and/or age of driver; (3) group-specific bias; (4) self-appraisal bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gender differences in the prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have motivated the separate study of its risk factors and consequences in men and women. However, leveraging gender as a third variable to help account for the association between risk factors and consequences for AUD could elucidate etiological mechanisms and clinical outcomes., Method: Using data from a large, community sample followed longitudinally from 17 to 29 years of age, we tested for gender differences in psychosocial risk factors and consequences in adolescence and adulthood after controlling for gender differences in the base rates of AUD and psychosocial factors. Psychosocial factors included alcohol use, other drug use, externalizing and internalizing symptoms, deviant peer affiliation, family adversity, academic problems, attitudes and use of substances by a romantic partner, and adult socio-economic status., Results: At both ages of 17 and 29 years, mean levels of psychosocial risks and consequences were higher in men and those with AUD. However, the amount of risk exposure in adolescence was more predictive of AUD in women than men. By adulthood, AUD consequences were larger in women than men and internalizing risk had a stronger relationship with AUD in women at both ages., Conclusions: Despite higher mean levels of risk exposure in men overall, AUD appears to be a more severe disorder in women characterized by higher levels of adolescent risk factors and a greater magnitude of the AUD consequences among women than men. Furthermore, internalizing symptoms appear to be a gender-specific risk factor for AUD in women.