Sopranos but not tenors live longer

The longer life spans of females compared to males has been attributed to the effects of sex hormones. Since experimental tests of this possibility in humans are unethical, indirect studies have been relied on for evidence. The present study offers such indirect evidence by comparing life spans of female and male opera singers, since sex hormones are known to influence development of voice. Life spans of sopranos were found to be significantly greater than those of lower voice registered contraltos, even after controlling for birth year. Differences among male opera singers were not statistically significant. The data support the hypothesis that females live longer than males because of the beneficial effects of estrogens on longevity-related genes.     

Report of the first Asian ISSAM Meeting on the Aging Male

The longer life spans of females compared to males has been attributed to the effects of sex hormones. Since experimental tests of this possibility in humans are unethical, indirect studies have been relied on for evidence. The present study offers such indirect evidence by comparing life spans of female and male opera singers, since sex hormones are known to influence development of voice. Life spans of sopranos were found to be significantly greater than those of lower voice registered contraltos, even after controlling for birth year. Differences among male opera singers were not statistically significant. The data support the hypothesis that females live longer than males because of the beneficial effects of estrogens on longevity-related genes.     

Social Control and Delinquent Behavior: An Examination of the Elements of the Social Bond

This research examines the overall and relative effects of the elements of Hirschi's Social Bonding Theory on four separate measures of deviance using data drawn from a sample of 3065 adolescents. The magnitude and direction of the observed relationships moderately support the theory for all four deviant behavior scales; the elements of the bond are more predictive of the less serious forms of deviance than they are of the more serious forms. The element of commitment is more strongly related to deviant behavior than either the element of belief or attachment. A comparison of the theory for males and females demonstrates that the overall model consistently explains more variation in the dependent variables for females than it does for males. The commitment and belief variables are more strongly related to deviant behavior for females than for males while attachment is more important for males. These findings are discussed in relation to the overall viability of social bonding theory.     

Evaluating the Efficacy of the Prodigy Prevention Program across Urban and Rural Locales

Comorbid juvenile offenders are an overlooked, vulnerable population which tend to present with a more diagnostically serious picture. Their arrest rates have dramatically increased over the last 10 years, yet there is a dearth of prevention and intervention programs available. This study examined the effects of the Prodigy Cultural Arts Program on at-risk and adjudicated youth in a rural and an urban locale. Results suggest a significant improvement in family functioning overall as well as statistically significant changes in mental health symptoms including Depression/Anxiety, Somatic, and Suicidal symptoms for both males and females at urban and rural locales. Females appeared to especially benefit from the program. The findings here extend our knowledge regarding viable alternatives for juvenile offenders with mental health symptoms, particularly females.     

Sex differences in empathy and its relation to juvenile offending

Implicit in most theoretical accounts of sex differences in offending is the assumption that females are less likely than males to engage in crime--especially serious, violent crime--in part because of their comparatively higher levels of concern for others and stronger affiliative ties. Much research suggests that significant sex differences in both empathy and serious offending emerge in adolescence, with females displaying notably higher levels of empathy and males engaging in notably higher levels of serious offending. However, there has been little empirical work assessing the degree to which sex differences in empathy among adolescents can account for sex differences in offending. This research uses data from a sample of adolescents attending public high schools in Philadelphia (n = 425) and a sample of adolescents incarcerated in the California Youth Authority (CYA) (n = 232) to examine the relation between empathy and serious offending. Results suggest that empathy acts as a protective factor for both males and females but that there are subtle differences among males and females in the relation between empathy and offending.     

Insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor polymorphism rs2229765 and circulating interleukin-6 level affect male longevity in a population-based prospective study (Treviso Longeva--TRELONG)

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling modulation has been associated with increased lifespan in model organisms, while high levels of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) are a marker of disability and mortality. In the prospective, population-based "Treviso Longeva"--TRELONG Study from Italy (n = 668, age range 70-105.5 years at baseline, followed for seven years) we investigated the effects of survival on the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) gene polymorphism rs2229765, the IL-6 gene promoter polymorphism rs1800795, and plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and IL-6, alone or in combination. We found a sex-dependent effect for the IGF-1R rs2229765 polymorphism, as male carriers of the homozygous A/A genotype survived longer, while the IL-6 rs1800795 genotype did not influence overall or sex-specific longevity. Higher IL-6 levels were more detrimental for survival among males than females, while IGF-1 had no dose-response effect. These findings sustain the hypothesis that sex-specific longevity relies on detectable differences in genetic and biochemical parameters between males and females.     

PREDICTORS OF FEAR OF CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION AT SCHOOL AMONG ADOLESCENTS

Adolescent crime at school, as well as adolescent fear of crime at school, have increasingly become serious social problems. Although many studies have been conducted examining the predictors of fear of crime among adults in various settings, fear of criminal victimization among adolescents at school has been practically ignored. Using a representative sample of 742 high school students from a southeastern state, this study examined the predictors of adolescent fear of crime at school in an attempt to determine whether they are similar to predictors of adult fear of crime. Results indicate that, although the predictors of fear among adolescents are, in many cases, similar to those of adults, there are important differences. As expected, youths with lower levels of perceived safety at school and youths who perceive their neighborhoods as exhibiting signs of incivility were more likely to be fearful of criminal victimization at school. Interestingly, however, there were important differences between adolescents and adults regarding the effects of race, gender, and victimization experience and fear of crime. The results from this study indicate that the effects of race and victimization experience on fear of crime vary by gender: Namely, Black males were more fearful than White males, and female victims of crime were more fearful than females who had not been victimized by crime. This study suggests that the phenomena that underlie fear of crime among adults are somewhat different than those of adolescents.     

Marital status and psychiatric disorders among blacks and whites.

This paper examines the association between marital status and psychiatric disorder for Blacks and explores the extent to which these patterns differ from those for Whites. Widowed and separated/divorced Black males and females have higher rates of disorder than the married; never-married Blacks do not have an elevated risk of psychiatric illness. The association between marital status and disorder for White males is similar and stronger than that observed for Blacks. For White women, the separated/divorced have a higher risk of disorder than the married, and unmarried White females have higher rates of the substance abuse disorders, but lower rates of the anxiety disorder than the married. Across all marital status groups, Black males and White males have higher rates of disorder (except for depression), than females. A complex pattern emerges when gender differences in the relative rates of disorder for unmarried Blacks compared to married Blacks are considered. Separated/divorced Black men, widowed Black women, and never-married Black men are worse off than their respective peers. Except for the separated/divorced, opposite patterns are evident for Whites. Directions for further research are outlined.     

A Comparative Analysis of Male and Female Delinquency*

The historically dominant and generally accepted view is that males are much more likely than females to commit delinquent acts, and that when females deviate their misconduct is significantly less serious than that of males. This paper examines the recent contention that the delinquent behavior of males and females is more similar than assumed. Self-report questionnaires were administered in 1977 to a sample of 822 male and female adolescents selected from two urban high schools in a large midwestern state. Following Hindelang (1971), we concentrate on the types of delinquent acts most frequently reported, as well as the extent of involvement in these acts. While males tend to commit most offenses more frequently than females, the pattern of delinquency is virtually identical for the two groups. This uniformity holds for race-sex subgroups, although there are more similarities in delinquency within racial groups than within sex groups.     

Influence of physiological androgen levels on wound healing and immune status in men

Aging in men is associated with a progressive decline in the production of several hormones, including androgens. The extent to which an age-dependent decline in androgen levels lead to health problems or can affect quality of life remains under debate. Clinical results on replacement therapy do not yet provide a definitive clue on the benefit/risk balance. A sexual dimorphism of the immune system is well established, and the differences between female and male immune responses under normal, as well as pathological, conditions are generally attributed to the influence of estrogens, progestins, and androgens. The suppressive effects of male sex hormones on immune functions have been observed in a wide variety of disease processes and appear to be testosterone-mediated. Endogenous testosterone inhibits skin wound healing response in males and is associated with an enhanced inflammatory response. Although there are no known gender-related differences in permeability barrier function in adults, estrogens accelerates—whereas testosterone retards—barrier development in fetal skin, and male fetuses demonstrate slower barrier development than female littermates.     

Growth hormone in anti-aging medicine: a critical review

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) signaling modulation has been associated with increased lifespan in model organisms, while high levels of circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) are a marker of disability and mortality. In the prospective, population-based “Treviso Longeva”? TRELONG Study from Italy (n?=?668, age range 70–105.5 years at baseline, followed for seven years) we investigated the effects of survival on the IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) gene polymorphism rs2229765, the IL-6 gene promoter polymorphism rs1800795, and plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and IL-6, alone or in combination. We found a sex-dependent effect for the IGF-1R rs2229765 polymorphism, as male carriers of the homozygous A/A genotype survived longer, while the IL-6 rs1800795 genotype did not influence overall or sex-specific longevity. Higher IL-6 levels were more detrimental for survival among males than females, while IGF-1 had no dose–response effect. These findings sustain the hypothesis that sex-specific longevity relies on detectable differences in genetic and biochemical parameters between males and females.     

Gender differentials in poverty-mortality well-being

"This paper explores the application of a life table approach to the analysis of poverty [in the United States]. After reviewing trends in gender differentials in poverty and mortality, we investigate an indicator of poverty-mortality well-being. The rationale for this approach is that to some extent poverty and mortality are causally interrelated phenomena which are both fundamental to well-being. The empirical results indicate that females are expected to live more years in poverty than are males, but females are expected to live more years in nonpoverty as well. Although the gender differential in poverty rates has increased to the disadvantage of females, and although most of the greater poverty of females cannot be attributed to their greater longevity, the gender differential in poverty-mortality well-being has nonetheless not deteriorated to the disadvantage of women in recent decades."     

Population growth and rural-urban migration,with special reference to Ghana

While the population of Ghana is expected to double in 25 years at the current rate of increase (approximately 2.5% per annum), the population of urban centers is increasing even faster. The 1970 census shows the urban population growing by 4.8% per annum. This is mainly the result of rural to urban migration and, to a smaller extent, the increase in the number of urban centers from 39 in 1948 to 98 in 1960 to 135 in 1970. In the 1970 census only 57.1% of the population were enumerated in their locality of birth and only 20.9% in a locality other than their place of birth but in the same region. 4.1% were born outside Ghana, mostly in another West African country. 1 striking difference between urban and rural areas is the differing sex ratio of the working population. In rural areas there are 91.0 males aged 15-64 years for every 100 females while in urban areas there are 107.1. Most migration in Africa is for employment and those most likely to migrate are working-age males. Because secondary schools are scarce in rural areas, urban dwellers generally have a higher education level. There are no significant differences between overall labor force participation rates for females. The nationwide participation rate was 38.9% for both males and females (males 43.8%, females 34.1%); in urban areas the total was 40.0% (males 46.3%, females 33.7%) and in rural areas 38.5% (males 42.7%, females 34.3%). Ghanaian women have traditionally occupied a prominent place in the labor force. The theory that urban migration is due to urban-rural income disparities is not confirmed by figures. Considering the high amount of unemployment in urban areas, a rural dweller can average as much as a city dweller. In fact, poorly educated migrants are the ones most affected by urban unemployment. A recent study by Kodwo Ewusi considered the impact of many variables on migration; he found depressed social conditions at the place of origin are more compelling motivations than economic factors but that once people decide to migrate, they base their choice of destination primarily on economic opportunities available at that end. Distance bears little relationship to choice of destination. To stem this tide efforts need to be made to increase rural income, provide employment opportunities for those displaced as agriculture becomes more efficient, and to provide for greater amenities in rural areas. Urban unemployment is an ever-increasing problem, accentuated by population growth and migration. Intensive rural development is needed to reverse this trend.     

ACCOUNTING FOR THE GENDER GAP IN COLLEGE ATTAINMENT

One striking phenomenon in the U.S. labor market is the reversal of the gender gap in college attainment. Females have outnumbered males in college attainment since 1987. We develop a discrete choice model of college entry decisions to study the driving forces of changes in college attainment by gender. We find that the increase in relative earnings between college‐educated and high‐school‐educated individuals and the increasing parental education have important effects on the increase in college attainment for both genders, but cannot explain the reversal of the gender gap. Rising divorce probabilities increase returns to college for females and decrease those for males, and thus are crucial in explaining the reversal of the gender gap in college attainment. (JEL J24, J16, I20)     

You don't bring me anything but down: adolescent romance and depression

What accounts for the sex difference in depression that emerges during the period of adolescence? We propose that females become more depressed than males in adolescence partly as a consequence of their involvement in romantic relationships. Using two waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (N = 8,181), a study which began interviewing respondents in 1994, we compare change in levels of depression for adolescents with and without romantic involvement between interviews. Our results suggest that males and females who become romantically involved between interviews experience a larger increase in depression than their counterparts who do not; however, females experience a larger increase in depression than males in response to romantic involvement. Our results suggest that females' greater vulnerability to romantic involvement explains a large part of the emerging sex difference in depression during adolescence.     

Gender differences in tournament and flat-wage schemes: An experimental study

We present a new experiment that explores gender differences in both performance and compensation choices. While most of the previous studies have focused on tournament vs. piece-rate schemes, the originality of our study consists in examining the gender gap in the context of a flat wage scheme. Our data indicate that females exert a significantly higher effort than men in fixed payment schemes. We find however no gender difference in performance under the tournament scheme, due to a combination of two effects. On the one hand, men more significantly increase their effort when switching from a flat wage to a tournament scheme. On the other hand, when switching from the flat wage to a tournament scheme, women have less margin to increase performance since their effort was already relatively high with a flat wage. We also find that females are more likely than males to choose a flat-wage scheme than a tournament. This gap however narrows dramatically when feedback on previous experience is provided.     

Normative advice to campus crime victims: effects of gender, age, and alcohol

Three studies investigated the appropriateness of calling the police as a function of crime, victim, and subject factors. In particular, the studies focused on whether and how the victim's consumption of alcohol affected normative advice to report the crime, as opposed to other options. Across the three studies, subjects viewed reporting as more appropriate for female victims, for victims who were 21 or older, and for victims who had not been drinking. In addition, females were more likely than males to believe reporting to the police was appropriate whereas males were more likely than females to favor some type of private action. Subjects viewed reporting as particularly inappropriate when the victim was underage and had been drinking. Results suggest that, because of the perceived stigma attached to victims who have been drinking, even serious victimizations may go unreported.     

A Longitudinal Study of Depressive Symptoms and Marijuana Use in a Sample of Inner‐City African Americans

The association between marijuana use and depressive symptoms was examined longitudinally in a sample of 622 African American youth, interviewed on six occasions, using hierarchical linear modeling (HLM). We considered whether depressive symptoms predicted changes in marijuana use and vice versa from high school through the transition into young adulthood. We also examined gender differences in these behaviors over time. The results indicated that depressive symptoms predicted later marijuana use only for males. Marijuana use did not predict later depressive symptoms for females or males. These findings are consistent with a unidirectional hypothesis indicating that marijuana use may play a role as mood regulator among young males, but not among females. Research findings also indicate that females with lower depressive symptoms use more marijuana than females who report high depressive symptoms. These findings did not change even after controlling for the effects of using other substances at previous stages, school achievement, and demographics factors. These results suggest that depressive symptoms may be an antecedent of marijuana use among African American males.     

Not the Same: A Comparison of Female and Male Clients Seeking Treatment from Problem Gambling Counselling Services

Previous studies of problem gamblers portray this group as being almost exclusively male. However, this study demonstrates that females comprised 46% of the population ( n = 1,520) of persons who sought assistance due to concerns about their gambling from the publicly-funded BreakEven counselling services in the state of Victoria, Australia, in one 12-month period. This suggests that the model of service delivery which is community based counselling on a non-residential basis may be better able to attract female clients than treatment centres where males predominate such as veterans centres. A comparative analysis of the social and demographic characteristics of female and male gamblers within the study population was undertaken. As with previous studies, we have found significant differences between males and females who have sought help for problems associated with their gambling. Gender differences revealed in this study include females being far more likely to use electronic gaming machines (91.1% vs. 61.4%), older (39.6 years vs. 36.1 years), more likely to be born in Australia (79.4% vs. 74.7%), to be married (42.8% vs. 30.2%), living with family (78.9% vs. 61.5%) and to have dependent children (48.4% vs. 35.7%), than males who present at these services. Female gamblers (A$7,342) reported average gambling debts of less than half of that owed by males (A$19,091). These gender differences have implications for the development and conduct of problem gambling counselling services as it cannot be assumed that models of service which have demonstrated effectiveness with males will be similarly effective with females.     

News and comments

A sample of 6,029 married persons from the National Survey of Families and Households was analyzed to determine the correlates of sexual inactivity in marriage and to see if sexually inactive marriages were less happy and stable than those with sexual activity. Sixteen percent of the marriages in this sample had been sexually inactive during the month prior to the interview. A logistic regression analysis showed unhappiness with the marital relationship, increased likelihood of separation, lack of shared activity, few arguments over sex, lack of physical violence, increased age, fewer children, the presence of preschoolers, and poor health all to be significant correlates of sexually inactive marriage. Significant differences existed between males and females, such as the presence of relationship violence being associated with sexual activity only for females, and the presence of preschoolers and poor health associated with sexual inactivity only for males. These findings suggest that although sexually inactive marriages are not uncommon, they are not happy, stable marriages in which the partners simply do not have sex. Lack of sexual activity may be a danger signal for many marriages.