COVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping review
Abstract Background During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, states were called upon by the World Health Organization to introduce and prioritise the collection of sex-disaggregated data. The collection of sex-disaggregated data on COVID-19 testing, infection rates, hospital admissions, and death...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-02-01
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| Series: | Globalization and Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-022-00804-w |
| _version_ | 1828749875993378816 |
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| author | Huiyun Feng Connie Cai Ru Gan Diego Leiva Bao Ling Zhang Sara E. Davies |
| author_facet | Huiyun Feng Connie Cai Ru Gan Diego Leiva Bao Ling Zhang Sara E. Davies |
| author_sort | Huiyun Feng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, states were called upon by the World Health Organization to introduce and prioritise the collection of sex-disaggregated data. The collection of sex-disaggregated data on COVID-19 testing, infection rates, hospital admissions, and deaths, when available, has informed our understanding of the biology of the infectious disease. The collection of sex-disaggregated data should also better inform our understanding of the gendered impacts that contribute to risk of exposure to COVID-19. In China, the country with the longest history of fighting the COVID-19 infection, what research was available on the gender-differential impacts of COVID-19 in the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic? Methods In this scoping review, we examine the first 6 months (January–June 2020) of peer-reviewed publications (n = 451) on sex and gender experiences related to COVID-19 in China. We conducted an exhaustive search of published Chinese and English language research papers on COVID-19 in mainland China. We used a COVID-19 Gender Matrix informed by the JPHIEGO gender analysis toolkit to examine and illuminate research into the gendered impacts of COVID-19 within China. Results In China, only a small portion of the COVID-19-related research focused on gender experiences and differences. Near the end of the six-month literature review period, a small number of research items emerged on women healthcare workers, women’s mental health, and pregnant women’s access to care. There was an absence of research on the gendered impact of COVID-19 amongst populations. There was minimal consideration of the economic, social and security factors, including gender stereotypes and expectations, that affected different populations’ experiences of infection, treatment, and lockdown during the period of review. Conclusion At the outset of health emergencies in China, gender research needs to be prioritised during the first stage of an outbreak to assist with evaluation of the most effective public health measures, identifying access to healthcare and social welfare barriers amongst priority communities. Gender stereotypes and gendered differences lead to different patterns of exposure and treatment. The exclusion of this knowledge in real time affects the design of effective prevention and recovery. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:29:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-318cd23cc7e74577bf918a4d81f0749c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1744-8603 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T20:29:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Globalization and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-318cd23cc7e74577bf918a4d81f0749c2022-12-22T01:34:44ZengBMCGlobalization and Health1744-86032022-02-0118111210.1186/s12992-022-00804-wCOVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping reviewHuiyun Feng0Connie Cai Ru Gan1Diego Leiva2Bao Ling Zhang3Sara E. Davies4School of Government and International Relations, Griffith UniversityCentre for Environment and Population Health, Griffith UniversitySchool of Government and International Relations, Griffith UniversityInstitute for Hospital Management, Tsinghua UniversitySchool of Government and International Relations, Griffith UniversityAbstract Background During the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, states were called upon by the World Health Organization to introduce and prioritise the collection of sex-disaggregated data. The collection of sex-disaggregated data on COVID-19 testing, infection rates, hospital admissions, and deaths, when available, has informed our understanding of the biology of the infectious disease. The collection of sex-disaggregated data should also better inform our understanding of the gendered impacts that contribute to risk of exposure to COVID-19. In China, the country with the longest history of fighting the COVID-19 infection, what research was available on the gender-differential impacts of COVID-19 in the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic? Methods In this scoping review, we examine the first 6 months (January–June 2020) of peer-reviewed publications (n = 451) on sex and gender experiences related to COVID-19 in China. We conducted an exhaustive search of published Chinese and English language research papers on COVID-19 in mainland China. We used a COVID-19 Gender Matrix informed by the JPHIEGO gender analysis toolkit to examine and illuminate research into the gendered impacts of COVID-19 within China. Results In China, only a small portion of the COVID-19-related research focused on gender experiences and differences. Near the end of the six-month literature review period, a small number of research items emerged on women healthcare workers, women’s mental health, and pregnant women’s access to care. There was an absence of research on the gendered impact of COVID-19 amongst populations. There was minimal consideration of the economic, social and security factors, including gender stereotypes and expectations, that affected different populations’ experiences of infection, treatment, and lockdown during the period of review. Conclusion At the outset of health emergencies in China, gender research needs to be prioritised during the first stage of an outbreak to assist with evaluation of the most effective public health measures, identifying access to healthcare and social welfare barriers amongst priority communities. Gender stereotypes and gendered differences lead to different patterns of exposure and treatment. The exclusion of this knowledge in real time affects the design of effective prevention and recovery.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-022-00804-wSex-disaggregated dataChinaCOVID-19Gendered impacts |
| spellingShingle | Huiyun Feng Connie Cai Ru Gan Diego Leiva Bao Ling Zhang Sara E. Davies COVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping review Globalization and Health Sex-disaggregated data China COVID-19 Gendered impacts |
| title | COVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping review |
| title_full | COVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping review |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping review |
| title_short | COVID-19, sex, and gender in China: a scoping review |
| title_sort | covid 19 sex and gender in china a scoping review |
| topic | Sex-disaggregated data China COVID-19 Gendered impacts |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-022-00804-w |
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