I
nvestigating the complex ways in which biological, social and
environmental factors interact to impact the health of women and
men should be a basic element of all health research, including
research on work and health.
Occupational health research like other research such as
pharmacological research has been heavily criticized during the last
decade for the general lack of a gender perspective, usually leading to
the exclusion of women and their concerns. Researchers have failed to
include women in studies, have adjusted for sex rather than examining
its role in their data set, and have often not considered gender- and
sex-specific factors when designing studies and analysing data (Zahm
et al., 1994; Neidhammer et al., 2000; Messing et al., 2003). There is
little knowledge of the prevalence and incidence of diseases, accidents
and risk factors related to unpaid work, which mainly affects women
(östlin, 2002b). Many occupational studies are gender-blind and label
those who are the subjects for the investigation in such a way that it
is not possible to decide whether men or women or both sexes were
included (Ekenwall et al., 1993). Gender-neutral expressions like workers,
subjects, employees, bus drivers, hospital orderlies or patients, are frequently
used. These kind of presentations strengthen the impression that sex
and gender are irrelevant variables in the study, and that the research
results can be applied to both women and men.
5. Gender bias
in occupational
health research
Many occupational
health studies are
gender-blind and
label those who are
the subjects for the
investigation in
such a way