Chambers, Suzanne K. and Hyde, Melissa K. and Oliffe, John L. and Zajdlewicz, Leah and Lowe, Anthony and Wootten, Addie C. and Dunn, Jeff 
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1180-3381
(2016)
Measuring masculinity in the context of chronic disease.
Psychology of Men and Masculinity, 17 (3).
pp. 228-242.
ISSN 1524-9220
Abstract
Masculine beliefs are influential in men's responses to illness; however, current measures of masculinity may not be salient for highly prevalent chronic diseases such as prostate cancer. To address this gap, a contextualized measure of masculinity for men with prostate cancer was developed. A novel measure of masculinity, the Masculinity in Chronic Disease Inventory (MCD-I), was developed based on existing qualitative data and tested for acceptability and face validity with 19 men previously treated for prostate cancer. A cross-sectional survey of 403 Australian men with prostate cancer (Mage = 70.34 years; SD = 7.25) then assessed convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity for the MCD-I using existing reliable and valid measures of masculinity, masculine self-esteem, quality of life, erectile dysfunction, and sexual help seeking. A 6-factor structure for the MCD-I (22 items) was confirmed with good to excellent internal reliabilities (alpha = 0.69 -0.92) for the subscale domains of Strength, Sexual Importance/Priority; Family Responsibilities; Emotional Self-Reliance; Optimistic Capacity; and Action Approach. Acceptable convergent and divergent validity was supported, and the MCD-I was also able to discriminate between men with severe versus moderate to mild erectile dysfunction (p = .002) and the Sexual Importance/Priority domain discriminated between men who had sought sexual advice and those who had not (p = .005). A contextual approach to measuring masculinity in men with prostate cancer may help avoid reductionist approaches for focusing on erectile dysfunction in these populations. This also presents a way forward for gender-sensitive psychosocial services and programs for men experiencing prostate cancer.
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| Item Type: | Article (Commonwealth Reporting Category C) |
|---|---|
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright. |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | No Faculty |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | No Faculty |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Jun 2017 23:46 |
| Last Modified: | 10 Jun 2022 02:53 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | chronic disease; help seeking; masculinity; prostate cancer; sexual adjustment |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 11 Medical and Health Sciences > 1112 Oncology and Carcinogenesis > 111204 Cancer Therapy (excl. Chemotherapy and Radiation Therapy) 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1701 Psychology > 170105 Gender Psychology |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 32 BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL SCIENCES > 3211 Oncology and carcinogenesis > 321104 Cancer therapy (excl. chemotherapy and radiation therapy) 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5205 Social and personality psychology > 520502 Gender psychology |
| Identification Number or DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000018 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/32457 |
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