Chambers, Suzanne K. and Hyde, Melissa K. and Oliffe, John L. and Zajdlewicz, Leah and Lowe, Anthony and Wootten, Addie C. and Dunn, Jeff (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 / Department / School: | No Faculty |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Jun 2017 23:46 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Aug 2017 04:46 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | chronic disease; help seeking; masculinity; prostate cancer; sexual adjustment |
| Fields of Research : | 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 |
| Identification Number or DOI: | 10.1037/men0000018 |
| URI: | http://eprints.usq.edu.au/id/eprint/32457 |
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