(PS7-D98) Gender Discrepancies in Self-care Motivations

Saturday, November 18, 2023

8:30 AM – 9:30 AM PST

Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7

Author(s)

RH

Rachel Hawk, M.S.

Graduate Student
Saint Louis University
University City, Missouri

Co-Author(s)

SB

Sydney Bell, B.A.

Graduate Student
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri
TW

Terri Weaver, Ph.D.

Professor
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

There are significant gender differences in health and longevity outcomes, including shorter life expectancy and greater occurrence of earlier onset chronic illness in men s. While the cause of these disparities is multifactorial, health, generally, and longevity, specifically, has a strong behavioral signature. Men are less likely to engage in self-care behaviors. This study examined gender differences in the motivations that underlie one’s decision to deny themselves vital forms of self-care. One hundred twenty adults (72% women; M = 31.57 ± 4.57) were recruited from an online research platform, Prolific Inc., to complete an assessment of their self-care behaviors, and the motivations that underlie their decisions to not engage in vital self-care. Men reported being more motivated by interpersonal motivations (M=9.54, SD= 8.626) than women (M=7.62, SD=5.771) when denying themselves of self-care (t(113) = -1.342, p = < .001). More specifically, men reported being significantly more motivated by toughness (t(113) = -.485, p = .02), revenge (t(112) = -1.674, p = .01), peer bonding (t(111) = -1.823, p = .01), and sensation seeking (t(113) = -3.849, p = < .001) than women. These findings suggest that the motivations that cause individuals to resist self-care may have gender discrepancies, and thus, gender-informed adaptations may be appropriate when trying to increase self-care behaviors in a clinical context.