[Gender-sensitive public health publications in Germany? Results of a review of literature].
BACKGROUND
The project 'Gender Bias - Gender Research' investigates how far gender issues are considered in German-language Public Health journals. Target is the analysis of the publication practice in Public Health in order to point out status, deficits and perspectives of gender-specific research.


METHODS
We developed a standardised evaluation instrument, which covers the semantic, methodical-technical and contentual area regarding gender issues and evaluated all original contributions of the years 1990, 1995 and 1999 in the journals 'Das Gesundheitswesen', 'Sozial- und Präventivmedizin' and 'Zeitschrift für Gesundheitswissenschaften'. 268 (of 517) contributions applied to persons (in contrast to i. e. programmes, institutions) and were completely analysed.


RESULTS
The main part of the contributions take women and men into account, but do not consider them continuously in all parts of the research process and in this way do not fulfil all requirements for gender-sensitive research. Gender finds most consideration on the semantic level. Less than half of the authors consider the different situation of women and men in the formulation in hypotheses, sampling, or data analysis, and only 35 % of them make reference to this in their conclusions. We found differences between the examined journals and years.


CONCLUSIONS
The concerns of women and men should be considered at all levels of research. Attention should be paid to this when writing, reviewing and publishing contributions.
Fuchs
J
J
Technische Universität Berlin, Institut für Gesundheitswissenschaften, Germany. fuchs@ifg.tu-berlin.de
Maschewsky-Schneider
U
U
D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011287:Prejudice; D011634:Public Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011643:Publishing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*