Gendered lifestyles as a data-driven spectrum: Associations with brain morphology and microstructure

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 

Understanding the influence of gender dimensions on long-term health remains elusive. Beyond gender identity, gender encompasses sociocultural expectations (gender roles), interindividual interactions (gender relations), and systemic interactions with societal structures (institutionalized gender; Tadiri et al., 2021). How each individual embodies the cultural definition of masculine and feminine gender roles varies along a continuous, non-binary spectrum. Yet, this dynamic has only been operationalized in a few studies using self-reported measures (Nielsen et al., 2021). As a result of these limitations, the impact of gendered lifestyles on brain health remains largely unexplored. Here, we developed a framework to estimate a continuous gender spectrum as expressed through lifestyle behaviors in an unbiased, data-driven manner.