Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sex/Gender Differences in the Gastrointestinal Diseases

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Sex/Gender-Specific Medicine in the Gastrointestinal Diseases

Abstract

Biological and sociocultural factors related to sex/gender interact to influence noncommunicable diseases. However, as individuals enter adulthood and approach old age, the influence of gender, which is connected to social and cultural factors, becomes stronger than that of sex, which is connected to biological factors. Sex/gender intermingle with each other, resulting in the final disease. Some representative gastrointestinal diseases are irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and alcohol-related diseases. For individuals who have the same symptoms of IBS, women experience a more severe deterioration in quality of life than men due to differences in social norms and sexual identity. For example, abdominal bloating is typically perceived by men simply as physical discomfort, but women also experience psychological stress because abdominal bloating makes them appear to have gained weight. Another example is furnished by alcohol-related diseases. Due to biological differences in alcohol metabolism, women are more intensely affected by alcohol than men. In addition, physical diseases related to alcohol consumption manifest earlier in women and progress more rapidly. High-risk alcohol consumption may be increasing in women in their 20s and 30s because women’s increasing participation in the workforce provides more opportunities to be exposed to alcohol. Furthermore, alcohol problems in women often stem from attempts to relieve stress from work and family duties. Both the general public and medical professionals, such as doctors and nurses, should understand sex/gender differences in reasons for drinking alcohol and the multifaceted effect of alcohol on the body. In addition, medical staff need to understand the effect of gender on IBS, a chronic and recurrent disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Regitz-Zagrosek V. Sex and gender differences in health. EMBO Rep. 2012;13:596–603.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pardue ML, Wizemann TM. Exploring the biological contributions to human health: does sex matter? Washington D.C.: National Academies Press; 2001.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Chang L, Toner BB, Fukudo S, Guthrie E, Locke GR, Norton NJ, et al. Gender, age, society, culture, and the patient’s perspective in the functional gastrointestinal disorders. Gastroenterology. 2006;130:1435–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Houghton LA, Heitkemper M, Crowell M, Emmanuel A, Halpert A, McRobertset JA, et al. Age, gender and women’s health and the patient. Gastroenterology. 2016;150:1332–43.e4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Pelletier R, Ditto B, Pilote L. A composite measure of gender and its association with risk factors in patients with premature acute coronary syndrome. Psychosom Med. 2015;77:517–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Darnton-Hill I, Nishida C, James WPT. A life course approach to diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. Public Health Nutr. 2004;7:101–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Lee JY, Park KS. Gender difference in functional gastrointestinal disorders. Korean J Gastroenterol. 2018;72:163–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Kim YS, Kim N. Sex-gender differences in irritable bowel syndrome. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2018;24:544–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Bradford K, Shih W, Videlock EJ, Presson AP, Naliboff BD, Mayer EA, et al. Association between early adverse life events and irritable bowel syndrome. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012;10:385–90.e1–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Longstreth GF, Wolde-Tsadik G. Irritable bowel-type symptoms in HMO examinees. Prevalence, demographics, and clinical correlates. Dig Dis Sci. 1993;38:1581–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Walker EA, Katon WJ, Roy-Byrne PP, Jemelka RP, Russo J. Histories of sexual victimization in patients with irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Psychiatry. 1993;150:1502–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Goodwin L, White PD, Hotopf M, Stansfeldv SA, Clark C. Life course study of the etiology of self-reported irritable bowel syndrome in the 1958 British birth cohort. Psychosom Med. 2013;75:202–10.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Jones MP, Oudenhove LV, Koloski N, Tack J, Talley NJ. Early life factors initiate a ‘vicious circle’ of affective and gastrointestinal symptoms: a longitudinal study. United European Gastroenterol J. 2013;1:394–402.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Cheney AM. “Most girls want to be skinny”: body (dis)satisfaction among ethnically diverse women. Qual Health Res. 2011;21:1347–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Björkman I, Dellenborg L, Ringström G, Simrén M, Jakobsson Ung E. The gendered impact of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: a qualitative study of patients’ experiences. J Adv Nurs. 2014;70:1334–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Ali A, Toner BB, Stuckless N, Gallop R, Diamant NE, Gould MI, et al. Emotional abuse, self-blame, and self-silencing in women with irritable bowel syndrome. Psychosom Med. 2000;62:76–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Kim JJ, Kim N, Park JH, Kim YS, Lee SM, Lee DH, et al. Comparison of tight junction protein-related gene mRNA expression levels between male and female gastroesophageal reflux disease patients. Gut Liver. 2018;12:411–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Choi YJ, Park YS, Kim N, Kim YS, Lee SM, Lee DH, et al. Gender differences in ghrelin, nociception genes, psychological factors and quality of life in functional dyspepsia. World J Gastroenterol. 2017;23:8053–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Simrén M, Abrahamsson H, Svedlund J, Björnsson ES. Quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome seen in referral centers versus primary care: the impact of gender and predominant bowel pattern. Scand J Gastroenterol. 2001;36:545–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Tang YR, Yang WW, Wang YL, Lin L. Sex differences in the symptoms and psychological factors that influence quality of life in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2012;24:702–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Welén K, Faresjö A, Faresjö T. Functional dyspepsia affects women more than men in daily life: a case-control study in primary care. Gend Med. 2008;5:62–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Brennan P, Lewis S, Hashibe M, Bell DA, Boffetta P, Bouchardy C, et al. Pooled analysis of alcohol dehydrogenase genotypes and head and neck cancer: a HuGE review. Am J Epidemiol. 2004;159:1–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Takagi S, Iwai N, Yamauchi R, Kojima S, Yasuno S, Baba T, et al. Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 gene is a risk factor for myocardial infarction in Japanese men. Hypertens Res. 2002;25:677–81.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Ebrahim S, Davey Smith G. Mendelian randomization: can genetic epidemiology help redress the failures of observational epidemiology? Hum Genet. 2008;123:15–33.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lee TH. PG2. Fatty liver disease (ASH & NASH): diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease: invasive or non-invasive? Postgraduate Courses 2015;57–62.

    Google Scholar 

  26. van de Waterbeemd H, Gifford E. ADMET in silico modelling: towards prediction paradise? Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2003;2:192–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Survey of alcohol consumption by age among South Koreans above the age of 19. 2017 Health and Welfare Statistical Year Book. https://www.mohw.go.kr/react/gm/sgm0704vw.jsp?PAR_MENU_ID=13&MENU_ID=13040801&page=1&CONT_SEQ=356595&PAR_CONT_SEQ=355597. Accessed 14 Oct 2020.

  28. McCrady BS, Epstein EE, Fokas KF. Treatment interventions for women with alcohol use disorder. Alcohol Res. 2020;40:08.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  29. Verissimo ADO, Grella CE. Influence of gender and race/ethnicity on perceived barriers to help-seeking for alcohol or drug problems. J Subst Abus Treat. 2017;75:54-61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Weisner C, Schmidt L. Gender disparities in treatment for alcohol problems. JAMA. 1992;268:1872–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Piazza NJ, Vrbka JL, Yeager RD. Telescoping of alcoholism in women alcoholics. Int J Addict. 1989;24:19–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Choi YJ, Lee DH, Han KD, Kim HS, Yoon H, Shin CM, et al. The relationship between drinking alcohol and esophageal, gastric or colorectal cancer: a nationwide population-based cohort study of South Korea. PLoS One. 2017;12:e0185778.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Shin CM, Kim N, Cho SI, Kim JS, Jung HC, Song IS. Association between alcohol intake and risk for gastric cancer with regard to ALDH2 genotype in the Korean population. Int J Epidemiol. 2011;40:1047–55.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Kang SJ, Shin CM, Kim JS, Kim N. Association between ALDH2 polymorphism and gastric cancer risk in terms of alcohol consumption: a meta-analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2021;45:6–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Shin CM, Kim N, Cho SI, Lee HJ. Validation of alcohol flushing questionnaires in determining inactive aldehyde dehydrogenase-2 and its clinical implication in alcohol-related diseases. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018;42:387–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Yi SW, Sull JW, Linton JA, Nam CM, Ohrr H. Alcohol consumption and digestive cancer mortality in Koreans: the Kangwha cohort study. J Epidemiol. 2010;20:204–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Mizoue T, Inoue M, Wakai K, Nagata C, Shimazu T, Tsuji I, et al. Alcohol drinking and colorectal cancer in Japanese: a pooled analysis of results from five cohort studies. Am J Epidemiol. 2008;167:1397–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Becker U, Deis A, Sørensen TI, Grønbaek M, Borch-Johnsen K, Müller CF, et al. Prediction of risk of liver disease by alcohol intake, sex, and age: a prospective population study. Hepatology. 1996;23:1025–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Masamune A, Kume K, Shimosegawa T. Sex and age differences in alcoholic pancreatitis in Japan: a multicenter nationwide survey. Pancreas. 2013;42:578–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea (Republic of)

    Nayoung Kim

Authors
  1. Nayoung Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nayoung Kim .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea (Republic of)

    Nayoung Kim

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Kim, N. (2022). Sex/Gender Differences in the Gastrointestinal Diseases. In: Kim, N. (eds) Sex/Gender-Specific Medicine in the Gastrointestinal Diseases. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0120-1_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0120-1_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore

  • Print ISBN: 978-981-19-0119-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-19-0120-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation