Facilitators and Obstacles to Sex/Gender-Conscious Intervention-Research on Occupational Health: Researchers and Partners Perspectives

Abstract

When trying to take sex and gender into account in participatory research, the challenges of knowledge users and researchers can be quite different. This communication aims to present perspectives of both stakeholders and researchers involved in occupational health intervention research (IR) studies about the facilitators and obstacles to considering sex and gender throughout the whole study, from the early stages to the final dissemination. Interviews were conducted with co-researchers and partners involved in seven occupational health IR projects integrating sex or gender considerations to some degree. The interviews were transcribed, and a qualitative content analysis was made. The obstacles and facilitators to sex/gender conscious interventions perceived by the investigators and the partners were then compared to bring out similarities and differences. Among the commonalities, not addressing sex and gender issues head on, a personal interest for s/g questions, the complexity related to studying s/g, the socio-political context were themes discussed by both researchers and partners. Partners also found that a positive relationship with the research team and an initial interest of the community or workplace for the s/g aspect of the project made the process easier. However, the facilitators or obstacles may differ from one context to another and it is mandatory for researchers to consider the characteristics of the community in which the intervention takes place, and the sensitivity to s/g matters in order to minimize resistance.