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Gender inequality and sexual height dimorphism in Chile

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 January 2020

Héctor Castellucci ,
Carlos Viviani Open the ORCID record for Carlos Viviani [Opens in a new window] ,
Giorgio Boccardo ,
Pedro Arezes ,
Ángelo Bartsch ,
Marta Martínez ,
Verónica Aparici ,
Johan F.M. Molenbroek  and
Sara Bragança
Héctor Castellucci
Affiliation:
Centro de Estudio del Trabajo y Factores Humanos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
Carlos Viviani*
Affiliation:
Escuelade Kinesiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile
Giorgio Boccardo
Affiliation:
Departamento Sociología, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
Pedro Arezes
Affiliation:
ALGORITMI Centre, School of Engineering, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
Ángelo Bartsch
Affiliation:
Centro de Estudio del Trabajo y Factores Humanos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
Marta Martínez
Affiliation:
Mutual de Seguridad de la Camara Chilena de la Construcción, Santiago, Chile
Verónica Aparici
Affiliation:
Carrera de Kinesiología, Escuela de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Viña del Mar, Viña del Mar, Chile
Johan F.M. Molenbroek
Affiliation:
Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering Section, Applied Ergonomics and Design, Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Sara Bragança
Affiliation:
Research, Innovation and Enterprise, Solent University, Southampton, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: cviviani@ergocare.cl
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Abstract

Chile has experienced significant improvements in its economy; thus, a secular trend in height has been observed in its population. Gender equality has also improved hand in hand with active policies addressing the gender gap in several dimensions (work, education, health) and overall economic improvement. This study examined changes in sexual height dimorphism in four samples of Chilean male and female working-age subjects and attempted to establish associations with gender equality and welfare. Sexual height dimorphism was calculated and compared with gender equality and overall welfare indicators between 1955 and 1995. Sexual height dimorphism reduction was seen to be strongly associated with greater gender equality and some general welfare indicators, such as the infant mortality rate. Gross domestic product per capita was not associated with sexual height dimorphism, but it showed significant associations with gender equality indicators. Overall, the gender gap has been reduced in Chile, which can be observed through improvements in gender equality indicators and a reduction in height dimorphism, mainly in areas associated with women’s health. However, gender equality is still far behind in terms of female labour participation and women in political power, which require attention and further improvements.

Keywords

HeightDimorphismGender
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 53 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 38 - 54
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2020

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