AUTHOR=Martinez Amalia , Grosclaude Pascale , Lamy Sébastien , Delpierre Cyrille 

TITLE=The Influence of Sex and/or Gender on the Occurrence of Colorectal Cancer in the General Population in Developed Countries: A Scoping Review

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 69 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2024.1606736

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2024.1606736

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Gender as the "sociocultural role of sex" is underrepresented in colorectal cancer incidence studies, which can lead to an underestimation of the consequences of risk factors and obscure inequalities men/women. We aim to explore how literature focusing on differences between men and women in the incidence of colorectal cancer interprets these differences: through sex- or gender-related mechanisms, or both?
We conducted a scoping review using PubMed and Google Scholar. We categorized studies based on their definitions of sex and/or gender variables.
We reviewed 99 studies, and 7 articles were included in the analysis. All observed differences between men and women. Six articles analyse colorectal cancer incidence by gender, but only 2 used the term “gender” to define exposure. One article defined its "sex" exposure variable as gender-related mechanisms, and two articles used "sex" and "gender" interchangeably to explain these inequalities. Gender mechanisms often expressed through health behaviours.
Our results underscore the need for an explicit conceptual framework to disentangle sex and/or gender mechanisms in colorectal cancer incidence. Such understanding would contribute to the reduction and prevention of social health inequalities.