Robin Repta | University of British Columbia (original) (raw)
Papers by Robin Repta
Global health action
Better understanding and addressing health inequities is a growing global priority. In this paper... more Better understanding and addressing health inequities is a growing global priority. In this paper, we contribute to the literature examining complex relationships between biological and social dimensions in the field of health inequalities. Specifically, we explore the potential of intersectionality to advance current approaches to socio-biological entwinements. We provide a brief overview of current approaches to combining both biological and social factors in a single study, and then investigate the contributions of an intersectional framework to such work. We offer a number of concrete examples of how intersectionality has been used empirically to bring both biological and social factors together in the areas of HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, female genital circumcision/mutilation/cutting, and cardiovascular disease. We argue that an intersectional approach can further research that integrates biological and social aspects of human lives and human health and ultimately gene...
The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers intere... more The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers interested in women's health and gender and health issues. We facilitate research collaborations drawn from academic, health service, policy, and community settings.
Low smoking rates High smoking rates Public indoor smoking ban since 1996 Public indoor smoking b... more Low smoking rates High smoking rates Public indoor smoking ban since 1996 Public indoor smoking ban since 2006 Both urban centres with inner-city schools Census data used to identify high and low SES schools 'Index defavorise' used to identify high and low SES schools All youth = 13-19 years old, smokers, spoke English or French
Designing and Conducting Gender, Sex, & Health Research, 2012
Research variables-"sex" polarized as "females" and "males," "sexuality" polarized as "homosexual... more Research variables-"sex" polarized as "females" and "males," "sexuality" polarized as "homosexuals" and "heterosexuals," and "gender" polarized as "women" and "men"-reflect unnuanced series that conventionalize bodies, sexuality, and social location. Such research designs cannot include the experiences of hermaphrodites, pseudohermaphrodites, transsexuals, transvestites, bisexuals, third genders, and gender rebels as lovers, friends, parents, workers, and sports participants. Even if the research sample is restricted to putative "normals," the use of unexamined categories of sex, sexuality, and gender will miss complex combinations of status and identity, as well as differently gendered sexual continuities and discontinuities.
… Journal for Equity in …, 2009
Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and to think ... more Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and to think critically about the influence of sex and gender on health behaviours and outcomes. However, despite this increased attention on sex and gender, there remain obstacles to ...
The objective of this study was to systematically examine predominant themes within mainstream me... more The objective of this study was to systematically examine predominant themes within mainstream media reporting about marijuana use in Canada. To ascertain the themes present in major Canadian newspaper reports, a sample (N = 1999) of articles published between 1997 and 2007 was analyzed. Drawing from Manning’s theory of the symbolic framing of drug use within media, it is argued that a discourse of ‘privileged normalization’ informs portrayals of marijuana use and descriptions of the drug’s users. Privileged normalization implies that marijuana use can be acceptable for some people at particular times and places, while its use by those without power and status is routinely vilified and linked to deviant behavior. The privileged normalization of marijuana by the media has important health policy implications in light of continued debate regarding the merits of decriminalization or legalization and the need for public health and harm reduction approaches to illicit drug use.
Sex Roles, 2011
This paper reports on findings from a qualitative interview-based study of women's experienc... more This paper reports on findings from a qualitative interview-based study of women's experiences and perceptions of menstrual suppression using a diverse sample of 12 women from Vancouver, Canada. The study used open-ended, in-depth interviews to ask women questions related to the following overarching research question: How do Canadian women perceive and experience menstrual suppression? Of the 12 women, six had experience with menstrual suppression, while six had never suppressed their periods. The six women who ...
Vancouver: Women’s Health Research Network of BC, 2007
The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers intere... more The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers interested in women's health and gender and health issues. We facilitate research collaborations drawn from academic, health service, policy, and community settings.
Journal of women & aging, 2007
This paper analyzes findings from in-depth interviews with 44 women aged 50–70 regarding their pe... more This paper analyzes findings from in-depth interviews with 44 women aged 50–70 regarding their perceptions of and experiences with non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections, laser hair removal, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and injectable fillers. While 21 of the women had used a range of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, 23 women had not. The data are discussed in light of feminist theorizing on cosmetic surgery which has tended to ignore the experiences of older women and has ...
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2011
Media analysts are challenged to acquire selections of documents that are representative of their... more Media analysts are challenged to acquire selections of documents that are representative of their topics of interest. Conventional search and selection processes are often constrained because of an inability to efficiently filter large amounts of potentially relevant documents and thus pose the risk of introducing bias. We describe a computer-assisted approach to increase the probability of identifying all articles relevant to a topic (in this case, marijuana), and provide an evaluation of its effectiveness in reducing bias while minimizing time expenditure. Using our system, we filtered 23,755 articles in 24.4 h. Relative to conventional processes, a substantial reduction in bias was achieved. Our system significantly reduced the risk of bias while retaining efficiency and accuracy in document selection.
This study investigated how women interpret and experience menstrual suppression, the long-term l... more This study investigated how women interpret and experience menstrual suppression, the long-term limiting of women's menstrual cycles using hormonal interventions such as oral contraceptives (birth control pills) or Depo-Provera injections. Asserting that monthly menstruation is detrimental to both women's health and their lifestyles, some physicians and health care professionals are recommending menstrual suppression to women.
The WHRN fosters the generation, application, and mainstreaming of new knowledge, specifically to... more The WHRN fosters the generation, application, and mainstreaming of new knowledge, specifically to improve women's health and women's health research. We are interested in increasing the understanding of and capacity for sex-and genderbased analyses and for integrating diverse women's health concerns into other areas of health research.
Abstract Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and ... more Abstract Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and to think critically about the influence of sex and gender on health behaviours and outcomes. However, despite this increased attention on sex and gender, there remain obstacles to effectively applying and measuring these concepts in health research. Some health researchers continue to ignore the concepts of sex and gender or incorrectly conflate their meanings.
Research shows that tobacco smoking rates are increasingly socially differentiated; for example, ... more Research shows that tobacco smoking rates are increasingly socially differentiated; for example, socially marginalized youth are more likely to smoke cigarettes than their well-off peers. To reach marginalized youth, tobacco control practitioners need to use reflexive approaches that account for the social context of tobacco use.
Global health action
Better understanding and addressing health inequities is a growing global priority. In this paper... more Better understanding and addressing health inequities is a growing global priority. In this paper, we contribute to the literature examining complex relationships between biological and social dimensions in the field of health inequalities. Specifically, we explore the potential of intersectionality to advance current approaches to socio-biological entwinements. We provide a brief overview of current approaches to combining both biological and social factors in a single study, and then investigate the contributions of an intersectional framework to such work. We offer a number of concrete examples of how intersectionality has been used empirically to bring both biological and social factors together in the areas of HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, female genital circumcision/mutilation/cutting, and cardiovascular disease. We argue that an intersectional approach can further research that integrates biological and social aspects of human lives and human health and ultimately gene...
The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers intere... more The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers interested in women's health and gender and health issues. We facilitate research collaborations drawn from academic, health service, policy, and community settings.
Low smoking rates High smoking rates Public indoor smoking ban since 1996 Public indoor smoking b... more Low smoking rates High smoking rates Public indoor smoking ban since 1996 Public indoor smoking ban since 2006 Both urban centres with inner-city schools Census data used to identify high and low SES schools 'Index defavorise' used to identify high and low SES schools All youth = 13-19 years old, smokers, spoke English or French
Designing and Conducting Gender, Sex, & Health Research, 2012
Research variables-"sex" polarized as "females" and "males," "sexuality" polarized as "homosexual... more Research variables-"sex" polarized as "females" and "males," "sexuality" polarized as "homosexuals" and "heterosexuals," and "gender" polarized as "women" and "men"-reflect unnuanced series that conventionalize bodies, sexuality, and social location. Such research designs cannot include the experiences of hermaphrodites, pseudohermaphrodites, transsexuals, transvestites, bisexuals, third genders, and gender rebels as lovers, friends, parents, workers, and sports participants. Even if the research sample is restricted to putative "normals," the use of unexamined categories of sex, sexuality, and gender will miss complex combinations of status and identity, as well as differently gendered sexual continuities and discontinuities.
… Journal for Equity in …, 2009
Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and to think ... more Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and to think critically about the influence of sex and gender on health behaviours and outcomes. However, despite this increased attention on sex and gender, there remain obstacles to ...
The objective of this study was to systematically examine predominant themes within mainstream me... more The objective of this study was to systematically examine predominant themes within mainstream media reporting about marijuana use in Canada. To ascertain the themes present in major Canadian newspaper reports, a sample (N = 1999) of articles published between 1997 and 2007 was analyzed. Drawing from Manning’s theory of the symbolic framing of drug use within media, it is argued that a discourse of ‘privileged normalization’ informs portrayals of marijuana use and descriptions of the drug’s users. Privileged normalization implies that marijuana use can be acceptable for some people at particular times and places, while its use by those without power and status is routinely vilified and linked to deviant behavior. The privileged normalization of marijuana by the media has important health policy implications in light of continued debate regarding the merits of decriminalization or legalization and the need for public health and harm reduction approaches to illicit drug use.
Sex Roles, 2011
This paper reports on findings from a qualitative interview-based study of women's experienc... more This paper reports on findings from a qualitative interview-based study of women's experiences and perceptions of menstrual suppression using a diverse sample of 12 women from Vancouver, Canada. The study used open-ended, in-depth interviews to ask women questions related to the following overarching research question: How do Canadian women perceive and experience menstrual suppression? Of the 12 women, six had experience with menstrual suppression, while six had never suppressed their periods. The six women who ...
Vancouver: Women’s Health Research Network of BC, 2007
The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers intere... more The Women's Health Research Network (WHRN) is a catalyst for bringing together researchers interested in women's health and gender and health issues. We facilitate research collaborations drawn from academic, health service, policy, and community settings.
Journal of women & aging, 2007
This paper analyzes findings from in-depth interviews with 44 women aged 50–70 regarding their pe... more This paper analyzes findings from in-depth interviews with 44 women aged 50–70 regarding their perceptions of and experiences with non-surgical cosmetic procedures such as Botox injections, laser hair removal, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, and injectable fillers. While 21 of the women had used a range of non-surgical cosmetic procedures, 23 women had not. The data are discussed in light of feminist theorizing on cosmetic surgery which has tended to ignore the experiences of older women and has ...
International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 2011
Media analysts are challenged to acquire selections of documents that are representative of their... more Media analysts are challenged to acquire selections of documents that are representative of their topics of interest. Conventional search and selection processes are often constrained because of an inability to efficiently filter large amounts of potentially relevant documents and thus pose the risk of introducing bias. We describe a computer-assisted approach to increase the probability of identifying all articles relevant to a topic (in this case, marijuana), and provide an evaluation of its effectiveness in reducing bias while minimizing time expenditure. Using our system, we filtered 23,755 articles in 24.4 h. Relative to conventional processes, a substantial reduction in bias was achieved. Our system significantly reduced the risk of bias while retaining efficiency and accuracy in document selection.
This study investigated how women interpret and experience menstrual suppression, the long-term l... more This study investigated how women interpret and experience menstrual suppression, the long-term limiting of women's menstrual cycles using hormonal interventions such as oral contraceptives (birth control pills) or Depo-Provera injections. Asserting that monthly menstruation is detrimental to both women's health and their lifestyles, some physicians and health care professionals are recommending menstrual suppression to women.
The WHRN fosters the generation, application, and mainstreaming of new knowledge, specifically to... more The WHRN fosters the generation, application, and mainstreaming of new knowledge, specifically to improve women's health and women's health research. We are interested in increasing the understanding of and capacity for sex-and genderbased analyses and for integrating diverse women's health concerns into other areas of health research.
Abstract Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and ... more Abstract Much work has been done to promote sex and gender-based analyses in health research and to think critically about the influence of sex and gender on health behaviours and outcomes. However, despite this increased attention on sex and gender, there remain obstacles to effectively applying and measuring these concepts in health research. Some health researchers continue to ignore the concepts of sex and gender or incorrectly conflate their meanings.
Research shows that tobacco smoking rates are increasingly socially differentiated; for example, ... more Research shows that tobacco smoking rates are increasingly socially differentiated; for example, socially marginalized youth are more likely to smoke cigarettes than their well-off peers. To reach marginalized youth, tobacco control practitioners need to use reflexive approaches that account for the social context of tobacco use.