Policies on the collection, analysis, and reporting of sex and gender in Australian health and medical research: a mixed methods study

Abstract

Objective

To explore the policies of key organisations in Australian health and medical research on defining, collecting, analysing, and reporting data on sex and gender, and to identify barriers to and facilitators of developing and implementing such policies.

Study design

Mixed methods study: online planning forum; survey of organisations in Australian health and medical research, and internet search for policies defining, collecting, analysing, and reporting data by sex and gender in health and medical research.

Setting, participants

Australia, 19 May 2021 (planning forum) to 12 December 2022 (final internet search).

Main outcome measures

Relevant webpages and documents classified as dedicated organisation-specific sex and gender policies; policies, guidelines, or statements with broader aims, but including content that met the definition of a sex and gender policy; and references to external policies.

Results

The online planning forum identified 65 relevant organisations in Australian health and medical research; twenty participated in the policy survey. Seven organisations reported at least one relevant policy, and six had plans to develop or implement such policies during the following two years. Barriers to and facilitators of policy development and implementation were identified in the areas of leadership, language and definitions, and knowledge skills and training. The internet search found that 57 of the 65 organisations had some form of sex and gender policy, including all ten peer-reviewed journals and five of ten research funders; twelve organisations, including eight peak body organisations, had published dedicated sex and gender policies on their websites.

Conclusion

Most of the organisations included in our study had policies regarding the integration of sex and gender in health and medical research. The implementation and evaluation of these policies is necessary to ensure that consideration of sex and gender is adequate during all stages of the research process.