Young adult males’ perceptions about gender equity in La Romana, Dominican Republic

Abstract

Objective: To assess adolescent and young adult males’ perceptions regarding gender equity in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Methods: We used the Gender Equitable Men (GEM) scale among males aged 15–24, who reported level of agreement with gender equity attitudes, establishing 0.01–0.5 = “low gender equitable”, 0.51–0.79 = “medium gender equitable” and 0.8–1 = “high gender equitable”. We established p < 0.05 for statistical significance, using Chi square for bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression to analyze predictors. Results: A total of 358 males participated; one-fourth (n = 95, 26.5%) reported high GEM scores. The reproductive health and violence subscales presented higher distribution of high GEM scores (69.3% and 66.2%). Predictors for high GEM scores included high school or higher education for self (OR: 6.1 CI 2.9–12.7, p < 0.01) or mother (OR 14 CI 1.8–11.8 p = 0.01), being married/cohabitating predicted lower gender equitable scores (OR: 0.1 CI 0.1–0.7 p = 0.01). Conclusion: Male Dominican adolescent and young adults present mixed attitudes about gender equity, reporting gender equitable mindset for violence and reproductive health. Further research should explore how perceptions of gender roles impact family planning decisions, pregnancy prevention, STIs, and gender-based violence.