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Review
. 2014 Nov;23(11):975-86.
doi: 10.1089/jwh.2014.4911. Epub 2014 Sep 26.

Effects of sex and gender on adaptation to space: behavioral health

Namni Goel  1 , Tracy L Bale, C Neill Epperson, Susan G Kornstein, Gloria R Leon, Lawrence A Palinkas, Jack W Stuster, David F Dinges
Affiliations
Review

Effects of sex and gender on adaptation to space: behavioral health

Namni Goel et al. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2014 Nov.

Abstract

This article is part of a larger body of work entitled, "The Impact of Sex and Gender on Adaptation to Space." It was developed in response to a recommendation from the 2011 National Academy of Sciences Decadal Survey, "Recapturing a Future for Space Exploration: Life and Physical Sciences for a New Era," which emphasized the need to fully understand sex and gender differences. In this article, our workgroup-consisting of expert scientists and clinicians from academia and the private sector-investigated and summarized the current body of published and unpublished human research performed to date related to sex- and gender-based differences in behavioral adaptations to human spaceflight. This review identifies sex-related differences in: (1) sleep, circadian rhythms, and neurobehavioral measures; (2) personality, group interactions, and work performance and satisfaction; and (3) stress and clinical disorders. Differences in these areas substantially impact the risks and optimal medical care required by space-faring women. To ensure the health and safety of male and female astronauts during long-duration space missions, it is imperative to understand the influences that sex and gender have on behavioral health changes occurring during spaceflight.

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Figures

<b>FIG. 1.</b>
FIG. 1.
Space mission duration distribution for U.S. astronauts (1998–2013).
<b>FIG. 2.</b>
FIG. 2.
Space mission duration distribution for astronauts and cosmonauts (all nationalities) (1998–2013).
<b>FIG. 3.</b>
FIG. 3.
Age distribution for astronauts and cosmonauts (all nationalities) for first transit to the International Space Station (ISS) (1998–2013).
<b>FIG. 4.</b>
FIG. 4.
Age distribution for astronauts and cosmonauts (all nationalities) for all transits to the ISS (1998–2013).
<b>FIG. 5.</b>
FIG. 5.
Age distribution for U.S. astronauts for first transit to the ISS (1998–2013).
<b>FIG. 6.</b>
FIG. 6.
Age distribution for U.S. astronauts for all transits to the ISS (1998–2013).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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