Project Title Gender, intersectionality and chronic illness: The case of multiple sclerosis.

Literature Review In Europe, gender differences affect individual health outcomes. For example, women have longer life expectancies, but chronic illness is more prevalent among women. Over two thirds of people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS), a chronic neurological disease, are female. While the aetiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not fully understood, biological explanations attribute these gender differences to genetic and/or environmental factors. However, biological conceptualisations neglect the complex interaction between gender, health, gender norms and material resources. My previous academic research has focussed on the social dimensions of health and illness; I received a high first in a module dedicated to the topic. My interest in it influenced my choice of final project, of which health and gender were central themes, drawing from concepts such as the responsibilisation of health, the scrutinised female body in consumer culture and masculinity. Aspects of the female role, such as reproduction, family support and employment have to be negotiated alongside their MS diagnosis. How women choose to manage
the two can affect their MS health outcomes, but there is no detailed research on gender roles influence on MS. To examine
gender and MS, other social characteristics such as ethnicity, class, age and disability must be accounted for. Intersectional approaches helps generate an improved understanding of the complex intersection of social, cultural and political processes as well as ensure that the most marginalised groups are not excluded from research. The foci of my previous research highlights that I have
a strong foundational knowledge and interest in literature on health and gender, ideal for this collaborative studentship. Research
Aims This research project aims to investigate how female gender roles influence the healthcare utilisation of MS. By using an intersectional approach it will examine how an individual's gender and other intersecting characteristics may impact a patient's diagnosis, disease management and health outcomes. This research project aims to adopt a more social lens by answering the
following research questions: 1. Why is there a gender imbalance in MS and what are the main reasons for this? 2. In
MS, how do women's treatment choices impact short and long-term health outcomes and quality of life? These questions will be
investigated exploring the social, material, psychological and biological factors which intersect in MS. Methodology This research
project will adopt a mixed methods approach, quantitative research methods will explore the patterns of health utilisation of women with MS (WwMS) to predict health outcomes influenced by gender more broadly. They will also contribute to a methodological understanding of integrating quantitative methods into intersectional research. Data, including clinical events and social characteristics / circumstances from the Leeds MS register database, will be used to conduct a cross-sectional analysis. I have a good knowledge of quantitative social research learned from my undergraduate degree and Citizens Advice. I have experience of data analysis using SPSS, R and Microsoft Excel, with a wide variety of databases and techniques such as linear and logistic regression, chi-squared and odds-ratio. I was awarded a 77 in a quantitative research module demonstrating my potential for
advanced quantitative data analysis. Little research has focussed on MS using qualitative methods to investigate how gender and
related socio-economic characteristics may impact patient's health outcomes. MS has a fluctuating disease course and diverse manifestations which means PwMS' experiences are heterogeneous. Longitudinal research can examine the change of women's MS management over time. A series of qualitative interviews will be conducted on WwMS and health professionals (n=15), to collect a breadth of data investigating how social roles may affect health outco