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. 2025 Jan 29;15:1448487. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1448487

Table 4.

Suitability and understandability of terms for the assessment of gender expression.

How important is assessing the gender of patients or participants in clinical research independent of the research questions?
Terms First survey Second survey
Answer Scale
Very suitable
n (%)
Suitable
n (%)
Less
suitable n (%)
Not
suitable n (%)
Very
suitable n (%)
Suitable n (%) Less
suitable n (%)
Not
suitable n (%)
Femalea 1 (5.9) 3 (17.6) 3 (17.6) 10 (58.8)
Malea 1 (5.9) 3 (17.6) 3 (17.6) 10 (58.8)
Intersexa 1 (5.9) 1 (5.9) 1 (5.9) 14 (82.4)
Diverseb 2 (12.5) 4 (25.0) 4 (25.0) 6 (37.5) 2 (20.0) 1 (10.0) 3 (30.0) 4 (40.0)
Womanb 5 (29.4) 6 (35.3) 2 (11.8) 4 (23.5) 2 (20.0) 1 (10.0) 2 (20.0) 5 (50.0)
Manb 5 (29.4) 6 (35.3) 2 (11.8) 4 (23.5) 2 (20.0) 1 (10.0) 2 (20.0) 5 (50.0)
Transgenderb 2 (11.8) 5 (29.4) 4 (23.5) 6 (35.3) 4 (40.0) 6 (60.0)
Trans womanb 2 (11.8) 8 (47.1) 2 (11.8) 5 (29.4) 1 (10.0) 3 (30.0) 6 (60.0)
Trans manb 2 (11.8) 8 (47.1) 2 (11.8) 5 (29.4) 1 (10.0) 3 (30.0) 6 (60.0)
Trans-masculine 2 (11.8) 7 (41.2) 4 (23.5) 4 (23.5) 2 (20.0) 2 (20.0) 2 (20.0) 4 (40.0)
Trans-feminine 2 (11.8) 7 (41.2) 4 (23.5) 4 (23.5) 2 (20.0) 2 (20.0) 2 (20.0) 4 (40.0)
Nonbinary 3 (17.6) 5 (29.4) 6 (35.3) 3 (17.6) 4 (40.0) 3 (30.0) 3 (30.0)
Genderqueer 3 (17.6) 7 (41.2) 3 (17.6) 4 (23.5) 6 (60.0) 2 (20.0) 2 (20.0)
Genderfluid b 3 (17.6) 7 (41.2) 2 (11.8) 5 (29.4) 7 (70.0) 1 (10.0) 2 (20.0)
Agenderb 3 (17.6) 5 (29.4) 3 (17.6) 6 (35.3) 1 (10.0) 2 (20.0) 4 (40.0) 3 (30.0)
Something other than male or femalea 2 (11.8) 3 (17.6) 1 (5.9) 11 (64.7)
Sometimes male, sometimes femalea 3 (17.6) 2 (11.8) 3 (17.6) 9 (52.9)
Androgynousb,c 6 (60.0) 3 (30.0) 1 (10.0)
Mostly feminineb,c 7 (70.0) 2 (20.0) 1 (10.0)
Mostly masculineb,c 7 (70.0) 2 (20.0) 1 (10.0)
Somewhat feminineb,c 7 (70.0) 2 (20.0) 1 (10.0)
Somewhat masculineb,c 7 (70.0) 2 (20.0) 1 (10.0)
Neither feminine nor masculineb,c 6 (60.0) 2 (20.0) 2 (20.0)
How easy to understand are the following terms when assessing gender?
Answer Scale
Very easy
n (%)
Moderately easy
n (%)
Moderately difficult
n (%)
Very difficult n (%) Very easy
n (%)
Moderately easy
n (%)
Moderately difficult
n (%)
Very difficult n (%)
Femalea 2 (13.3) 2 (13.3) 4 (26.7) 7 (46.7)
Malea 2 (13.3) 2 (13.3) 4 (26.7) 7 (46.7)
Intersexa 2 (13.3) 1 (6.7) 12 (80.0)
Diverseb 1 (6.7) 4 (26.7) 3 (20.0) 7 (46.7) 2 (20.0) 3 (30.0) 5 (50.0)
Womana 6 (40.0) 5 (33.3) 1 (6.7) 3 (20.0)
Mana 6 (40.0) 5 (33.3) 1 (6.7) 3 (20.0)
Transgenderb 1 (6.7) 6 (40.0) 1 (6.7) 7 (46.7) 1 (10.0) 4 (40.0) 5 (50.0)
Trans womanb 3 (20.0) 4 (26.7) 4 (26.7) 4 (26.7) 1 (10.0) 1 (10.0) 5 (50.0) 3 (30.0)
Trans manb 3 (20.0) 4 (26.7) 4 (26.7) 4 (26.7) 1 (10.0) 1 (10.0) 5 (50.0) 3 (30.0)
Trans-masculine 1 (6.7) 5 (33.3) 6 (40.0) 3 (20.0) 1 (10.0) 4 (40.0) 3 (30.0) 2 (20.0)
Trans-feminine 1 (6.7) 5 (33.3) 6 (40.0) 3 (20.0) 1 (10.0) 4 (40.0) 3 (30.0) 2 (20.0)
Nonbinary 2 (13.3) 4 (26.7) 5 (33.3) 4 (26.7) 1 (10.0) 3 (30.0) 5 (50.0) 1 (10.0)
Genderqueer 5 (33.3) 6 (40.0) 4 (26.7) 1 (10.0) 4 (40.0) 4 (40.0) 1 (10.0)
Genderfluid 2 (13.3) 4 (26.7) 5 (33.3) 4 (26.7) 1 (10.0) 5 (50.0) 3 (30.0) 1 (10.0)
Agenderb 5 (33.3) 3 (20.0) 7 (46.7) 2 (20.0) 5 (50.0) 3 (30.0)
Something other than male or femalea 1 (6.7) 2 (13.3) 4 (26.7) 8 (53.3)
Sometimes male, sometimes female 1 (6.7) 4 (26.7) 2 (13.3) (53.3) 1 (10.0) 4 (40.0) 4 (40.0) 1 (10.0)

Terms in bold achieved a consensus of >70% in one of the two surveys, aterms reached a consensus in survey 1 and were not queried again, bterms reached a consensus in survey 2, cterms were requested by the experts and newly introduced in the 2nd survey.