Avaliação da percepção e tolerância à dor aguda dos grupos tipológicos de esquemas de gênero

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate if the gender schemas typological groups generate by the Interactive Model differ on acute pain perception and tolerance. The sample was composed by 137 athletes and 175 non-athletes, male and female, classified into three typological groups: Masculine Heteroschematic (HM), Isoschematic (ISO) and Feminine Heteroschematic (HF). For male classification in typological groups were used Masculine Inventory of the Self-Concept s Gender Schemas (IMEGA) and the Feminine Inventory of the Self-Concept s Gender Schemas (IFEGA) for female. A scale was developed to evaluate the sensations of acute pain called Factor Scale of Acute Pain (EFDA). To evaluate the perception and tolerance to acute pain, the subjects were submitted to a laboratory test, where the pain was induced by immersing the hand in ice (0.1ºC to 0.3ºC). Pain threshold, pain tolerance and pain super tolerance as well as perception of pain intensity and the pain sensations perceived were evaluated during the test. To EFDA validation and confiability were used Factorial Analysis and Cronbach's Alpha, and for acute pain perception and tolerance analysis were used inferential analysis: Three-Way ANOVA, Three-Way MANOVA and Pearson correlation. The results showed significant differences in acute pain perception and tolerance between sex, sports practice and typological groups. For sex variable, male showed higher pain threshold and super tolerance than female. In sports practice variable, athletes had higher pain threshold, pain tolerance and pain super tolerance than non-athletes. To analyze the typological groups, Masculine Heteroschematics group and Isoschematics group showed higher pain super tolerance than Feminine Heteroschematics group. For acute pain sensations, Feminine Heteroschematics groups reported more unpleasant sensation of pain that Masculine Heteroschematics and Isoschematics groups. The results also showed an interaction effect between sex, sports practice and typological groups in pain super tolerance and acute pain sensations. Regarding super tolerance, it was observed that women athletes HM and ISO tolerated more maximum pain than women non-athletes HM and ISO; men athletes HF tolerate the maximum pain more than female athletes HF; male non-athletes ISO and HF tolerate the maximum pain more than women non-athletes ISO and HF; and finally, women athletes HM and ISO tolerate the maximum pain more than women athletes HF. In sensations of acute pain the female HM reported more unpleasant sensation of pain than male HM; and male HF reported more unpleasant sensations of pain than male HM and ISO. This results led to the conclusion that gender schemas typological groups support different high levels of acute pain, as well as different sensations of unpleasant caused by the cold thermal sensations. Groups with developed masculine schema tend to have higher tolerance to maximum pain than the other groups (HF).