Why we should let daughters play outside, even if they get a little dirty
A new study has proposed how parents may be making their daughters prone to more diseases just because they don’t want them to get dirty when they are young.
|Last Updated: Jan 27, 2011, 02:34 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Washington: A new study has proposed how parents may be making their daughters prone to more diseases just because they don’t want them to get dirty when they are young.
Oregon State University philosopher Sharyn Clough has said that our society socializes young girls differently from young boys. In particular, she notes, girls are generally kept from getting dirty compared to boys.
“Girls tend to be dressed more in clothing that is not supposed to get dirty, girls tend to play indoors more than boys, and girl’s playtime is more often supervised by parents,” said Clough.
“There is a significant difference in the types and amounts of germs that girls and boys are exposed to, and this might explain some of the health differences we find between women and men.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that asthma prevalence is higher among females (8.9 percent compared to 6.5 percent in males) and that women are more likely to die from asthma. The National Institutes of Health statistics show that autoimmune diseases strike women three times more than men.
“More than 90 percent of the cells in our body are microbial rather than human. It would seem that we have co-evolved with bacteria. We need to explore this relationship more, and not just in terms of eating ‘pro-biotic’ yogurt,” she said.
Clough advises parents to keep more outdoor time for girls even if that means the kids get a little dirty.
“Getting everyone, both boys and girls, from an early age to be outdoors as much as possible is something I can get behind,” she said.
The study is published in the journal Social Science and Medicine.
ANI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.