WOMEN living in countries with poorer healthcare are more attracted to masculine-looking men, according to a new study by Scottish scientists.
Researchers at Aberdeen University set out to investigate biological theories that women perceive masculine traits in men as a signal of genetic health.
They found that this is the case and that the lower level of health in a country, the more local women preferred masculine facial traits.
The study, which involved more than 4,500 women from 30 countries, was conducted over the internet via the Face Research lab website. The women, aged between 16 and 40, all heterosexual, gave their preferences of 20 different male faces.
Two images of the same face were subtly altered using specialist software developed by the researchers which calculates the average characteristics of a male and a female face.
These images could then be altered to look more masculine or feminine by changing the size of features such as the jaw line, lips, eyes or deepening the brow line.
The images showed only the shape of the face and no alterations were made to the colour or texture, including facial hair.
Researchers then looked at where the women were from before examining the health statistics from the World Health Organisation for each country.
Lisa DeBruine, who together with Ben Jones heads the universities Face Research Lab, said: “We found that women from countries with poorer health, which have higher mortality and increased incidence of communicable disease, were more attracted to masculine faces than women living in countries with better health.
“People used to think beauty was arbitrary and that different cultures have different preferences.
“However our research shows that preferences may instead be explained by responses to different environmental factors like a low level of health in the population.”
The findings were part of ongoing university research into facial attractiveness and how people choose a mate.
Ms DeBruine said: “We found that women in countries like Brazil, Argentina and Mexico where the health is poorer were more attracted to masculine looking faces than women in countries like Belgium and Sweden, which have lower mortality rates and higher longevity.
“We would now like to look at how other environmental differences between countries affect mate preferences.”