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Cited by 702Sex and Gender in HealthcareGender, Health, and Social InequalityHealth disparities and outcomes

The twain meet: empirical explanations of sex differences in health and mortality

Verbrugge, Lois M.·1989·Journal of Health and Social Behavior
DOI 10.2307/2136961
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Abstract

Health statistics routinely show higher morbidity and health services use for women, while mortality rates are higher for men. This analysis empirically identifies reasons for women's poorer health. It is based on retrospective (interview) and prospective (health diaries) data from the Health In Detroit Study. Three kinds of risk factors, which may help explain females' excess, are considered: acquired risks, psychosocial aspects, and health-reporting behavior. Men and women differ markedly in acquired risks: smoking and job hazards are higher for men, but inactivity, nonemployment, stress, and many other factors are higher for women. Psychosocial aspects predispose women to more illness and health care. Women also had keener interest in the survey. When all of the risk factors are controlled, the morbidity gap narrows considerably. In fact, indicators of general and chronic health reverse to reveal higher morbidity for men. Similarly, females' excesses for therapeutic care (short- and long-term disability, medical visits, lay consultation, drug use) diminish when risks and morbidity level are controlled. They actually reverse to a male excess for disability and medical care. Though most of the unveiled male excesses are statistically nonsignificant, their pattern allows a reasonable interpretation. Our results are closely compatible with recent analyses of sex mortality differences in several California sites, which could not eliminate men's mortality excess by controlling f…

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  • The most common explanations for why the mortality/morbidity paradox occurs have to do with differences in biological hazards, risks acquired through lifestyles, health and disease behaviors, and differences in the use of health services.

    “The most common explanations about why this occurs have to do with differences in biological hazards, risks acquired through lifestyles, health and disease behaviors, and differences in the use of the health services (Macintyre, Ford, & Hunt, 1999; Verbrugge, 1989).”

    From Health From a Gender Perspective (2017) · cites this paper as Verbrugge, 1989

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Authors
Verbrugge, L. M.
Affiliations
University of Michigan (US)
Corresponding author
Verbrugge, Lois M.
Venue
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1989-09
Volume
30
Issue
3
Pages
282
ISSN
0022-1465 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2307/2136961
OpenAlex
W2050091257
Cited by
702
References
32
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 9 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 24 · 2012: 26
FWCI
10.92
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Health and Social Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5k04hd000441-05)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH29478)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K04 HD00441)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Sex and Gender in Healthcare
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Gender, Health, and Social Inequality
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
Keywords
sex differences in health, sex differences in mortality, women's health, health risk factors, psychosocial stress, health care utilization, disability, smoking, occupational hazards, non-employment, social determinants of health
MeSH terms
Female, Health Services, Health Surveys, Humans, Male, Michigan, Morbidity, Mortality, Risk Factors, Sex Factors

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