Male-female differences in health and healthcare are largely determined by social factors
Stronks, K.; Agyemang, C.O.; Mackenbach, J.P.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde 152(40): 2163-2164
2008
ISSN/ISBN: 0028-2162 PMID: 18953777 Document Number: 617521
Women are generally considered the 'weaker sex'. In relation to health issues, it is not as simple as that. One might even argue that, in this context, men are the weaker sex. Life expectancy, for example, is lower in men than in women due to the fact that men suffer more from chronic conditions and have higher mortality risks. Part of these differences in health can be attributed to biological factors, but social factors seem to play an even more important role. The health gap between men and women might evolve over time and differ between situations. This is illustrated by the decreasing difference in life expectancy between men and women, and by the relatively adverse cardiovascular risk profile of women in immigrant groups compared with the host populations. Within healthcare, differences between men and women are also partly due to social determinants. Examples include the underrepresentation of women in health research as well as in guidelines committees, thereby affecting the production and implementation of medical evidence.