Changing Gendered Patterns of Morbidity and Mortality

The dictum, ‘women get sicker but men die quicker’ is often treated as an established fact. However, historical demographic data demonstrate that women have not always outlived men. Moreover, current data from developing countries demonstrate that war, epidemic, disease and extreme poverty can diminish, or even reverse, women’s advantage in life expectancy (see National Center for Healthcare Statistics, 2009; World Health Organization, 2008). Thus the apparently paradoxical gender differences in morbidity and mortality are neither universal nor invariant within and across societies (Annandale, 2009). In this chapter, we briefly review gender differences in morbidity and mortality and how they have changed over time. We also discuss current debates about the biological and social explanations of these differences, and consider factors that widen or narrow the gender gap in physical health status and longevity. We argue that understanding the factors that affect health and shape health disparities is critical for both research and policy aimed at improving population health. Although many disciplines examine gender differences in health and mortality, substantial knowledge gaps remain when it comes to informing interventions and policy.