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School of Public Health

AG 8: Demography and Health

Campus der Universität Bielefeld
© Universität Bielefeld

Gender gaps in health and survival (G-HEALTH)

Summary

The female advantage in life expectancy is one of the most consistent findings in demographic, epidemiological, and health-based social research. While the findings are less consistent, research also tends to show a female disadvantage in health across subjective and objective measures and nations with very different cultures, economies, and social systems. These apparently paradoxical findings have led researchers to speculate, “Why are women sicker, while men die quicker?”

But is this so simple and static? Substantial diversity in the direction and magnitude of gender differences in health and longevity highlight the need for more integrative and inter-disciplinary approaches to studying gender differences in health and survival.

Detailed description

In our earlier work, we questioned the generalizability of the gender health-survival paradox, showing that the direction and magnitude of gender differences in health vary substantially across subjective and objective health measures and nations with different cultures and economic and social systems, including Denmark, the US, Russia, India, China, Cuba, and Mexico. Using insights from our multidisciplinary expertise, we demonstrated that the health-survival paradox is inconsistent when examining biological markers of health. Our recent research has been concerned with understanding the role of gender in shaping treatment-seeking and reporting health behaviors. G-HEALTH also seek to understand how do men and women modify their health behaviors after they experience a major life event.
 

Research Project: Partnership Diversity and Health: Study of the Health of Same-Sex Couples

Summary

In this research strand, we examine the health of men, women, and other gender identities from sexual minority groups across their life course. We also aim to provide additional insights into the role of individuals’ and partners’ gender in shaping treatment-seeking and health reporting by comparing same-sex couples with mixed-sex couples.

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Related publications

  1. Kühn, K., Carollo, A., Caputo, J., Ahrenfeld, L., Oksuzyan, A. Single fathers’ high risk of death: a register-based study in Denmark. Demography 2025. (forthcoming)
  2. Höhn, A., Oksuzyan, A, Lindahl-Jacobsen, R., Christensen, K., Seaman, R. Decomposing Sex Differences in Remaining Hospitalization-Free Years at Age 60 by Age and Cause of Admission to Hospital in Denmark, 1995–2014. European Journal of Aging 2021; 18:443–451. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-021-00614-w
  3. Kühn, M., Díaz-Venegas, C., Jasilionis, D., Oksuzyan, A. Gender Differences in Health in Havana versus Mexico City and U.S. Hispanics. European Journal of Aging 2021; 18: 217–226 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00563-w
  4. Oksuzyan, A., Dańko, M.J., Caputo, J., Jasilionis, D., Shkolnikov, V.M. Is the story about sensitive women and stoical men true? Gender differences in health after adjustment for reporting behavior. Soc Sci Med 2019; 228: 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.03.002 
  5. Carollo, A., Oksuzyan, A., Drefahl, S., Camarda, C. G., Christensen, K., van Raalte, A. A. Is the age difference between partners related the career achievements of women? Demogr Res 2019; 41: 15, 425–460. DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2019.41.15 
  6. Oksuzyan, A., Singh, P. K., Christensen, K., Jasilionis, D. A cross-national study of the gender gap in health among older adults in India and China: similarities and disparities. The Gerontologist 2017: 58 (6); 1156–1165 https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnx111. 
  7. Kühn, M., Dudel, C., Vogt, T. C., Oksuzyan, A. Trends in gender differences in health and mortality at working ages among West and East Germans. Social Science & Medicine: Population Health 2018:7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.100326 
  8. Singh, P. K., Jasilionis, D., Oksuzyan, A. Gender Difference in Cognitive Health among Older Indian Adults: A Cross-Sectional Multilevel Analysis. Social Science & Medicine: Population Health 2018, 5:180-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.06.008 
  9. Solé-Auró, A., Jasilionis, D., Li, P., Oksuzyan, A. Do women in Europe live longer and happier lives than men? European Journal of Public Health 2018, 28(5); 847–852. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/cky070
  10. Oksuzyan, A., Demakakos, P., Shkolnikova, M. A., Christensen, K., Thinggaard, M., Vaupel, J. W., Shkolnikov, V. M. Handgrip strength and its prognostic value for mortality in Moscow, Denmark, and England. PLoS One 2017, 12(9): e0182684. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182684
  11. Oksuzyan, A., Shkolnikova, M. A., Vaupel, J. W., Christensen, K., Shkolnikov, V. M. Sex differences in biological markers of health in the study of stress, aging and health in Russia. PLoS One 2015, 10:6, e0131691. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0131691 
  12. Oksuzyan, A., Shkolnikova, M., Vaupel, J. W., Christensen, K., Shkolnikov, V. M. Sex differences in health and mortality in Moscow and Denmark. European Journal of Epidemiology 2014, 29(4): 243-52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-014-9893-4 
  13. Lindahl-Jacobsen, R., Hanson, H. A., Oksuzyan, A., Mineau, G. P., Christensen, K., & Smith, K. R. The male–female health-survival paradox and sex differences in cohort life expectancy in Utah, Denmark, and Sweden 1850–1910. Annals of Epidemiology 2013; 23(4): 161–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.02.001
  14. Wu Y., Zhang D., Pang Z., Oksuzyan A., Jiang W., Wang S., Li S., Kruse T., Christensen K., Tan Q. Gender-specific patterns in age-related decline in general health among Danish and Chinese: a cross-national comparative study. Geriatrics & Gerontology International 2012, 12:3, 431-439. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0594.2011.00784.x 
  15. Oksuzyan, A., Brønnum-Hansen, H., Jeune, B. Gender gap in health expectancy. European Journal of Ageing 2010;7(4):213-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-010-0170-4 
  16. Oksuzyan, A., Crimmins, E., Saito, Y., O’Rand, A., Vaupel, J.W., Christensen K. Cross-national comparison of sex differences in health and mortality in Denmark, Japan and the US. European Journal of Epidemiology 2010; 25(7):471-480. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-010-9460-6
  17. Kühn, K., Carollo, A., Caputo, J., Ahrenfeld, L., Oksuzyan, A. Single fathers’ high risk of death: a register-based study in Denmark. Demography 2025. (forthcoming)
  18. Höhn, A., Oksuzyan, A, Lindahl-Jacobsen, R., Christensen, K., Seaman, R. Decomposing Sex Differences in Remaining Hospitalization-Free Years at Age 60 by Age and Cause of Admission to Hospital in Denmark, 1995–2014. European Journal of Aging 2021; 18:443–451. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-021-00614-w
  19. Caputo, J., Danko, M.J., Brønnum-Hansen, H., Oksuzyan, A. Helpful Reminders? Health Survey Participation and Doctor’s Visits. Survey Research Methods 2020; 14:5, 487-497.  https://doi.org/10.18148/srm/2020.v14i5.7642 
  20. Höhn, A., Gampe, J., Lindahl-Jacobsen, R., Christensen, K., Oksuzyan, A. Do men avoid seeking medical advice? A register-based analysis of gender-specific changes in primary healthcare use after first hospitalization at ages 60+ in Denmark. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health 2020; 74:573-579. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2019-213435  
  21. Oksuzyan, A., Dańko, M.J., Caputo, J., Jasilionis, D., Shkolnikov, V.M. Is the story about sensitive women and stoical men true? Gender differences in health after adjustment for reporting behavior. Social Science & Medicine 2019; 228: 41-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.03.002 
  22. Carollo, A., Oksuzyan, A., Drefahl, S., Camarda, C. G., Christensen, K., van Raalte, A. A. Does the age difference between partners influence the career achievements of women? Demographic Research 2019; 41: 15, 425–460. DOI:10.4054/DemRes.2019.41.15 
  23. Santacroce, A., Wastesson J.W., Höhn, A., Christensen, K., Oksuzyan, A. Gender differences in the use of anti-infective medications before and after widowhood: A register-based study. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2018; 72:526-531 https://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jech-2017-210114 
  24. Zarulli, V., Barthold Jones, J. A., Oksuzyan, A., Lindahl-Jacobsen, R., Christensen, K., Vaupel, J. W. Women live longer than men even during severe famines and epidemics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 2018: 115 (4) E832-E840. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1701535115 
  25. Oksuzyan, A., Jacobsen, R., Glaser, K., Tomassini, C., Vaupel, J.W., Christensen K. Sex differences in medication and primary healthcare use before and after spousal bereavement at older ages in Denmark – nationwide register study of over 6000 bereavements. Journal of Aging Research, 2011; 2011: 1-8. https://dx.doi.org/10.4061/2011/678289
  26. Oksuzyan, A., Maier, H., McGue, M., Vaupel, J.W., Christensen, K. Sex differences in the level and rate-of-change of physical function and grip strength in the Danish 1905-Cohort Study. Journal of Aging and Health 2010; 22(5):589-610. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264310366752 
  27. Oksuzyan, A., Petersen, I., Stovring, H., Bingley, P., Vaupel, J.W., Christensen K. The male-female health-survival paradox: A survey and register study of the impact of sex-specific selection and information bias. Annals of Epidemiology 2009; 19:504-511. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2009.03.014
  28. Oksuzyan, A., Juel, K., Vaupel, J. W., Christensen, K. Men: good health and high mortality; sex differences in health and aging. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 2008; 20(2):91-102. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03324754
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