Gender differences in health perceptions and their predictors
This study explored the degree to which risks embedded in the social construction of gender roles and personality traits explained gender differences in health perceptions and reporting among mild hypertensive patients (134 women and 104 men) under the same treatment regime. Compared with men, women were less educated, less likely to be employed, less happy, more distressed, less satisfied with family functioning, and had a weaker sense of coherence. Twice as many women as men evaluated their health as 'poor', and on average reported 2.6 more symptoms than men. These gender differences largely disappeared when unhappiness, distress, and sense of coherence were controlled. While education attainment, employment, and satisfaction with family functioning decreased gender differences in some half of the symptoms, multivariate analysis suggested that unhappiness, distress, and the sense of coherence are far better predictors of gender differential health perceptions. It is suggested that beyond biological predispositions, women's health is in double jeopardy by gender role related risks, which affect morbidity both directly through immunology system and indirectly through health perceptions.
Year of publication: |
1993
|
---|---|
Authors: | Anson, Ofra ; Paran, Esther ; Neumann, Lily ; Chernichovsky, Dov |
Published in: |
Social Science & Medicine. - Elsevier, ISSN 0277-9536. - Vol. 36.1993, 4, p. 419-427
|
Publisher: |
Elsevier |
Keywords: | gender gender related risks health perceptions |
Saved in:
Online Resource
Saved in favorites
Similar items by person
-
Effects of scale length on means and correlation coefficients
Neumann, Lily, (1983)
-
Effects of categorization on the correlation coefficient
Neumann, Lily, (1982)
-
Linear and nonlinear models of patient satisfaction with medical care
Neumann, Lily, (1984)
- More ...