Further Thoughts on Gender and Lifetime Health

Månsdotter, Anna

doi:10.1159/000274381

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Taken together, we do not see any reasons to share Månsdotter's belief that the crucial question concerning gender and health is 'whether a majority of people support the feminist principle of similarity between the sexes overall, or if they trust the traditional principle to guide' [2] . Considering the fact that life circumstances and obviously bio-psycho-social realities of men and women still differ, this dichotomous view harbors the danger of ideological entanglement, which in the end benefits neither women nor men.…”

Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

“…In the view of Måns-dotter, in our paper it could have been stated more clearly 'that even though the division of male and female business is a historical fact, the level of gender equality defined as more or less similarity between women and men in every sphere of life is not static' [2] . Månsdotter illustrates her point with the example of Scandinavia, which experienced a dramatic development in attitudes and practices regarding the division of parental duties by gender during the last decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…There is not enough empirical evidence to substantiate this position. (2) The 'caring hypothesis' proposed by Månsdotter, which holds that caring fathers develop less risky lifestyles and increased worries, is a possible, but not a sufficient explanation for gender convergence of physical and psychological health in future generations. Such a convergence seems to be heavily co-determined by the changing lifestyles of women.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Research on Ageing, Health and Gender: A Long and Winding Road

Perrig-Chiello¹,

Hutchison²

2009

Gerontology

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This contribution is a reply to Dr. Månsdotter’s comments on our discussion paper ‘Health and well-being in old age: the pertinence of a gender mainstreaming approach in research’ published in Gerontology [Gerontology 2010 (in press)]. Even though the comments are interesting and comprehensible, they cannot be left unanswered, this primarily because they are based on weak empirical evidence. (1) It is broadly uncontested that gender is not static. However, the conclusion that the more egalitarian division of parental duties can be viewed as an indicator for reduction of the gender gap in longevity and health is highly speculative. There is not enough empirical evidence to substantiate this position. (2) The ‘caring hypothesis’ proposed by Månsdotter, which holds that caring fathers develop less risky lifestyles and increased worries, is a possible, but not a sufficient explanation for gender convergence of physical and psychological health in future generations. Such a convergence seems to be heavily co-determined by the changing lifestyles of women. (3) From a lifespan developmental perspective, androgyny does not mean gender equality, but a necessary openness of an individual for the positive traits of the opposing gender role, an essential trait for successful ageing. (4) Månsdotter’s doubts concerning the implementation of gender mainstreaming in gerontological research and practice because of society’s limited resources are not comprehensible. Exactly because economical resources are limited, and exactly because men and women have different resources and disadvantages due to their specific bio-psycho-social realities, the most efficient way of dealing with the gender gaps in health is with a differentialapproach. (5) The concluding recommendation of Månsdotter for more openness as a scientific position regarding the impact of gender roles on human health and well-being stands in contrast to her claim for normative standpoints and prioritization of either women or men in health promotion. We certainly need openness as a scientific position, but what we urgently need are good theoretical frameworks and more interdisciplinary and longitudinal approaches, which help to overcome the thin empirical base we have. This is a challenge and a chance for future research.

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Section: Introductioncontrasting

confidence: 79%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Research on Ageing, Health and Gender: A Long and Winding Road

Perrig-Chiello¹,

Hutchison²

2009

Gerontology

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“…Six of the 13 females were 95 years and above compared to only 3 males ( Table 1). These findings are consistent in consonance with the reports of Newman and Brach [9], Bobak [10] and Mansdotter [11]. Seventeen of the 19 participants had at least 2 children.…”

Section: Findings and Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Unlocking Secrets to Healthy Aging among the Elderly within the Joe Gqabi District Municipality, South Africa

Mthatha¹,

África²

2014

JSS

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The search for genetic and environmental factors for longevity is constantly on the rise. While a small proportion of adults gracefully age to 100 years and above, others can barely make it above 50. The Joe Gqabi District Municipality of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa is one of the few places in the country with a high number of elderly people (≥80 years). The purpose of this study was to first identify contributing factors towards longevity in this district. It was secondly to use findings from this study to improve the quality of life that has a potential for the younger generation to experience healthy longer lives. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews, observation and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Results of this study indicated that while environmental factors may influence longevity, genetic factors appear to be the major determinants of long life spans in the Joe Gqabi District Municipality of South Africa. However, more studies to determine the specific genes responsible for longevity will shed more light in the determination of factors that contribute to long life spans in the study area.

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“…Finding a new pathway to gender convergence might also lead to health convergence for men and women [48]. This development can already be seen in men who participate in their children's upbringing [3].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender equality in couples and self-rated health - A survey study evaluating measurements of gender equality and its impact on health

Sörlin

Lindholm

et al. 2011

International Journal for Equity in Health

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BackgroundMen and women have different patterns of health. These differences between the sexes present a challenge to the field of public health. The question why women experience more health problems than men despite their longevity has been discussed extensively, with both social and biological theories being offered as plausible explanations. In this article, we focus on how gender equality in a partnership might be associated with the respondents' perceptions of health.MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional survey with 1400 respondents. We measured gender equality using two different measures: 1) a self-reported gender equality index, and 2) a self-perceived gender equality question. The aim of comparison of the self-reported gender equality index with the self-perceived gender equality question was to reveal possible disagreements between the normative discourse on gender equality and daily practice in couple relationships. We then evaluated the association with health, measured as self-rated health (SRH). With SRH dichotomized into 'good' and 'poor', logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with the outcome. For the comparison between the self-reported gender equality index and self-perceived gender equality, kappa statistics were used.ResultsAssociations between gender equality and health found in this study vary with the type of gender equality measurement. Overall, we found little agreement between the self-reported gender equality index and self-perceived gender equality. Further, the patterns of agreement between self-perceived and self-reported gender equality were quite different for men and women: men perceived greater gender equality than they reported in the index, while women perceived less gender equality than they reported. The associations to health were depending on gender equality measurement used.ConclusionsMen and women perceive and report gender equality differently. This means that it is necessary not only to be conscious of the methods and measurements used to quantify men's and women's opinions of gender equality, but also to be aware of the implications for health outcomes.

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Further Thoughts on Gender and Lifetime Health

Cited by 7 publications

References 8 publications

Research on Ageing, Health and Gender: A Long and Winding Road

Research on Ageing, Health and Gender: A Long and Winding Road

Unlocking Secrets to Healthy Aging among the Elderly within the Joe Gqabi District Municipality, South Africa

Gender equality in couples and self-rated health - A survey study evaluating measurements of gender equality and its impact on health

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