To begin it must be established that there is a difference between sex and gender. Gender refers to the socially constructed differentiation between men and woman or more simply put, gender describes the characteristics that a society or culture delineate as masculine or feminine. Sex refers to the biological distinction between males and females (Macmillan, 1990).
By looking at the statistics regarding the relationship of gender and health it is apparent the there are some general statistical trends. The most obvious trend is that females tend to live longer than males, this is reinforced by the latest life expectancy statistics for RSA that show that the life expectancy for females is 50,7 years whilst the life expectancy for males is 45,1 years (J Kruger, 2006).
There are a number of reasons for such a statistical trend. One major factor resulting in this trend is the facts that males have different behaviors than females due to hormonal influence and the influence of socialization/culture. Testosterone in males leads to more violent irrational behavior, also due to socialization most males tend to have this kind of behavioral pattern in order to "attract a mate"; these two factors could possibly explain the more violent irrational behavior compared to females and it is reinforced by the statistics that state that the main causes of death in males are motor vehicle accidents, followed by homicide, suicide, violent death and cancer. This is elucidated nicely from the statement “Because mortality rates in general are going down, behavioral causes of death are becoming ever more prevalent” (J Kruger, 2006).
One interesting statistic states that men are four times more likely to die in car accident as compared to woman, this is because of males more irrational and risk taking nature. Actuarial scientists is starting to take note of the differences that occur between genders, for example, lately a new insurance company called "First for Woman" has been established. This is an insurance company that is only for females which provide lower fees on motor vehicle or life insurance. This is a successful strategy because as you may assume woman are less likely to die than males and appear more responsible with their health and other actions such as driving in comparison to males. As I have stated woman tend to be more responsible with their health and lives as compared to males. It has been shown that woman have higher morbidity rates than males but lower death (mortality) rates, this can be explained by the facts that female are more predisposed to take responsibility for their health than men, explaining women’s higher rates of morbidity derived from working days lost or visits to the general practitioner. It has also been proven that men are more inclined to take risks with their health, whilst women are more likely to adopt preventative behaviors (Macmillan, 1990).
A statistic that may prove woman are more health conscious than males is one that states 2 men die for every woman from heart attacks in South Africa. The high levels for cancer and heart disease in males can be explained by the facts that more males smoke and drink compared to females whilst partaking in far less healthy diets. Recent surveys show four fifths of world smokers are males and that 74% of men have at least one drink a day while 54% of females have at least one drink a day, alcohol and cigarettes are proven carcinogens and leading causes of heart disease (www.ajph.org, www.statistics.gov.uk ). The high levels of heart disease in men could be due to the facts that the majority of men do not live healthy lifestyles with healthy diets and exercise regimes, this is shown by the latest obesity statistics that state that 73% of men are obese and 40% of females are obese (www.health24.com). This makes sense as women are usually observed in society to take care of their figures by eating healthy for numerous reasons.
Other factors can influence the relationship trends between gender and health. An interesting statistic in South Africa is one that states that upper class males live longer than lower class females, This could be due to the fact that the higher class males have better access to health care, better health care in general, and are not exposed to unhealthy environments that lower class males may be exposed to which may increase the risk of exposure to contagious diseases or even the elements such as the cold in winter, which can play a big role if shelter and heat is not a common luxury. An example of the risk factor for contagious disease would be the situation of someone living in informal settlements in Alexandra, the environment where houses are very close together and people live in over crowded hostels will increase the risk of catching a contagious disease or one spread by pests.
Another controversial reason for men having lower life expectancies is explained by Daniel .J. Kruger who claims that the impact of social standing is greater on male mortality than on female mortality, partially because males who have a relatively lower status or lack a mate engage in a riskier pattern of behaviors in an attempt to get ahead (Kruger, 2006)
In conclusion it is apparent that there is a overt relationship between gender and health that occurs due to different influential factors, the most important trend is that females generally live longer than males and that this relationship can be further influenced by other external factors such as social class.
