Transcript The Health Divide - John Paul Academy

What evidence is there
that men and women
enjoy different levels
of health?
Life Expectancy compared
Causes of death compared
The Gender Divide - men
• Main cause of middle
age male deaths are:
• Lung cancer
• Heart disease
• Accidents
• Suicide
• More than a half of
males overweight
“Women live longer but suffer more
health problems” Miles 1991
• In 1997, the life
•
•
expectancy for
women was 5 years
more than men.
There are more male
than female deaths in
all age groups
Twice as many 1-14
year old boys die in
accidents and of
violent causes than
girls
Women’s health
• Women live
•
•
longer but report
more long
standing illnesses
than men
The most common
cancer is breast
cancer
The major cause
of death is lung
cancer
Female Cancers
• One of the most
•
worrying trends is
the growth in
female lung cancer
deaths
Most recent trend
is downwards
however
Why is there a
gender gap?
• 1/3 of men smoke
• 1/3 men drink more
•
•
than recommended
amount
Less than ¼ men eat
fresh fruit one a week
90% of men said they
rarely went to the
doctor – ‘macho’
culture?
• traditionally, men are
•
•
•
more likely to work in
more dangerous
occupations
more likely to work
dangerous machinery
work at heights
come into contact with
harmful substances
Occupational
hazards
Nature??
• men are more
violent than women
• violence is one of
the main causes of
death among
young males