Women live more years in ill-health than men, finds gender health gap study
Women live more years in ill-health than men, finds gender health gap study The Guardian
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Global Gender Health Gap Analysis Highlights Urgent Need for Action to Boost Women’s Health
Women live longer than men but experience more years in poor health, according to a global gender health gap analysis that experts say underlines an urgent need for action to boost women’s health.
Globally, there are substantial differences between women and men when it comes to health, with limited progress in bridging health gaps over the past three decades, according to the study examining the impact of the world’s 20 leading causes of disease.
The findings were published in the Lancet Public Health journal.
Non-fatal Conditions Affecting Women
- Musculoskeletal problems
- Mental health issues
- Headache disorders
These conditions particularly affect women, researchers found.
Conditions Leading to Premature Death Affecting Men
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Respiratory and liver diseases
- Covid-19
- Road injuries
Men are disproportionally affected by these conditions that cause premature death.
The health differences between women and men continue to grow with age, leaving women with higher levels of illness and disability throughout their lives, as they tend to live longer than men.
The study’s senior author, Dr Luisa Sorio Flor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), University of Washington, said: “This report clearly shows that over the past 30 years global progress on health has been uneven.
“Females have longer lives but live more years in poor health, with limited progress made in reducing the burden of conditions leading to illness and disability, underscoring the urgent need for greater attention to non-fatal consequences that limit women’s physical and mental function, especially at older ages. Similarly, males are experiencing a much higher and growing burden of disease with fatal consequences.”
The study is also a call for countries to boost their reporting of sex and gender data, said Sorio Flor. “The timing is right for this study and call to action – not only because of where the evidence is now, but because Covid-19 has starkly reminded us that sex differences can profoundly impact health outcomes.
“One key point the study highlights is how females and males differ in many biological and social factors that fluctuate and, sometimes, accumulate over time, resulting in them experiencing health and disease differently at each stage of life and across world regions.
“The challenge now is to design, implement and evaluate sex- and gender-informed ways of preventing and treating the major causes of morbidity and premature mortality from an early age and across diverse populations.”
Disparities in the 20 Leading Causes of Illness and Death
The study looked at the disparities in the 20 leading causes of illness and death between men and women, across ages and regions.
The modelling research used data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021, and did not include sex-specific health conditions, such as gynaecological conditions or prostate cancers.
The analysis estimates that for 13 out of the top 20 causes of illness and death, including Covid-19, road injuries, and a range of heart, respiratory and liver diseases, the rate was higher in men than women in 2021.
Among the conditions evaluated, the findings suggested that the biggest contributors that disadvantage women are low back pain, depressive disorders, headache disorders, anxiety disorders, bone and muscle disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and HIV and Aids.
These conditions contribute to illness and disability throughout life as opposed to leading to premature death, the study found.
The study’s co-lead author Gabriela Gil, from the IHME, said: “It’s clear that women’s healthcare needs to extend well beyond areas that health systems and research funding have prioritised to date, such as sexual and reproductive concerns.”
“Conditions that disproportionately impact females in all world regions, such as depressive disorders, are significantly underfunded compared with the massive burden they exert, with only a small proportion of government health expenditure globally earmarked
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
The article discusses the gender health gap and the differences between women and men in terms of health outcomes. This connects to SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. It also relates to SDG 5, which focuses on achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
- SDG 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age.
- SDG 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
- SDG 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
- SDG 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.
The article highlights the need to address health disparities between women and men, particularly in terms of non-fatal conditions and premature death. The targets mentioned above are relevant to addressing these disparities and improving women’s health outcomes.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births)
- Preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age
- Premature mortality from non-communicable diseases
- Access to sexual and reproductive health services
The article mentions the need for progress in reducing maternal mortality, preventable deaths of newborns and children, premature mortality from non-communicable diseases, and access to sexual and reproductive health services. These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births. | Maternal mortality ratio (per 100,000 live births) |
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. | Preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age |
| 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being. | Premature mortality from non-communicable diseases | |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere. | N/A |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences. | Access to sexual and reproductive health services |
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Fuente: theguardian.com
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