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The gender health gap in Europe’s ageing societies: universal findings across countries and age groups?

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  • Alina Schmitz

    (TU Dortmund)

  • Patrick Lazarevič

    (Vienna Institute of Demography)

Abstract

We provide a systematic country and age group comparison of the gender gap in several generic health indicators and more specific morbidity outcomes. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement (SHARE), we examined the gender gap in the prevalence of poor self-rated health, chronic health conditions, activity limitations, multimorbidity, pain, heart attacks, diabetes, and depression in three age groups (50–64, 65–79, and 80+) based on linear probability models with and without adjustment for covariates. While women were typically disadvantaged regarding poor self-rated health, chronic health conditions, activity limitations, multimorbidity, pain, and depression, men had a higher prevalence of heart attacks and diabetes. However, the gender gap’s magnitude and sometimes even its direction varied considerably with some age trends apparent. Regarding some health indicators, the gender gap tended to be higher in Southern and Eastern Europe than in Western and Northern Europe. All in all, the presence of a gender health gap cannot be regarded as a universal finding as the gap tended to widen, narrow or even reverse with age depending on the indicator and country.

Suggested Citation

  • Alina Schmitz & Patrick Lazarevič, 2020. "The gender health gap in Europe’s ageing societies: universal findings across countries and age groups?," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 509-520, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:eujoag:v:17:y:2020:i:4:d:10.1007_s10433-020-00559-6
    DOI: 10.1007/s10433-020-00559-6
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    2. Sara Kjellsson, 2021. "Do working conditions contribute differently to gender gaps in self-rated health within different occupational classes? Evidence from the Swedish Level of Living Survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-19, June.
    3. Harpa S. Eyjólfsdóttir & Neda Agahi & Johan Fritzell & Carin Lennartsson, 2022. "Physical functioning as a predictor of retirement: Has its importance changed over a thirty-year period in Sweden?," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1417-1428, December.
    4. Alina Schmitz & Martina Brandt, 2022. "Health Limitations, Regional Care Infrastructure and Wellbeing in Later Life: A Multilevel Analysis of 96 European Regions," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 164(2), pages 693-709, November.
    5. Bo Hu, 2021. "Childhood adversity and healthy ageing: a study of the Chinese older population," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 523-535, December.
    6. Stefan Fors & Stefania Illinca & Janet Jull & Selma Kadi & Susan Phillips & Ricardo Rodrigues & Afshin Vafaei & Eszter Zolyomi & Johan Rehnberg, 2022. "Cohort-specific disability trajectories among older women and men in Europe 2004–2017," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1111-1119, December.

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