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Female life expectancy, gender stratification, health status, and level of economic development: A cross-national study of less developed countries

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  • Williamson, John B.
  • Boehmer, Ulrike

Abstract

A number of studies have attempted to account for cross-national differences in life expectancy, but relatively few have focused on female life expectancy, and even fewer on the relevance of predictors linked to gender stratification theory. The present study seeks to assess the utility of gender stratification theory in accounting for cross-national differences in female life expectancy in less developed countries. An incremental model building strategy is used to develop a final model that combines predictors linked to both industrialism theory and gender stratification theory. The analysis is based on multiple regression and cross-sectional samples that vary in size from 40 to 97 countries. Evidence is presented that several aspects of women's status have a positive effect on female life expectancy. Indicators of women's educational status, women's economic status, and women's reproductive autonomy all prove to be important predictors of female life expectancy. Analysis of interaction effects suggests that the strength of the effects of some aspects of women's economic status and the effect of some aspects of health status on female life expectancy vary with the level of economic development. A comprehensive assessment of the relative strength of alternative measures of women's education is carried out, and evidence is presented that it does make a difference how the level of women's education is measured.

Suggested Citation

  • Williamson, John B. & Boehmer, Ulrike, 1997. "Female life expectancy, gender stratification, health status, and level of economic development: A cross-national study of less developed countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 45(2), pages 305-317, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:45:y:1997:i:2:p:305-317
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    Cited by:

    1. ŞENTÜRK, İsmail & Ali, Amjad, 2019. "Socioeconomic Determinants of Gender Specific Life Expectancy in Turkey: A Time Series Analysis," MPRA Paper 97815, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Leonardo Becchetti & Gianluigi Conzo & Giovanni Trovato, 2022. "The Social Value of Health: Amenable Deaths and Estimated the Gap with the Life Expectancy Frontier," CEIS Research Paper 542, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 22 Aug 2022.
    3. Nobles, Jenna & Brown, Ryan & Catalano, Ralph, 2010. "National independence, women's political participation, and life expectancy in Norway," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(9), pages 1350-1357, May.
    4. Shahbaz, Muhammad & Loganathan, Nanthakumar & Mujahid, Nooreen & Ali, Amjad & Nawaz, Ahmed, 2015. "Determinants of Life Expectancy and its Prospects under the Role of Economic Misery: A Case of Pakistan," MPRA Paper 67167, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 10 Oct 2015.
    5. Ali, Amjad & Ahmad, Khalil, 2014. "The Impact of Socio-Economic Factors on Life Expectancy for Sultanate of Oman: An Empirical Analysis," MPRA Paper 70871, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 2014.
    6. Christina Ergas & Patrick Trent Greiner & Julius Alexander McGee & Matthew Thomas Clement, 2021. "Does Gender Climate Influence Climate Change? The Multidimensionality of Gender Equality and Its Countervailing Effects on the Carbon Intensity of Well-Being," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-23, April.
    7. Amjad Ali & Marc Audi & Yannick Roussel, 2021. "Economic Misery, Urbanization and Life Expectancy in MENA Nations: An Empirical Analysis," International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, Econjournals, vol. 11(5), pages 17-27.
    8. Md. Samsul Alam & Muhammad Shahbaz & Sudharshan Reddy Paramati, 2016. "The Role of Financial Development and Economic Misery on Life Expectancy: Evidence from Post Financial Reforms in India," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 128(2), pages 481-497, September.
    9. Igor Fedotenkov & Pavel Derkachev, 2020. "Gender longevity gap and socioeconomic indicators in developed countries," International Journal of Social Economics, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 47(1), pages 127-144, January.
    10. Sugeng Setyadi & Saharuddin Didu & Lili Indriyani & Ananda Kurnia Fitri & Anita Wiidiastuti, 2023. "Modeling Life Expectancy in Indonesia Using System GMM Model," Review of Applied Socio-Economic Research, Pro Global Science Association, vol. 25(1), pages 83-98, June.
    11. Syed Mubashir Ali, 2000. "Gender and Health Care Utilisation in Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 39(3), pages 213-234.
    12. Audi, Marc & Ali, Amjad, 2016. "Socio-Economic Status and Life Expectancy in Lebanon: An Empirical Analysis," MPRA Paper 72900, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Smith, Lisa C. & Ramakrishnan, Usha & Ndiaye, Aida & Haddad, Lawrence James & Martorell, Reynaldo, 2003. "The importance of women's status for child nutrition in developing countries:," Research reports 131, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).

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