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Women live longer than men even during severe famines and epidemics

Author

Listed:
  • Virginia Zarulli

    (Max Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark)

  • Julia A. Barthold Jones

    (Max Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark)

  • Anna Oksuzyan

    (Max Planck Research Group Gender Gaps in Health and Survival, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, 18057 Rostock, Germany)

  • Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen

    (Max Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark)

  • Kaare Christensen

    (Max Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark)

  • James W. Vaupel

    (Max Planck Odense Center on the Biodemography of Aging, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5230 Odense, Denmark; Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, DK-5000 Odense, Denmark; Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, 18057 Rostock, Germany; Duke University Population Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708)

Abstract

Women in almost all modern populations live longer than men. Research to date provides evidence for both biological and social factors influencing this gender gap. Conditions when both men and women experience extremely high levels of mortality risk are unexplored sources of information. We investigate the survival of both sexes in seven populations under extreme conditions from famines, epidemics, and slavery. Women survived better than men: In all populations, they had lower mortality across almost all ages, and, with the exception of one slave population, they lived longer on average than men. Gender differences in infant mortality contributed the most to the gender gap in life expectancy, indicating that newborn girls were able to survive extreme mortality hazards better than newborn boys. Our results confirm the ubiquity of a female survival advantage even when mortality is extraordinarily high. The hypothesis that the survival advantage of women has fundamental biological underpinnings is supported by the fact that under very harsh conditions females survive better than males even at infant ages when behavioral and social differences may be minimal or favor males. Our findings also indicate that the female advantage differs across environments and is modulated by social factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Virginia Zarulli & Julia A. Barthold Jones & Anna Oksuzyan & Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen & Kaare Christensen & James W. Vaupel, 2018. "Women live longer than men even during severe famines and epidemics," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 115(4), pages 832-840, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nas:journl:v:115:y:2018:p:e832-e840
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Marina Vergeles, 2021. "Evolution Of Sex Gap In Life Expectancy Across High-Income Countries: Universal Patterns And Country-Specific Attributes," HSE Working papers WP BRP 98/SOC/2021, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    2. Francisco J. Marco‐Gracia & Francisco J. Beltrán Tapia, 2021. "Son Preference, Gender Discrimination, and Missing Girls in Rural Spain, 1750–1950," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 47(3), pages 665-689, September.
    3. Lorenti, Angelo & Dudel, Christian & Hale, Jo Mhairi & Myrskylä, Mikko, 2020. "Working and disability expectancies at older ages: the role of childhood circumstances and education," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 106194, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Balter, Anne G. & Kallestrup-Lamb, Malene & Rangvid, Jesper, 2021. "Macro longevity risk and the choice between annuity products: Evidence from Denmark," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C), pages 355-362.
    5. Serena Vigezzi & Jose Manuel Aburto & Iñaki Permanyer & Virginia Zarulli, 2022. "Divergent trends in lifespan variation during mortality crises," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(11), pages 291-336.
    6. Li, Yanan & Sunder, Naveen, 2021. "What doesn’t kill her, will make her depressed," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    7. Chathurika Sewwandi Kannangara & Rosie Elizabeth Allen & Jerome Francis Carson & Samia Zahraa Noor Khan & Gill Waugh & Kondal Reddy Kandadi, 2020. "Onwards and upwards: The development, piloting and validation of a new measure of academic tenacity- The Bolton Uni-Stride Scale (BUSS)," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-26, July.
    8. Anna Oksuzyan & Eleonora Mussino & Sven Drefahl, 2019. "Sex differences in mortality in migrants and the Swedish-born population: Is there a double survival advantage for immigrant women?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(3), pages 377-386, April.
    9. Qi Cui & Vladimir Canudas-Romo & Heather Booth, 2019. "The Mechanism Underlying Change in the Sex Gap in Life Expectancy at Birth: An Extended Decomposition," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(6), pages 2307-2321, December.
    10. Konstantinos N. Zafeiris, 2020. "Gender differences in life expectancy at birth in Greece 1994–2017," Journal of Population Research, Springer, vol. 37(1), pages 73-89, March.
    11. del Valle, Alejandro, 2021. "The effects of public health insurance in labor markets with informal jobs: Evidence from Mexico," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).

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