Gender differences in health and mortality

Drinking problems has become a major global problem. This study examines social determinants of problem drinking in four Asia countries (China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan). EASS (East Asian Social Survey) 2010 Health Module data is used. The results show significant gender differences (p <0.01) of problem drinking in Japan, China and South Korea. Working full-time is a risk factor associated with problem drinking in four Asia countries especially for men. Geographical differences of problem drinking are also found in China and South Korea. People living in rural areas have higher prevalence of problem drinking than those who live in metropolis.

Worldwide, female life expectancy is higher relative to males. However, survey reports indicate that men generally rate their health better than women. Herein lies the paradox – males are healthier but females live longer. What is the extent of this discrepancy in rural Ghana, and what accounts for the discrepancy between the health and survival of men versus women in such communities? How do ordinary members of the community view the health and survival of men vis-à-vis women? Such information would be useful in guiding public health policies and programs, especially those aimed at promoting the health of women.

This paper combines quantitative and qualitative data from the Kassena-Nankana District in exploring this paradox in the context of a rural Ghanaian community. We use demographic surveillance data to examine trends (1995-2010) in mortality and life expectancy for males and females. Data from a recent survey of 5300 adults allow us to compare the self-rated health of males and females in the district. Qualitative data from focus group discussions (16) and key informant interviews (14) are used to examine community perspectives on the health of men and women, and what accounts for the differences in the health and survival of men and women.

The income and non-income dimensions of inequalities are highest in Sub Saharan Africa among the world regions. Also these inequalities not only vary between the countries in Africa but also within the country with respect to gender, geographical areas, social and economic groups. Studies had shown that progress in MDGs indicators pertaining to child health in the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa is rather slow and skeptical on achieving many of the MDGs by the year 2015. However, these studies had looked at the indicators at aggregate without considering its level and progress across gender, region, social and economic groups. Fail to consider these domains will mask the real development and in achieving the MDGs. Keeping this in view, we examine the socioeconomic, gender and geographic inequalities in child health in the selected countries of Sub-Saharan Africa in a comparative perspective. Further, this study will also explore how these domains such as socioeconomic groups, gender and geographical location interact in producing inequality in these countries. The child health indicators such as under-five mortality, child nutrition, immunization and diarrhea illness will be considered for the analysis. We use different rounds of Demographic Health Surveys and employ multilevel models, inequality indices for data analysis.

Previous studies found that elderly females were more likely to experience memory decline than their male counterparts. Although there were some studies on gender’s issue of elderly in the Thai context, little was known about issue of memory decline. Therefore, this study focuses on gender differentials in memory decline.
The two waves (2006 and 2011) of longitudinal study from the Kanchanaburi Demographic Surveillance System (KDSS) were employed. The sample was 609 elderly aged 60 and above in 2006 who had been followed until 2011. Memory test is used by applying ten worlds list. The effect of gender on memory decline was estimated by using GEE logit model.
Results revealed that almost two-fifths of elderly faced memory decline over a period of 5 years. There were 38.9 percent of males and 40. 6 percent of female experienced memory decline. However, GEE logit model showed that there was no statistically significant difference by gender in the memory decline, even controlling for other variables.
The findings did not support previous studies. However, it suggested that both male and female elderly had an equal risk of memory decline. Thus, program intervention to prevent cognitive impairment and maintain cognitive function should focus for all elderly.

Son preference refers to the attitude that sons are more important and more valuable than daughters. A complex interplay of economic and social factors determines the benefits and cost of a child. Son preference is still very strong in India. In order to maintain small families and have desired sex composition of the children, people may try methods such as sex selective abortion. Therefore this paper tries to look into, the desire of women to have at least one male child and child care. It is assumed that the child care may be better for the male child. The study uses primary in 2010, the sample size is 330. The study area comprises of 11 villages from Rajarhat CD block of 24-north Parganas in West Bengal, India. The results show higher percentage of women desired to have at least one male child, women stated economic and social reasons for wanting at least one male child. The child care shows that almost similar care was taken for both male and female children, irrespective of the fact that high percentage of women wanted male children. Much significant difference in the time spent on child care and daily child care is seen for the male and the female children. The preference for male child is more in terms of desire but this necessarily does not transform into discriminatory practices in the day to day child care

In Ghana, a number of interventions have been implemented to ensure universal access to quality healthcare services and gender equity in healthcare access. One of these key interventions is the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in 2003 to ensure Ghanaians, especially women and children have access to good quality care. Notwithstanding these interventions, client experiences of quality care standards are still generally dissatisfactory. Previous studies explored client-perceived quality healthcare services in Ghana but not much has been investigated on gender differences in perceived quality care and implications on health insurance participation. This paper examined differences in the perceptions of women and men in quality of healthcare services in Ghana. A baseline survey was conducted in randomly selected 1,920 households in 16 rural and urban districts in two regions of Ghana. Data cleaning is completed and analysis ongoing. Logistic regression is conducted on the male and female sub-samples to ascertain whether there are differences in perceived service quality and how this influences (re)enrollment in health insurance. It is expected that the findings would inform policy makers in gender mainstreaming in quality improvement and participation in health insurance services.

Health care utilization is important factor, which determines the health status and survival chances of children. Girl children suffered more malnutrition and received lesser treatment for various infections especially for diarrheal diseases and for acute-respiratory infection. Where fees are charged or referrals to a higher level of care, families deny these more often in the case of daughters. The study uses primary in 2010, the sample size is 330. The study area comprises of 11 villages from Rajarhat CD block of 24-north Parganas in West Bengal, India. The results show that within three months from the date of survey most of the male and female children suffered from cold and cough, but higher percentage of female children were said to be in severe health condition. For high percentage of male children father and mother were taking active role in seeking medical help as compared to the female children. The time laps in the occurrence of morbidity and treatment was also longer for the female child and the money spent on treatment was less even when severely ill. The distance travel was greater for the female children so that they were taken to the public health facility which was cheaper and lot of time was lost before the treatment was started.

Despite South Africa being a peaceful democracy for the past 18 years, mortality due to unnatural and violent causes still occur among the youth. However, this is not specific to South Africa; with developed countries experiencing the same trend. Christoffel (1994) found that death due to unnatural causes, specifically related to violence, had increased especially among the youth. South Africa is now moving towards the same transition that is currently experienced by developed nations in the world: violent deaths as a major cause of death amongst the youth (Norman, et al, 2007). With this in mind, this paper aims to examine the different levels of male and female adolescent mortality due to 5 unnatural causes of death. Data from the South African death registry is analysed for the years 2006- 2009. Cause-specific mortality rates, proportional mortality ratios and life table techniques are used. Results show adolescent females are dying from ‘events of undetermined intent’, ‘transport accidents’ and ‘self- harm’ causes more than males. The selected causes of death are contributing up to 27% of all adolescent male mortality and almost 12% of all female mortality in 2009. Finally years of potential life lost due to ‘assault’ are increasing among females.

Child nutrition is one of the key components of development. Despite rapid economic growth in India, many states are failing to fight against malnutrition. The paper, utilizing data from NFHS 3 (2005-06) explores the inequalities and determinants of severe stunting by applying concentration index and logistic models. Questions addressed are, why so many children are malnourished in spite of economic growth; what is the regional pattern of malnourishment by sex of the child; whether the extent of economic inequality on child malnutrition differs by child’s background? In India boys are more severely stunted than girls, yet the sex difference is marginal. Burden of severe stunting is higher among children from poor households, irrespective of child sex. However, urban poor are more disadvantaged over their rural counterpart. The burden of severe stunting for girl child among the poor is highest in the western region. Regional heterogeneity is widespread in severe chronic malnutrition which needs policy attention

This paper focuses on percentage of childhood death among Hindu-Muslim (religion) in India and its selected regions. Sex differentials in infant and child death reflect strong son preference in many regions. Most regions exhibit excess male death during the neonatal period but excess female death during childhood. In the country as a whole, female child death is 40 percent higher than male child death. The sex differentials in infant and child death suggest that son preference and discrimination against female children are very strong in northern states but minimal or nonexistent in southern states. Among socioeconomic background characteristics, urban/rural residence, mother’s exposure to mass media, and Mother’s literacy, access to a flush or pit toilet are found to have substantial unadjusted effects on infant and child death, but these effects are much smaller when the effects of other socioeconomic variables and basic demographic factors are controlled. Wealth index, birth interval, women age at first birth, household head’s religion and economic level of the household have substantial and often statistically significant adjusted effects on infant and child mortality. Both unadjusted and adjusted effects of most of these background characteristics are largest for child mortality and smallest for neonatal death.