New Perspective on Why Women Live Longer Than Men: An Exploration of Power, Gender, Social Determinants, and Capitals

Fran Baum, Connie Musolino, Hailay Abrha Gesesew and Jennie Popay
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Fran Baum: Southgate Institute for Health, Society & Equity, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, Australia
Connie Musolino: Southgate Institute for Health, Society & Equity, Flinders University, Adelaide 5042, Australia
Hailay Abrha Gesesew: College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide 5048, Australia
Jennie Popay: Division of Health Research, Faculty of Health & Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-23

Abstract: Background: Women live longer than men, even though many of the recognised social determinants of health are worse for women than men. No existing explanations account fully for these differences in life expectancy, although they do highlight the complexity and interaction of biological, social and health service factors. Methods: this paper is an exploratory explanation of gendered life expectancy difference (GLED) using a novel combination of epidemiological and sociological methods. We present the global picture of GLED. We then utilise a secondary data comparative case analysis offering explanations for GLED in Australia and Ethiopia. We combine a social determinant of health lens with Bourdieu’s concepts of capitals (economic, cultural, symbolic and social). Results: we confirmed continuing GLED in all countries ranging from less than a year to over 11 years. The Australian and Ethiopian cases demonstrated the complex factors underpinning this difference, highlighting similarities and differences in socioeconomic and cultural factors and how they are gendered within and between the countries. Bourdieu’s capitals enabled us to partially explain GLED and to develop a conceptual model of causal pathways. Conclusion: we demonstrate the value of combing a SDH and Bourdieu’s capital lens to investigate GLED. We proposed a theoretical framework to guide future research.

Keywords: gender inequities; health inequities; life expectancy; social determinants; Ethiopia; Australia; power; Bourdieu; patriarchy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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