Andalusian School of Public Health, Campus Universitario de Cartuja, Cuesta del Observatorio, 4 Ap. Correos, Granada, Spain.
Sociol Health Illn. 2012 Jul;34(6):911-26. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2011.01440.x. Epub 2012 Mar 23.
This study analyses different perceptions by women and men, from different social backgrounds and ages, regarding their health, vulnerability and coping with illness, and describes the main models provided by both sexes to explain determinants for gender inequalities in health. The qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with women and men resident in Granada (Spain). The women rated their health worse than men, associating it with feelings of exhaustion. However, men tended to overrate their health, hiding their problems behind the 'tough guy' stereotype associated with masculinity. Both women and men shared the belief that women are more vulnerable, while men are weaker at coping with illness. The explanatory models offered for this paradox of 'weak but strong women' and 'tough but weak men' were different for each sex. Men used biological arguments more than women, centred on the female reproductive cycle. Women used more cultural models and identified determinants relating to social stratification, gender roles and power imbalances. In conclusion, gender constructions affect the health perceptions of both women and men at any social level or age. 'Exhausted' women and 'tough' men should form preferential target groups for intervention to reduce gender inequalities in health.
本研究分析了来自不同社会背景和年龄段的女性和男性对健康、脆弱性和疾病应对的不同看法，并描述了两性健康不平等的决定因素的主要解释模型。这项定性研究涉及对格拉纳达（西班牙）居民的深入访谈。女性对自己的健康评价不如男性，认为自己容易感到疲惫。然而，男性往往会高估自己的健康，用“硬汉”的刻板印象来掩盖自己的问题，这种刻板印象与男子气概有关。女性和男性都认为女性更脆弱，而男性在应对疾病方面则较弱。对于“脆弱但坚强的女性”和“坚强但脆弱的男性”这一悖论的解释模型，男女之间存在差异。男性比女性更多地使用生物学论点，这些论点集中在女性的生殖周期上。女性则更多地使用文化模型，并确定了与社会分层、性别角色和权力失衡有关的决定因素。总之，性别结构会影响任何社会阶层或年龄段的女性和男性的健康认知。“疲惫”的女性和“坚韧”的男性应该成为减少健康领域性别不平等的干预措施的优先目标群体。
