Ross C E, Bird C E
Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Columbus 43210.
J Health Soc Behav. 1994 Jun;35(2):161-78.
A representative national sample of 2,031 adults aged 18 to 90 was interviewed by telephone in 1990. Results showed that men report better health than women, but that the gap closes with age. We argue that a gender difference in labor and lifestyles explains sex differences in perceived health across the life course: gender inequality in paid and unpaid work and the subjective experience of inequality disadvantage women, whereas lifestyle disadvantages men. Women are less likely to be employed, and are more likely to work part-time, have lower incomes and more economic hardship, and to do more unpaid domestic labor than men, all of which except domestic labor are associated with poor health. Domestic labor improves health, up to doing 60 percent of the housework. Women also have more distress and fewer subjective work rewards, both of which are associated with poor health. If women had the same levels of paid work, household income, economic hardship, work rewards, and distress as men, their health would equal that of men's and surpass it by age 59. Although we expected to find an overwhelming male disadvantage in lifestyle, we did not. Men are more likely than women to walk and to exercise strenuously, both of which are associated with good health. If women's labor and leisure-time physical activity equalled men's, women over the age of 54 would experience better health than men. Men's lifestyle disadvantage comes from their greater tendency to smoke and to be overweight, both of which are associated with poor health.
1990年，通过电话采访了一个具有代表性的全国样本，其中包括2031名年龄在18至90岁之间的成年人。结果显示，男性报告的健康状况优于女性，但这种差距会随着年龄的增长而缩小。我们认为，劳动和生活方式上的性别差异解释了人生各阶段中感知健康方面的性别差异：有偿和无偿工作中的性别不平等以及不平等的主观体验对女性不利，而生活方式对男性不利。女性就业的可能性较小，更有可能从事兼职工作，收入较低且经济困难较多，并且比男性从事更多的无偿家务劳动，除了家务劳动外，所有这些都与健康状况不佳有关。家务劳动对健康有益，最多可承担60%的家务。女性也有更多的困扰和更少的主观工作回报，这两者都与健康状况不佳有关。如果女性在有偿工作、家庭收入、经济困难、工作回报和困扰方面与男性处于相同水平，她们的健康状况将与男性相当，并在59岁时超过男性。尽管我们预计会发现男性在生活方式方面存在压倒性的劣势，但我们并未发现。男性比女性更有可能走路和进行剧烈运动，这两者都与健康状况良好有关。如果女性的劳动和休闲时间的体育活动与男性相当，54岁以上的女性将比男性拥有更好的健康状况。男性在生活方式方面的劣势源于他们更大的吸烟和超重倾向，这两者都与健康状况不佳有关。
