Gender differences in health and health actions among community-dwelling elders.

This secondary analysis of data from a study of elders' health examined gender differences in the psychological and physical health and the health actions made in response to specific physical complaints in a random sample of 491 community-dwelling older adults (mean age of 75.3 years). Significant gender differences in anxiety, depression, and body awareness were found, although there were no differences in self-assessed health or total number of health problems reported. There were some gender differences in the types of health problems experienced. Subjects tended to use self-care actions, particularly over-the-counter medications and home remedies, more so than professional consultation. Different patterns of care emerged for women and men, with women somewhat more inclined to use self-care and men more likely to seek professional consultation.