Accelerating sex differentials in mortality: An analysis of contributing factors

Abstract

An analysis of mortality rates documents that the well‐established female advantage in mortality continues to increase. Data from the U.S. census show that the sex differential in mortality has increased from 1.69 in 1963 to 1.82 in 1976. The age groups which show the most pronounced changes are youth (15–24), young adults (25–34), and old persons (75–84). Following Enterline (1961), we assess the major causes of death within each of these age groups in terms of their relative contributions to changing sex ratios. The major factors among young persons, apart from declining maternal mortality, are found to involve violent deaths, especially traffic accidents and suicide. Among old persons, death rates in general have declined, but advances in medical technology appear to have been more beneficial for older women than for older men, supporting the hypothesis of a biological superiority among women. However, death rates for malignant neoplasms have increased for older women as well as older men, suggesting that changing life styles may eventually have an impact on female mortality. The data suggest a need for additional research concerning the increase in violent deaths among young women and the potential increase in cancer deaths among older women.