Life With and Without Disease: Women Experience More of Both

SUMMARY

This paper examines gender differences in life with and without six major diseases, including both mortal and morbid conditions. Disease prevalence and health behavior data are from the 1993–1995 National Health Interview Surveys for the United States. Vital registration data are the source of mortality rates used in computing life expectancy. The Sullivan method is used to estimate life lived with and without disease and risky behavior for men and women at various ages. Women live more years with each of the diseases examined, and, for arthritis, the extended years with disease are greatest. Women also live more years than men free of each of these diseases with the exception of arthritis. Gender differences in life without two health-risk behaviors are also discussed. Men spend more years of their lives overweight and have fewer years during which they see a doctor.

KEYWORDS:

• Healthy life expectancy
• chronic diseases
• gender differences