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Summary
Male mortality is 60% higher than female mortality, largely due to behaviors like smoking and risk-taking. Societal expectations for men significantly contribute to these elevated death rates.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Sociology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Male mortality rates in the U.S. are significantly higher than female rates.
- A substantial portion of this disparity is linked to lifestyle and behavioral factors.
- Understanding these contributing factors is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavioral and societal factors contributing to the excess male mortality.
- To analyze the role of specific behaviors in the higher incidence of certain diseases and causes of death among men.
- To explore the relationship between societal expectations and health outcomes in males versus females.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of mortality data between males and females.
- Examination of the prevalence of risk behaviors (e.g., smoking, alcohol consumption, risk-taking) in both sexes.
- Review of literature on the Coronary Prone Behavior Pattern and its association with heart disease.
Main Results:
- Arteriosclerotic heart disease accounts for 40% of excess male mortality, linked to higher smoking rates and the Coronary Prone Behavior Pattern in men.
- Other significant contributors to excess male mortality include suicide, accidents, liver cirrhosis, and respiratory diseases, all associated with male-encouraged behaviors.
- Societal encouragement of behaviors such as gun use, alcohol consumption, smoking, hazardous work, and fearlessness in males contributes significantly to their elevated mortality rates.
Conclusions:
- Behavioral factors, often encouraged or accepted more in males by society, are major contributors to the elevated mortality rates observed in men.
- Addressing societal expectations and associated risk behaviors in males is essential for reducing the male-female mortality gap.
- While oophorectomy may increase cardiovascular risk in women, hormone therapy shows limited benefit; behavioral changes are key for male cardiovascular health.