Explaining differential rates of mortality decline for Swedish men and women: a time-series analysis, 1945-1992

The aim of this study is to identify social factors that could be related to differential rates of mortality decline for men and women in Sweden. The annual changes in fifteen indicators and their relationship with changes in absolute excess male mortality were analyzed by means of time series analysis for the period 1945-1992. Economic growth seems to have been more beneficial for women's survival than for that of men. A few labor market indicators (unemployment rate and the wage ratio men/women) may have had some influence on changes in excess male mortality as well. Consumption factors, such as alcohol consumption and cigarette consumption, have been important for changes in excess male mortality. Changes in excess male mortality have been particularly pronounced among 65-74 year olds, due to rapidly improved female survival in these age groups. I discuss the finding that there seem to be connections between, on the one hand, changes in general social factors such as economic growth and labor market factors, and perhaps urbanization and alcohol and cigarette consumption on the other. I therefore suggest that gender-specific consumer behavior, seen as an outcome of gender-specific norm systems, is one mechanism which links changes in general social factors to changes in excess male mortality.