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Gender differences in the perceptions of common cold symptoms
1MRC Medical Sociology Unit, Glasgow, U.K.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Men tend to over-report cold symptoms more than women. This suggests actual gender differences in illness morbidity may be underestimated, not exaggerated, due to varying symptom perception thresholds.
Area of Science:
- Medical Sociology
- Psychology of Health
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Higher reported morbidity in women is often linked to lower symptom reporting thresholds.
- Previous research has not conclusively determined if this reflects actual differences or reporting biases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gender differences in the perception and reporting of minor illness symptoms.
- To determine if gender differences in symptom reporting exaggerate or underestimate true morbidity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the MRC Common Cold Unit study.
- Volunteers and a clinical observer used identical measures to assess cold presence and severity (double-blind ratings).
- Statistical adjustments were made for confounding variables.
Main Results:
- Men were significantly more likely than women to over-rate their symptoms compared to the clinical observer.
- This finding held even after adjusting for other variables.
Conclusions:
- Differing thresholds for symptom perception and reporting may lead to an underestimation of true gender differences in morbidity.
- The tendency for men to over-report symptoms does not necessarily exaggerate gender differences in illness rates.