[Sex differences in perceived health]

Findings from health surveys show that women report more physical complaints than men. These sex differences have been attributed to physical, psychological and social factors. In a large-scale morbidity registration project in general practice in Nijmegen (the Netherlands) women reported more 'medically unexplained symptoms' to their GP, but especially had more sex-specific (gynaecological) problems and consultations for preventive purposes. An empirical study among 173 healthy GP patients showed that the general tendency to report physical symptoms (somatization) is higher in women than in men. The higher symptom score in women can be explained with the symptom perception model: women have more negative affectivity, more selective attention for their bodies and less distraction from the surroundings, which enhances somatization. The differences in perceived health are the result of the (sex-specific) way in which men and women perceive and interpret their symptoms and the (sex-specific) way in which they act upon them by consulting their GP.