In: Nursing
While life expectancies continue to increase, differences exist between men and women. As a general rule, women outlive men, yet there are a few countries where men survive longer than women.
Some reasons women outlive men in the United States and most countries in the world :
-Men show higher rates of arteriosclerotic disease, higher death rates due to lung cancer and emphysema, due to greater cigarette smoking in men compared to women.
-Men are also more likely to drink excessively and be overweight.
-Less likely to seek medical help early when required, and when diagnosed with a disease less likely to be adherent to treatment.
-More likely to take life threatening risks, leading to death due to car accidents, brawls or gun fights.
Some reasons men outlive women in some
united states:
-Women often lack access to healthcare services in low income countries.
-Maternal death rate is high in low income countries.
There are less than four nursing and midwifery personnel per 1000 people in more than 90 percent of low income countries. One in 41 women dies from maternal cause compared to one in 3300 women in high income countries.
Factors that contribute to these gender differences
-Certain behaviours are considered more acceptable in men than women in certain societies, for example usage of guns, being adventurous and unafraid, working hazardous jobs or engaging in hazardous behaviour, drinking alcohol excessively.
-Elevated testosterone is associated with risky behaviour. Some experts suggest testosterone may abbreviate a man's lifespan in other ways such as by decreasing immune function and increasing risk for cardiovascular diseases.
Estrogen in women, on the other hand plays an antioxidant role. It also maintains normal healthy cell function.