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Gender inequalities in US adult health: The interplay of race and ethnicity

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  • Read, Jen'nan Ghazal
  • Gorman, Bridget K.

Abstract

Gender differences in adult health are well documented, but only recently has research begun to investigate how race and ethnicity condition gendered health disparities. This paper contributes to this line of inquiry by assessing gender differences in morbidity across five major US racial and ethnic populations. Using data from the 1997-2001 waves of the National Health Interview Survey, the analysis examines differences in men and women's self-rated health, functional limitations, and life-threatening medical conditions for whites, blacks, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans. For each health outcome, we investigate the utility of socioeconomic factors in accounting for observed disparities. Contrary to finding universal excess in female morbidity, the results show that the magnitude of gender difference varies considerably by racial/ethnic group, health outcome, and comparison category. The most striking findings are the consistently higher levels of functional limitations for all women compared to men in their same racial/ethnic group and the poorer health of black women relative to both white and black men for all health measures, after adjustment for socioeconomic and background factors. The gender gap for all other health measures is more variable, and for Mexican women a difference is only evident for functional limitations and only when compared to Mexican men. Our results underscore the need for more research on the role of race and ethnicity in shaping gendered health inequalities and the mechanisms that lead to such variable patterns of difference across and within US racial and ethnic populations.

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  • Read, Jen'nan Ghazal & Gorman, Bridget K., 2006. "Gender inequalities in US adult health: The interplay of race and ethnicity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 62(5), pages 1045-1065, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:62:y:2006:i:5:p:1045-1065
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    5. Bridget Gorman & Jeremy Porter, 2011. "Social Networks and Support, Gender, and Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Hypertension Among Older Adults," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 30(6), pages 885-911, December.
    6. McDonough, Peggy & Worts, Diana & Sacker, Amanda, 2010. "Socioeconomic inequalities in health dynamics: A comparison of Britain and the United States," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 70(2), pages 251-260, January.
    7. Brook, David W. & Rubenstone, Elizabeth & Zhang, Chenshu & Morojele, Neo K. & Brook, Judith S., 2011. "Environmental stressors, low well-being, smoking, and alcohol use among South African adolescents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(9), pages 1447-1453, May.
    8. Erving, Christy L. & McKinnon, Izraelle I. & Van Dyke, Miriam E. & Murden, Raphiel & Udaipuria, Shivika & Vaccarino, Viola & Moore, Reneé H. & Booker, Bianca & Lewis, Tené T., 2024. "Superwoman Schema and self-rated health in black women: Is socioeconomic status a moderator?," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 340(C).
    9. Reagan, Patricia B. & Salsberry, Pamela J., 2014. "Cross race comparisons between SES health gradients among African–American and white women at mid-life," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 81-88.
    10. Warner, David F. & Brown, Tyson H., 2011. "Understanding how race/ethnicity and gender define age-trajectories of disability: An intersectionality approach," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(8), pages 1236-1248, April.
    11. Jen’nan Ghazal Read & Scott M. Lynch & Jessica S. West, 2021. "Disaggregating Heterogeneity among Non-Hispanic Whites: Evidence and Implications for U.S. Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 40(1), pages 9-31, February.
    12. Jenifer Bratter & Bridget Gorman, 2011. "Does Multiracial Matter? A Study of Racial Disparities in Self-Rated Health," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 48(1), pages 127-152, February.

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