Cross-national Comparison of Sex Differences in Morbidity in Wealthy Nations: The Role of Labor Force Trajectories

• In Event: 439 - Regular Session. Population Health

Abstract

Cross-national population health studies have noted divergences in gender patterns of mortality and morbidity among western countries in the second half of twentieth century. A prominent hypothesis for explaining the variation has been the evolution of distinctive gender patterns of labor force participation within national labor markets. This study uses a combination of SHARELIFE and SHARE data to contrast the typical labor force trajectory of men and women born between 1945 and 1955 in France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. We employ sequence and cluster analytic techniques to identify distinct labor force trajectory types within each country, and then use the identified labor force trajectory types to predict grip strength in later life. Our study shows evidence that different health trajectories are associated with varied levels of grip strength among older adults, and that the health implications of the same health trajectory may differ by gender.

Authors

• Sarah Burgard, University of Michigan

• Lucie Kalousova, University of Michigan