The Changing Gender Gap in Late Age Self-reported Health in Taiwan

• In Event: 3422 - Section on Aging and Life Course Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 04. Global Health and Inequality

Abstract

It has been common in industrialized country settings for women to report being in poor health at higher rates compared with men’s reports. As in the United States and many countries in Europe, there is growing evidence that this gender gap in health has declined in countries which experienced compressed periods of rapid economic growth during the latter part of the 20th century. Narrowing gender gaps in key health determinants such as education and economic circumstances are commonly attributed for evidence of closing gender gaps in measures of health that correspond with economic expansions. However, birth cohort differences in the gender gap which accompany economic growth may also reflect changes over the life course in important exposures influencing gender differences in health. The effects of such age-related changes may be especially pronounced during the onset of health conditions in middle and late age.

Authors

• Robert White, University of Florida

• Fang-Yi Huang, University of Florida