gender and health - cota australia · gender and health • women have longer life expectancy, more...
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Gender and Health
Professor Julie Byles
Research Centre for Gender, Health and
Ageing
The University of Newcastle
The “average older person” - adjusting for gender
“broken down by age and sex” – constraints of categorisation
Ageing as “women’s business” - single gender views*
Ageing and diversity –
heteronormative/ cisnormative assumptions
Gender and health • Women have longer life expectancy, more
disability, longer healthy life expectancy, more chronic conditions
• Biological basis for some differences
• Impacts of childbearing – iron stores, bone density, prolapse, incontinence
• Health seeking and bias in health care
• Gender norms – expectations and social status
• Gender roles – family, domestic, occupational
• Gender relations – unequal power and access to resources
• Dynamic effects and interactions – varying across cultures and generations
Women more likely to report bad or very bad health
Gender and health • Women have longer life expectancy, more
disability, longer healthy life expectancy, more chronic conditions
• Biological basis for some differences
• Impacts of childbearing – iron stores, bone density, prolapse, incontinence
• Health seeking and bias in health care
• Gender norms – expectations and social status
• Gender roles – family, domestic, occupational
• Gender relations – unequal power and access to resources
• Dynamic effects and interactions – varying across cultures and generations
Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health
Age and health-related quality of life
0102030405060708090
100
1973-78
1946-51
1921-26
Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health
Changes in Physical Function scores 1996-2013
Survey 1 Survey 2 Survey 3 Survey 4 Survey 5 Survey 6 6M FU
1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2011-13
70-75y 73-78y 76-81y 79-84y 82-87y 85-90y 85-92y
0
20
40
60
80
100
Mea
n P
F
Different patterns of change in physical function
What can we learn from the women?
Consistently Good Health
– not without physical problems
Poor health
Setbacks- likely to improve. More pessimistic about getting over events
and illnesses.
Vitality – Active and fit Slowing down
Some slowing down with ageing. “everything is gradually wearing out”
Participation _Active Passive
Dancing, gardening, volunteer work reading
Mobility and physical function – Can do Can’t do
Adapt to increasing difficulties and
limitations to physical function.
Generally still able to drive
Describe what they can’t do (rather than
what they can do or hope to do)
Talked about not being able to drive
Generally satisfied with life.
“hope” “grateful” ‘Lucky” “Fortunate”
Content
“Pathetic”
The goddess Tatara
Created by Zel Caddey
2015