Gender differences in health-related quality of life.
In 1986 the life expectancy at birth was 71.3 years for males and 78.3 years for females--providing a 7-year advantage for women. Although women live longer, it has been reported that they paradoxically experience more physical and psychological illnesses. In this article, we estimate the expected well-years or quality-adjusted life years for men and women in the general population. The data were obtained in a random sample of 1,034 residents of San Diego. The well-life expectancy uses standard life expectancies with adjustments for quality of life. The well-life expectancy for men was 59.8 years; for women, it was 62.7 years. Thus, the quality adjustment had significantly more impact on women (15.6 years) than on men (11.5 years). Age-specific estimates of health-related quality of life suggested a male advantage before age 45 and a female advantage after age 45. The benefits of well-years of life as a public health statistic are discussed.
Kaplan
R M
RM
Department of Community and Family Medicine, University of California, San Diego.
Anderson
J P
JP
Wingard
D L
DL
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012744:Sex Ratio; D012803:Sick Role; D015996:Survival Rate