ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the authors address the public health or health disparity perspective. Although sex disparities in health are found for both males and females, they are most often related to disadvantaged socioeconomic status and related health status or to conditions among women. The authors attempt to use age-standardized rates to assess gender differences in diseases and hospital procedures. In the context of the morbidity–mortality paradox in demography, the authors show that hospitalization data in general do not support the paradox. Males had more comorbidities than females, and more males than females were hospitalized for the leading causes of death. Moreover, males had higher rates than females for 7 out of 10 leading causes of death comorbidities: heart disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injuries, diabetes, kidney diseases, and influenza and pneumonia. Studies of the mortality–morbidity paradox often compare disease-specific prevalence by sex, which shows no difference when disease prevalence among populations is monitored.
