CHAPTER 6

Gender and Health

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Statements such as “boys don’t cry” or “girls are emotional” are based on ________.
   1. sex differences
   2. gender roles expectations
   3. biological differences between male and female species
   4. consistent and scientific observations
2. The following statement is FALSE: ________.
   1. Women report poorer health but live longer than men
   2. Women’s education level is linked to overall population health
   3. Life expectancy gap between men and women in Canada and other affluent countries got bigger in the past 20 years and is projected to grow even more
   4. The health-income inequality gap is smaller for women than for men
3. The following statement most closely matches the evidence: ________.
   1. An individual’s sex is a major determinant of health
   2. An individual’s gender is a major determinant of health
   3. Neither sex nor gender matter because of enormous within sex/gender variability
   4. Patterned differences in health and life expectancy arise out of the complex interaction of sex and gender
4. The health differences associated with income inequality are smaller for women than for men. This can be partially explained by ________.
   1. critical developmental junctures
   2. Barker’s hypothesis
   3. social support effects
   4. latent effects
5. The morbidity paradox refers to the fact that ________.
   1. women have higher rates of breast cancer than men
   2. women have higher rates of heart disease than men
   3. women report more poor health but live longer than men
   4. men are more likely to complain to doctors but women are the one who are overmedicated
6. Older men are more likely to experience ________, whereas older women are more likely to experience ________.
   1. heart attacks/cancer
   2. sudden and life-threatening diseases/non-fatal and degenerative conditions
   3. respiratory diseases/higher rates of suicide
   4. strokes/sudden heart attacks

1. The problem with self-reported health as a measure of gender differences in health is that ________.
   1. women may report more poor health for social reasons, such as greater sensitivity to health issues and more frequent consultations with health care providers
   2. it is an inappropriate and generally poor measure of health status
   3. women are more prone to recall bias than men
   4. men are more likely than women to complain about minor ailments
2. The following statement is FALSE: ________.
   1. The two leading causes of death, cancer and heart disease, are the same for men and women
   2. Women are more likely to suffer from arthritis and Lupus
   3. Parkinson’s disease is more prevalent among men
   4. Women are more likely to die from an accident
3. We know that ________.
   1. married men have better health than single, divorced, or widowed men
   2. single men have better health than married men
   3. married men are more likely to suffer from depression than single men but less likely than widowed men
   4. married women have poorer health than single, divorced or widowed women
4. Health benefits of marriage for ________ in terms of self-reported health and longevity are ________.
   1. women; growing
   2. men; growing
   3. both men and women; shrinking
   4. both men and women; growing
5. For women delaying or foregoing childbirth raises the risk of ________.
   1. diabetes
   2. breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers
   3. hypertension
   4. auto-immune conditions such as Lupus
6. Recent research suggests that ________.
   1. childless couples are healthier and happier than couples who have children
   2. men, in particular, are happier without children
   3. childless women are more likely than childless men to be depressed
   4. childless women are more likely than women with children to be depressed
7. When we examine the impact of stress on women’s health, we find that ________.
   1. women who combine paid employment with family responsibilities are more likely to experience ill health than women who do not work, especially if these women are employed in high-status, high-demand jobs
   2. women do not experience stress to the same extent as men
   3. women who do not work fare much better than women who occupy high-demand and low-control jobs
   4. women rely on various social support systems to buffer the negative effect of stress
8. Recently, Canada ranked fourth in the world on the United Nations gender-development index. However, all of the following EXCEPT ________ continue to be a problem in Canada in terms of gender equity.
   1. the income gap between men and women
   2. the proportion of women in senior management positions
   3. the number of women in parliament
   4. female post-secondary education
9. The following statement is FALSE: ________.
   1. In the modern world, attitudes towards male homosexuality have been predominantly negative across cultures
   2. Penal codes specify life imprisonment for sodomy in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Malaysia
   3. Criminal penalties for homosexual activity were applied in the United States until 2003
   4. All religious traditions strictly prohibit sexual relations between men
10. ________ are more likely to have lower education and lower income than the general population, potentially adversely affecting their health.
    1. Homosexual men
    2. Lesbian women
    3. Bisexual men
    4. Transgender individuals
11. All of the following statements about gay men in North America are true EXCEPT: ________.
    1. They are more highly educated and more affluent than the general population
    2. They are more likely to be poorer than the general population
    3. They are more likely to live in better neighbourhoods than the general population
    4. They are more likely to engage in high risk behaviours than the general population
12. The health of ________ is ________ than that of the general population.
    1. gay men; worse
    2. lesbian women; better
    3. bisexual women; worse
    4. all sexual minority groups; worse
13. Anorexia is ________.
    1. a condition that has afflicted mostly women since ancient times
    2. a modern condition caused by social pressure on girls to be ultra-thin
    3. a well-understood condition involving genetic and hormonal causes
    4. a relatively unimportant teenage issue that most women overcome
14. The most common accused–victim relationship of murder-suicide in Canada is ________.
    1. women killing their spouse
    2. men killing their parents
    3. women killing their child/children
    4. men killing their spouse

True or False Questions

1. The term “gender identity” can be used interchangeably with the term “sexual expression.”
2. Older women are more likely than older men to have a sudden, fatal heart attack.
3. Hinduism, Confucianism, and Taoism generally disapprove of non-vaginal intercourse, regarding it to be impure, but none of them prohibits sex between men.
4. Gay men on average are wealthier, more educated, and healthier than the general population.
5. Smoking is more prevalent among gay and bisexual men than among general population.
6. Today, sexual minorities no longer experience hostility and discrimination in Canada.
7. The five leading causes of death are identical for men and women.
8. Women in most societies are more connected with their immediate families and their neighbours than are men, and this has a buffering effect on women’s health.
9. Childless couples are less happy and less healthy than couples who have children.
10. Men are more likely to die from or get injured as a result of violence.

Short Answer Questions

1. Men’s and women’s health can differ in several ways. What are three examples of these differences?
2. What is the morbidity paradox?
3. In what ways is the health of men and women very different?
4. What are the effects of marriage on health? Have those effects been changing?
5. What are the major differences between health and health-related behaviours of heterosexual and homosexual men?

Essay Questions

1. Discuss and analyze gender differences in health. Include potential causes for these differences and their effect on health of men and women.
2. What is morbidity paradox? Does it reflect real differences in health status or does it arise from social factors? What are some of those factors?
3. Why is it that the education of women has a profound impact on their own health and on the health of their communities, whereas the education of men has less overall population health impact?