Men and women : together in sickness and health?

Abstract

One of the highest ranked works of non-fiction of the twentieth century is titled ‘Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus’. While most of us may actually agree with such a statement in a generic setting, one would question whether this should hold true in terms of health outcomes and practices. This review attempts to pose this question within the context of the Maltese population and reflects on some reported differences in health behaviour and status between the two genders. Indeed, differences noted in terms of lifestyle practices in other countries and cultures, particularly in the Western world are noted in Malta as well. Maltese women appear to make better lifestyle choices in general; however, there is a lower perceived risk or awareness compared to men for a number of conditions, such as diabetes or obesity. It is unclear whether such behaviour is likely to arise from lack of awareness or simply denial. Nevertheless, Maltese women also exhibit higher rates for utilization of healthcare services, and are more likely to utilize certain types of medications, just like their counterparts elsewhere. Of particular concern is the degree of disability and activity limitation that women are likely to face in their elderly years. Such disparity has serious implications for an ageing population and call for gender-targeted investment along the life course to help reduce such disparity.