The male-female health-survival paradox and sex differences in cohort life expectancy in Utah, Denmark, and Sweden 1850-1910

Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen; Heidi A. Hanson; Anna Oksuzyan; Geraldine P. Mineau; Kaare Christensen; Ken R. Smith

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.02.001

The male-female health-survival paradox and sex differences in cohort life expectancy in Utah, Denmark, and Sweden 1850-1910

Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen, Heidi A. Hanson, Anna Oksuzyan, Geraldine P. Mineau, Kaare Christensen, Ken R. Smith

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

64 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: In Utah, the prevalence of unhealthy male risk behaviors are lower than in most other male populations, whereas women experience higher mortality risk because of higher fertility rates. Therefore, we hypothesize that the Utah sex differential in mortality would be small and less than in Sweden and Denmark. Methods: Life tables from Utah, Denmark, and Sweden were used to calculate cohort life expectancies for men and women born in 1850-1910. Results: The sex difference in cohort life expectancy was similar or larger in Utah when compared with Denmark and Sweden. The change over time in the sex differences in cohort life expectancy was approximately 2 years smaller for active Mormons in Utah than for other groups suggesting lifestyle as an important component for the overall change seen in cohort life expectancy. Sex differences in cohort life expectancy at the age of 50 years were similar for individuals actively affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for Denmark and Sweden. Conclusions: The hypothesis that a smaller sex difference in cohort life expectancies in Utah would be detected in relation to Denmark and Sweden was not supported. In Utah, the male-female differences in life expectancy remain substantial pointing toward biological mechanisms or other unmeasured risk factors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	161-166
Number of pages	6
Journal	Annals of Epidemiology
Volume	23
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.02.001
State	Published - Apr 2013
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors thank the Huntsman Cancer Foundation for database support provided to the Pedigree and Population Resource of the Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI), University of Utah. The authors also thank Alison Fraser and Diana Lane Reed at the HCI for their valuable assistance in managing the data. Partial support for all data sets within the Utah Population Database was provided by HCI at the University of Utah and the HCI Cancer Centre support grant, P30 CA42014 from National Cancer Institute . This work was supported by K.R.S., H.A.H., and G.P.M. by the National Institutes of Health grant ( AG022095 ) and by research grants from the National Institute on Aging ( NIA-P01-AG031719 ) and the VELUX Foundation .

Keywords

Immigrants
Life expectancy
Lifestyle
Religion

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10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.02.001

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title = "The male-female health-survival paradox and sex differences in cohort life expectancy in Utah, Denmark, and Sweden 1850-1910",

abstract = "Purpose: In Utah, the prevalence of unhealthy male risk behaviors are lower than in most other male populations, whereas women experience higher mortality risk because of higher fertility rates. Therefore, we hypothesize that the Utah sex differential in mortality would be small and less than in Sweden and Denmark. Methods: Life tables from Utah, Denmark, and Sweden were used to calculate cohort life expectancies for men and women born in 1850-1910. Results: The sex difference in cohort life expectancy was similar or larger in Utah when compared with Denmark and Sweden. The change over time in the sex differences in cohort life expectancy was approximately 2 years smaller for active Mormons in Utah than for other groups suggesting lifestyle as an important component for the overall change seen in cohort life expectancy. Sex differences in cohort life expectancy at the age of 50 years were similar for individuals actively affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for Denmark and Sweden. Conclusions: The hypothesis that a smaller sex difference in cohort life expectancies in Utah would be detected in relation to Denmark and Sweden was not supported. In Utah, the male-female differences in life expectancy remain substantial pointing toward biological mechanisms or other unmeasured risk factors.",

keywords = "Immigrants, Life expectancy, Lifestyle, Religion",

author = "Rune Lindahl-Jacobsen and Hanson, \{Heidi A.\} and Anna Oksuzyan and Mineau, \{Geraldine P.\} and Kaare Christensen and Smith, \{Ken R.\}",

year = "2013",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.annepidem.2013.02.001",

language = "English",

volume = "23",

pages = "161--166",

journal = "Annals of Epidemiology",

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AU - Lindahl-Jacobsen, Rune

AU - Hanson, Heidi A.

AU - Oksuzyan, Anna

AU - Mineau, Geraldine P.

AU - Christensen, Kaare

AU - Smith, Ken R.

PY - 2013/4

Y1 - 2013/4

N2 - Purpose: In Utah, the prevalence of unhealthy male risk behaviors are lower than in most other male populations, whereas women experience higher mortality risk because of higher fertility rates. Therefore, we hypothesize that the Utah sex differential in mortality would be small and less than in Sweden and Denmark. Methods: Life tables from Utah, Denmark, and Sweden were used to calculate cohort life expectancies for men and women born in 1850-1910. Results: The sex difference in cohort life expectancy was similar or larger in Utah when compared with Denmark and Sweden. The change over time in the sex differences in cohort life expectancy was approximately 2 years smaller for active Mormons in Utah than for other groups suggesting lifestyle as an important component for the overall change seen in cohort life expectancy. Sex differences in cohort life expectancy at the age of 50 years were similar for individuals actively affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for Denmark and Sweden. Conclusions: The hypothesis that a smaller sex difference in cohort life expectancies in Utah would be detected in relation to Denmark and Sweden was not supported. In Utah, the male-female differences in life expectancy remain substantial pointing toward biological mechanisms or other unmeasured risk factors.

AB - Purpose: In Utah, the prevalence of unhealthy male risk behaviors are lower than in most other male populations, whereas women experience higher mortality risk because of higher fertility rates. Therefore, we hypothesize that the Utah sex differential in mortality would be small and less than in Sweden and Denmark. Methods: Life tables from Utah, Denmark, and Sweden were used to calculate cohort life expectancies for men and women born in 1850-1910. Results: The sex difference in cohort life expectancy was similar or larger in Utah when compared with Denmark and Sweden. The change over time in the sex differences in cohort life expectancy was approximately 2 years smaller for active Mormons in Utah than for other groups suggesting lifestyle as an important component for the overall change seen in cohort life expectancy. Sex differences in cohort life expectancy at the age of 50 years were similar for individuals actively affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and for Denmark and Sweden. Conclusions: The hypothesis that a smaller sex difference in cohort life expectancies in Utah would be detected in relation to Denmark and Sweden was not supported. In Utah, the male-female differences in life expectancy remain substantial pointing toward biological mechanisms or other unmeasured risk factors.

KW - Immigrants

KW - Life expectancy

KW - Lifestyle

KW - Religion

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The male-female health-survival paradox and sex differences in cohort life expectancy in Utah, Denmark, and Sweden 1850-1910

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