FEMALE LIFE EXPECTANCY, GENDER STRATIFICATION, HEALTH-STATUS, AND LEVEL OF ECONOMIC-DEVELOPMENT - A CROSS-NATIONAL-STUDY OF LESS-DEVELOPED-COUNTRIES

A number of studies have attempted to account for cross-national diffe rences in life expectancy, but relatively few have focused on female l ife expectancy, and even fewer on the relevance of predictors linked t o gender stratification theory. The present study seeks to assess the utility of gender stratification theory in accounting for cross-nation al differences in female life expectancy in less developed countries. An incremental model building strategy is used to develop a final mode l that combines predictors linked to both industrialism theory and gen der stratification theory. The analysis is based on multiple regressio n and cross-sectional samples that vary in size from 40 to 97 countrie s. Evidence is presented that several aspects of women's status have a positive effect on female life expectancy. Indicators of women's educ ational status, women's economic status, and women's reproductive auto nomy all prove to be important predictors of female life expectancy. A nalysis of interaction effects suggests that the strength of the effec ts of some aspects of women's economic status and the effect of some a spects of health status on female life expectancy vary with the level of economic development. A comprehensive assessment of the relative st rength of alternative measures of women's education is carried out, an d evidence is presented that it does make a difference how the level o f women's education is measured. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.