Women have greater longevity than men and represent a larger proportion of
the expanding older population. Several health, disease, behavioral and soc
iodemographic factors contribute to the higher prevalence of disability in
women compared to men. This paper presents a review of methodologic and epi
demiologic considerations important to our understanding the gender differe
nces in the prevalence of disability, and discusses underlying causes for t
hese differences. Compared to men, women have a longer duration of life liv
ed with disability, in part due to higher prevalence of non-fatal chronic c
onditions, constitutional factors such as lower muscle strength and lower b
one density, and higher rates of life style factors suck as sedentary behav
ior and obesity. Several of these factors are modifiable, and provide impor
tant targets for researchers, clinicians, and public health practitioners i
n their efforts to reduce the burden of disability in the older population.
(C) 2000. Editrice Kurtis.