The 1918 influenza epidemic's effects on sex differentials in mortality inthe United States

The 1918 influenza epidemic had a marked and fairly long-lasting effect on the sex differential in mortality in the United States. After 1918 women lo st most of their mortality advantage over men and the female/male gap did n ot regain its pre-epidemic level until the 1930s. An analysis of causes of deaths shows a link with tuberculosis. We conjecture the existence of a sel ection effect, whereby many 1918 influenza deaths were among tuberculous pe rsons, so that tuberculosis death rates dropped in later years, disproporti onately among males. Age- and sex-specific data by cause of death corrobora te this hypothesis.