Gender differences in self-rated health and their determinants in Turkey: A further analysis of Turkish health survey
Abstract
Objective: This study analysed gender differences in self rated health status and their determinants by gender in Turkey. Methods: This is a further analysis of a 2010 Health Survey conducted by Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) A total of 5488 men and 7149 women in Turkey were included in this cross-sectional study. Self-rated health was analysed using three logistic regression models. Results: The rates of poor health were 9.8% among women and 5.2% among men, with the gender gap increasing with age. Low level of education, chronic diseases and poverty were associated with poor perceived health in both genders. For women, marriage and retirement from secure jobs were associated with good health; obesity and smoking were factors that caused poor health. For men, unemployment had a negative impact on health. Conclusion: The determinants of poor health were associated with not only on socioeconomic status but also on gender in the Turkey. Marriage may provide social protection for women where there are insufficient social policies to protect them.
Keywords
Gender differences,socio-economic status,health determinants,Turkey Health Survey
References
- 1. Udry JR. The nature of gender. Demography 1994;31(4):561-573.
- 2. Doyal L. Gender equity in health: debates and dilemmas. Soc Sci Med 2000;51(6): 931-939.
- 3. Pollard T & Hyatt S. Sex, gender and health: integrating biological and social perspectives. In: Pollard T & Hyatt S (Eds) Sex, Gender and Health. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1999. p.1-17.
- 4. OECD. Perceived Health Status. In Health at a Glance 2011: OECD Indicators, OECD Publishing. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/health_glance-2011-12-en Accessed: April 14, 2014.
- 5. Denton M, Prus S, Walters V. Gender differences in health: a Canadian study of the psychosocial, structural and behavioural determinants of health. Soc Sci Med 2004;58(12): 2585-2600.
- 6. Wamala S, Lynch J. Introduction. Integrating research on gender and social inequities in health” In: Gender and Social Inequities in Health- A Public Health Issue. Eds. Wamala S & Lynch J. Sweden: Studentlitteratur Lund; 2002. p.12-20
- 7. Östlin P. Gender inequalities in health: the significance of work In: Wamala S & Lynch J (Eds) Gender and Social Inequities in Health- A Public Health Issue. Sweden: Studentlitteratur Lund; 2002. p.43-66
- 8. Rieker PP, Bird CE, Lang ME. Understanding Gender and Health. In: Bird CE, Conrad P, Fremont AM, Timmermans S (Eds) The Handbook of Medical Sociology, 6th ed. Nashville:Vanderbilt University Press, 2010. p.52-73.
- 9. Sen G, Östlin P. Gender as a social determinant of health: evidence, policies, an innovation. In: Sen G & Östlin P (Eds) Gender equity in health: the shifting frontiers of evidence and action. New York: Taylor & Francis 2010. p.4-7.
- 10. TurkStat. Health Survey 2010. Ankara: Turkish Statistical Institute. 2013 Available at:http://www.turkstat.gov.tr/ PreTablo.do?alt_id=1095