Gender and Health
The Effects of Constrained Choices and Social Policies

Gender and Health is the first book to examine how men's and women's lives and their physiology contribute to differences in their health.

Chloe E. Bird (Author), Patricia P. Rieker (Author)

9780521682800, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 28 January 2008

274 pages, 6 tables
22.9 x 15.9 x 1.4 cm, 0.37 kg

'This book is clearly written, giving depth and meaning to the complexity of gender differences in health while acknowledging diversity among women and men. The key argument - that gender differences in health can best be explained through the coordinated study of social and biological factors and that social constraints affect life choices and individuals' susceptibility to chronic conditions - seems eminently reasonable and sensible. … I would … defy anyone to come away from reading this important volume thinking that gender does not matter in the dialogue about health and its determinants.' Health Sociology

Chloe Bird and Patricia Rieker argue that to improve men's and women's health, individuals, researchers, and policymakers must understand the social and biological sources of the perplexing gender differences in illness and longevity. Although individuals are increasingly aware of what they should do to improve health, competing demands for time, money, and attention discourage or prevent healthy behavior. Drawing on research and cross-national examples of family, work, community, and government policies, the authors develop a model of constrained choice that addresses how decisions and actions at each of these levels shape men's and women's health-related opportunities. Understanding the cumulative impact of their choices can inform individuals at each of these levels how to better integrate health implications into their everyday decisions and actions. Their platform for prevention calls for a radical reorientation of health science and policy to help individuals pursue health and to lower the barriers that may discourage that pursuit.

1. Gender differences in health: are they biological, social or both?
2. Gender and barriers to health: constrained choice in everyday decisions
3. National social policies and constrained choice
4. The impact of community on health
5. Priorities and expectations: men's and women's work, family life and health
6. Gender and individual health choices
7. Opportunities for change.

Subject Areas: Medical sociology [MBS], Economics [KC], Politics & government [JP], Sociology [JHB], Gender studies, gender groups [JFSJ]