The Gender Breakdown on Research & Health

When it comes to health and wellness, more than half of Americans, men and women alike, say that their family’s health has been improved by medical research, (55% men; 51% women).  Gender differences arise when respondents are asked if disease has affected them personally, or those they love. Remarkably, 40% of men, as opposed to only 25% of women, say neither they nor any one in their extended families or among their close friends suffer from any of a long list of diseases and disabilities. Even controlling for age of respondents, underlying lack of personal experience helps explain other findings in a recent public opinion poll of the U.S. adult population commissioned by Research!America, a nonprofit advocacy and public education alliance dedicated to making research to improve health a higher national priority. Female respondents, significantly more than male respondents, say health issues and health care costs are highest among the concerns facing this country.  Women express less confidence in our system for reviewing the safety and effectiveness of new medicines and devices (59% men; 46% women). Maybe women are just paying more attention.  It seems likely that lack of confidence would spring from women’s experience with personal health challenges and those of people they know and support as caregivers, family members or friends.  The nation can and must do better to discover, develop and deliver medical progress in a manner that justifies robust public confiden...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: gender Source Type: blogs