The disparity in life expectancy between American men and women has reached its highest point since the mid-1990s, with men now trailing women by almost six years. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and Harvard University T.H. Chan School of Public Health have identified the pandemic and opioid overdoses as key factors contributing to this growing gender difference in longevity.Â
Dr. Brandon Yan, a resident in internal medicine at UCSF and the first study author, emphasized the lack of systematic analysis into the widening gap between men and women since 2010. In 2021, the gender gap in life expectancy expanded to 5.8 years, marking its largest difference since 1996. This is a significant increase from the 4.8-year gap recorded in 2010, which was its smallest in recent history.Â
The overall life expectancy in the United States declined to 76.1 years in 2021, down from 78.8 years in 2019 and 77 years in 2020. The researchers attributed the widening gender gap primarily to the pandemic, which had a more substantial impact on men. Unintentional injuries, including poisonings (mainly from drug overdoses), accidents, and suicides, were identified as additional contributors to this discrepancy.Â
“Deaths of despair,” referring to fatalities caused by suicide, drug use disorders, and alcoholic liver disease, were also highlighted as a factor in the decreasing lifespan of Americans. These deaths are often associated with economic hardship, depression, and stress. Dr. Yan emphasized that while death rates from drug overdose and homicide have risen for both genders, men now represent a disproportionately larger share of these deaths.
The research team utilized data from the National Center for Health Statistics to identify the leading causes of death contributing to the decline in life expectancy. They also examined how different causes influenced the growing gap between men and women.Â
Several factors were identified as contributing to men’s higher likelihood of dying from COVID during the pandemic, including differences in health behaviours, on-the-job exposure risks, reluctance to seek medical care, incarceration, housing instability, chronic metabolic disorders, mental illness, and gun violence.Â
The findings of the study were published online on November 13 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. Dr. Yan expressed concern about the concerning trend revealed in their research and stressed the importance of future investigations to guide public health interventions aimed at reversing the decline in life expectancy.
He also raised questions about the necessity of specialized care, particularly in mental health, for men. Senior author Dr. Howard Koh, a professor of public health leadership at Harvard, emphasized the need for ongoing monitoring of these trends as the pandemic subsides.
He underscored the importance of significant investments in prevention and care to prevent the entrenchment of widening disparities, including the growing gap in life expectancy between men and women. As the situation evolves, Dr. Koh called for vigilance and continued efforts to address these issues and ensure the well-being of the population.Â
Journal Reference Â
Brandon W. Yan et al, Widening Gender Gap in Life Expectancy in the US, 2010-2021, JAMA Internal Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.6041Â
