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Quality of Life Research
Published in: Quality of Life Research 8/2010

Open Access 01-10-2010

Gender differences in health-related quality-of-life are partly explained by sociodemographic and socioeconomic variation between adult men and women in the US: evidence from four US nationally representative data sets

Authors: Dasha Cherepanov, Mari Palta, Dennis G. Fryback, Stephanie A. Robert

Published in: Quality of Life Research | Issue 8/2010

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe gender differences in self-reported health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) and to examine whether differences are explained by sociodemographic and socioeconomic status (SES) differentials between men and women.

Methods

Data were from four US nationally representative surveys: US Valuation of the EuroQol EQ-5D Health States Survey (USVEQ), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), National Health Measurement Study (NHMS) and Joint Canada/US Survey of Health (JCUSH). Gender differences were estimated with and without adjustment for sociodemographic and SES indicators using regression within and across data sets with SF-6D, EQ-5D, HUI2, HUI3 and QWB-SA scores as outcomes.

Results

Women have lower HRQoL scores than men on all indexes prior to adjustment. Adjusting for age, race, marital status, education and income reduced but did not remove the gender differences, except with HUI3. Adjusting for marital status or income had the largest impact on estimated gender differences.

Conclusions

There are clear gender differences in HRQoL in the United States. These differences are partly explained by sociodemographic and SES differentials.
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Metadata
Title
Gender differences in health-related quality-of-life are partly explained by sociodemographic and socioeconomic variation between adult men and women in the US: evidence from four US nationally representative data sets
Authors
Dasha Cherepanov
Mari Palta
Dennis G. Fryback
Stephanie A. Robert
Publication date
01-10-2010
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Quality of Life Research / Issue 8/2010
Print ISSN: 0962-9343
Electronic ISSN: 1573-2649
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-010-9673-x

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