How stress of work, smoking and drinking among women has narrowed life expectancy gap
Women are losing their lead over men in life expectancy as they trade homemaking for careers, the Daily Mail reports.
Work stress – and related drinking and smoking – are taking an increasing toll on their health, according to the Office for National Statistics.
In 1963 men were twice as likely to die early as women. Last year however the increased risk fell to one and a half times and the life expectancy gap has fallen from six years to fewer than four.
The ONS study is the first official recognition that women who have abandoned the domestic lives of their grandmothers now face the same shorter lifespans of men.
‘Ministers want women to work long hours when they have children, but these figures…indicates there may be public health problems as a result,’ said Laura Perrins of the pressure group Mothers at Home Matter.
‘There is clearly now a health interest in providing transferable tax allowances that would make it possible for people to stay at home with young children.’
Higher premature death rates for women were most marked in the 55 to 69 age group, the paper found.
‘Increases in women entering the labour force over the last 50 years are considered to have had an impact on stress, smoking and drinking, leading to changes in the health of females,’ said the ONS.
It said male health had improved with lower smoking and drinking rates and fewer dangerous jobs in industrial environments.
Two years ago ONS research found for the first time since the Victorian age that mortality rates were not improving among some groups of working women.
They cited the ‘intermediate’ group that includes saleswomen, counter clerks, clerical workers in the public sector and medical and dental technicians.
Women have always enjoyed greater life expectancy.
But in recent years, while overall life expectancy has been rising, the gap between the sexes has been closing. Life expectancy for a child born between 2011 and 2013 went up to 78.9 for a boy and 82.7 for a girl, leaving a gap between the sexes of 3.8 years.
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