The purpose of this paper is to explore gender differences in life expectancy. Specifically, the exploration will attempt to answer the following question: Why, on average, do men die at younger ages than do women? Fraser (2003) attributed increased longevity to a vegetarian diet. He reported, however, that even among vegetarians the gender difference favoring women still applies. Di Giilio (2007) noted that the differences in longevity between men and women are attributable to a mix of "biological factors" and to "behavioral factors" (p. 31). With respect to the many hypotheses that have been advanced to determine where the primary causes lie, however, Di Giilio (2007) reported that no "firm conclusions" have been drawn (p. 31). Statistical data support the conventional wisdom that women live longer than men do (Watkins, 2006). The validation of causal factors that explain this phenomenon, however, is a less than certain process (Emslie & Hunt, 2008).
Peer-reviewed journal articles that deal with the issue of gender and life expectancy were reviewed. The reviewed articles were published during the inclusive period 2003-2008. The findings of the reviewed articles are summarized in the remainder of this paper as a means of providing insights into possible causes of gender differences in life expectancy.
Exploration of Explanations for Gender-Related Variations in Life Expectancy
While life expectancy varies substantially across countries, there remains a near universal gender-related variation wherein on average women live longer lives than men do. A World Bank (2006) report covering 138 countries found that, on average, men outlived women in only three countries. In Zimbabwe, the life expectancy for men is 38 years compared to 37 years for women. In Zambia, the life expectancy for men is 39 years compared to 38 years for women. In Kenya, the life expectancy for men is 49 years compared to 48 years for ...