Sex Differences in Reports of Illness and Disability: A Preliminary Test of the "Fixed Role Obligations" Hypothesis

Abstract

Data from health surveys typically show higher rates of morbidity among women than among men, while mortality data show the opposite pattern. Medical sociologists have formulated several key hypotheses to explain this female excess in morbidity, particularly as it occurs in milder forms of illness and disability. One such hypothesis was examined using data from the Los Angeles California, USA Health Survey. According to the fixed role obligations hypothesis, inflexible role obligations contribute to male/female differences in reporting illness and disability. Controlling for such role obligations (particularly employment status) reduces male/female differences in reporting disability days but self-reports of chronic conditions continue to show significant male/female differences independent of these roles. Apparently, the fixed role obligations hypothesis is most appropriate for explaining male/female differences in sick-role behaviors that compete directly with fixed role obligations.