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Sex Differences in the Use of Health Services

  • Chapter
Illness Behavior

Abstract

It is widely known that women have much higher rates of physician utilization than men. This is true even when pregnancy-related visits are taken out of consideration (Nathanson, 1977). It might be that this difference accurately describes the higher rates of ill health experienced by women, but proponents of an illness behaviour perspective argue that it also reflects a more active female response to symptoms (Mechanic, 1976). This argument is consistent with the fact that women are much more likely than men to present with complaints of mild symptoms (Verbrugge, 1976). Discretion in seeking professional help for symptoms of this sort is high (Mechanic, 1978).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan, USA

    Ronald Kessler

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  1. Ronald Kessler
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Sean McHugh  & T. Michael Vallis  & 

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© 1986 Plenum Press, New York

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Kessler, R. (1986). Sex Differences in the Use of Health Services. In: McHugh, S., Vallis, T.M. (eds) Illness Behavior. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5257-0_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5257-0_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5259-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5257-0

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