Get married or get a degree to live longer says study, debunking theories of womens longevity over men – Times Now

A recently published study has called into question the long-held belief that women tend to outlive men. The study found that the belief might, after all, not be true, especially in the case of men who are married or possess a university degree. The study, published on Tuesday in the British Medical Journal Open, spanned two centuries across all continents and concluded that while men have a lower life expectancy than the opposite sex, they do have a substantial chance of outliving females.

A blind interpretation of life expectancy differences can sometimes lead to a distorted perception of the actual inequalities (in lifespan), researchers wrote in the published paper.

Why women have been thought to live longer than men

What does the latest study have to say about this

The researchers in Denmark have challenged this conventional knowledge stating, Despite females having a higher life expectancy than males, not all females outlive all males. On the contrary, a sizeable portion of males might live longer than a sizeable portion of females, even if the life expectancy shows a female advantage.

After collecting data from 199 countries between 1751 and 2020, the scientists discovered that men have a high probability of outliving women, especially if they have a university degree or are married. For married couples, the study pointed out that couples influence each others health and that men benefit more from being in a stable relationship than women.

Males who are married or have a university degree tend to outlive females who are unmarried or do not have a high school diploma, the study read.

In the United States, married men had a 39 per cent chance of outliving women compared with a 37 per cent chance for unmarried women. In terms those with university degrees, they have a 43 per cent chance of living longer than women as opposed to a 39 per cent chance for men who didnt complete a high school diploma.

According to the analysis, between 25 and 50 per cent of men have lived longer than women based on the country and the time period. In other words, data has shown that one to two out of every four men have outlived a randomly paired woman for almost all points as reviewed by the study.

The study also said that male expectancy tends to be lower since a small number of males will live very short lives to result in that difference. For example, more baby boys die than baby girls in most countries.

These findings challenge the general impression that men do not live as long as women and reveal a more nuanced inequality in lifespans between females and males, the study concluded.

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Get married or get a degree to live longer says study, debunking theories of womens longevity over men - Times Now