Gender Differences in Health Risks and Physical Symptoms Among the Homeless

Abstract

Gender differences in health risks and symptoms are compared for a survey sample of 100 homeless persons and for the general population. Homeless men appear at greater risk of exhibiting symptoms. Nonetheless, homeless women report more symptoms, a result consistent with general population trends. Predisposing illnesses were the most accurate predictors of the number of reported symptoms, but gender explained a significant amount of variation in reported symptoms after other health risks were controlled. The findings inform the debate on the relative importance of biological factors, acquired risks, illness perception and behavior, and reporting bias in explaining why women report more symptoms in survey research. It appears likely that female reporting bias and gender differences in illness perception are underestimated in general population surveys because even under extreme conditions, men are less likely than women to report symptoms.