A major global study published in The Lancet Public Health has revealed that while women tend to live longer than men, they also spend significantly more years battling pain, depression, anxiety, and other disabling conditions. The analysis, which examined data from 204 countries and territories, found that women bear a disproportionately higher burden of several chronic and non-fatal conditions that affect quality of life.
In contrast, men are more likely to die prematurely from fatal diseases and injuries. Researchers identified lower back pain as the single-largest condition disproportionately affecting women worldwide. Women also experienced higher burdens of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, headache disorders, musculoskeletal conditions, and dementia.
The findings challenge the common perception that longer life automatically translates into better health. Dr. Rommel Tickoo, director of internal medicine at Max Hospital, Saket, stated that longevity alone is not a marker of good health. He added that women are living longer, but many spend a greater proportion of their lives dealing with chronic pain, mental health disorders, and disabling non-fatal illnesses.
The study found that the health gap between women and men begins early in life and widens with age. Mental health disorders and musculoskeletal conditions emerge as major contributors to ill health among girls and women during adolescence and continue through adulthood. Dr. Tickoo explained that the reasons are likely multifactorial, including biological and hormonal influences, greater susceptibility to autoimmune and musculoskeletal disorders, and social and caregiving responsibilities that can affect physical and mental well-being.
Researchers said the findings expose a major gap in healthcare systems, which continue to focus largely on reproductive and maternal health while often overlooking chronic conditions that account for a substantial share of women's overall disease burden. Men, in contrast, faced a higher burden from conditions such as Covid-19, ischaemic heart disease, road injuries, and chronic respiratory diseases, highlighting a greater risk of premature mortality.
The study underscores the need for healthcare systems to address the full spectrum of health issues affecting women, beyond reproductive health, to improve quality of life and reduce the burden of non-fatal diseases.
