Abstract
BackgroundMore gender-theoretical studies are needed to gain a deeper understanding of what life circumstances make people sick or improve their health. The aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of social determinants of health by exploring gendered experiences in daily life among middle-aged women and men using the theory of gender relations.MethodsIndividual interviews with nine men and women were performed, focusing on what made them feel good or bad. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsA major theme in our interviews was the gendered health-promoting experiences related to having a job, which involved becoming someone, feeling appreciated at work and having control over work. Having good family relations was also health-promoting, in terms of supportive relations and becoming a parent. Ill-health was related to gendered adverse conditions at work (accidents, monotonous and stressful work tasks, being bullied) and in domestic life (demands, destructive partner relations, having children with problems).ConclusionsGendered determinants of health and ill-health were identified in both working and domestic life. Public health policy needs to challenge the gender order in society, which defines the gendered structure of the labour market as well as the gendered relations in domestic life.
Highlights
Theories are needed to gain a deeper understanding of what life circumstances make people sick or improve their health
We have identified only a few qualitative studies about social determinants of health, based on gender theories
The aim of the study was to achieve a deeper understanding of social determinants of health by exploring gendered experiences in daily life among middle-aged women and men using the theory of gender relations
Summary
More gender-theoretical studies are needed to gain a deeper understanding of what life circumstances make people sick or improve their health. The aim of the study was to gain a deeper understanding of social determinants of health by exploring gendered experiences in daily life among middle-aged women and men using the theory of gender relations. Theories are needed to gain a deeper understanding of what life circumstances make people sick or improve their health. A useful theoretical framework for public health research on men’s and women’s health is the relational theory of order, developed by Raewyn Connell [5]. Gender is understood as the relations – in any Hammarström et al BMC Public Health (2021) 21:2023 given society – between men and women, with the focus on economic relations, power relations, affective relations, and symbolic relations [5]. The focus here is on the uneven and gendered distributed life circumstances that result in women’s poorer work environment and higher/total responsibility for unpaid domestic work
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