Sex differentials in mortality among Israeli Jews in international perspective

Abstract

Since the establishment of Israel sex differentials in the life expectancy at birth exhibited by Israeli Jews have been very low in comparison to other countries. This paper investigates the age and sex structure of sex differentials in mortality among Israeli Jews comparing them to the populations of Western and Eastern European countries. It also explores the similarities and differences between Israeli Jews and other Jewish populations in relation to sex differentials in mortality, relying on the published sources. This investigation reveals that small sex differentials in mortality of Israeli Jews, measured as a difference between female and male life expectancy at birth, are due to a stable pattern of low male and somewhat elevated female mortality at old ages, mainly 60/65 years and over. The differences between mortality schedules of younger males and females (25-64 years) are also relatively small. Selected features of Israeli Jewish sex differentials in mortality (but not all features) resemble those found in Jewish Diaspora communities.

Detailed examination of levels and trends in age-specific male and female mortality in different subgroups of Israeli and Diaspora Jews provides the basis for two hypotheses regarding the origins of small sex differentials among Israeli Jews. The first hypothesis links low male mortality to health protective behaviour of Israeli Jewish males, the second hypothesis places the source of elevated mortality of Israeli Jewish females in the migrant origin of this population.

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