Men’s health: A correlation between the gender gap and deprivation?
Men’s health examined. Data shows link between deprivation and gap between male and female life expectancies. (Image: shutterstock.com)
Looking specifically at London, the Bureau has listed wards using their rank on the Index of Deprivation scale 2010, UK Census. The Bureau then included the latest life expectancy statistics for each ward. The Bureau then picked out those wards which place highly on the deprivation scale (ie most deprived) that also have an 8.2 or more year difference between men and women’s life expectancy (twice the national average of 4.1 years).
We found that there was a general correlation between the ward’s deprivation and the gap between men and women’s life expectancy. In particular, the following 22 wards (of 623) stood out. The borough in which the ward falls is listed alongside.
| Ward | Borough | Rank on Index of Deprivation (1 = most deprived, 628 = least deprived) | Men’s life expectancy(2003-2007 figures) | Gap (years) between men and women’s life expectancy |
| Northumberland Park | Haringey | 1 | 71.5 | 9.07 |
| Canning Town South | Newham | 5 | 73.8 | 9.06 |
| Stonebridge | Brent | 6 | 73.5 | 10.62 |
| Bromley-by-Bow | Tower Hamlets | 10 | 74.1 | 9.44 |
| Tottenham Green | Haringey | 12 | 71.3 | 8.73 |
| Queen’s Park | Brent | 15 | 74.9 | 8.61 |
| Haggerston | Hackney | 29 | 73.2 | 8.47 |
| Victoria | Hackney | 38 | 75.7 | 10.42 |
| West Green | Haringey | 41 | 74.6 | 8.32 |
| Bow East | Tower Hamlets | 53 | 72.6 | 8.29 |
| College Park and Old Oak | Hammersmith & Fulham | 58 | 74.2 | 10.12 |
| Harrow Road | Westminster | 75 | 77.1 | 8.8 |
| Woodside | Haringey | 76 | 74.7 | 8.69 |
| Whitechapel | Tower Hamlets | 77 | 72.8 | 9.02 |
| Vassal | Lambeth | 95 | 73.2 | 8.8 |
| St Pancras and Somers Town | Camden | 96 | 72.3 | 9.27 |
| Stoke Newington Central | Hackney | 109 | 74.7 | 10.39 |
Lower down the deprivation scale, but with notable differences in life expectancy, are:
| Ward | Borough | Rank on Index of Deprivation (1 = most deprived, 628 = least deprived) | Men’s life expectancy(2003-2007 figures) | Gap (years) between men and women’s life expectancy |
| Cathedrals | Southwark | 195 | 73.7 | 12.72 |
| Little Venice | Westminster | 250 | 79.5 | 10.47 |
| Addison | Hammersmith & Fulham | 264 | 77.2 | 10.07 |
| Fulham Reach | Hammersmith & Fulham | 305 | 79.5 | 10.10 |
| Stroud Green | Haringey | 316 | 75.7 | 10.77 |
Mapping the data
The graph below shows male life expectancies for all London wards, ranked on the x-axis by the ward’s listing on the 2010 Index of Deprivation (London Census). The most deprived ward is closest to the y-axis.
While the correlation is relatively weak, the graph does show that there is a link between deprivation and male life expectancy – in many highly deprived wards, male life expectancy is dramatically affected, whereas female life expectancy is not.
