Challenging Prevailing Stereotypes About Gender Differences in Health Reporting: Evidence Using Biomarker Data From the Health and Retirement Study
2026-06-04
Highlights Our study found little evidence of gender differences in health reporting. Reporting bias was negligible among the youngest White respondents, whereas White men and women aged 60 or older evaluated their health optimistically. Reporting bias among Black adults was inconsistent across age groups. Hispanic men and women tended to evaluate their health more pessimistically. Overall, individuals appear to evaluate their health more optimistically as they age.