Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation
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Comparative Study
The relationship between gender, social support, and health-related quality of life in a community-based study in Washington County, Maryland.
Men tend to report higher health-related quality of life (HRQOL) than women of the same age, despite higher mortality rates and lower life expectancy. Social support is one factor related to HRQOL that may contribute to the observed gender difference. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with HRQOL, especially levels of social support, and variation by gender. ⋯ Our findings show that social support is an important correlate of HRQOL for both men and women. However, the gender differences in HRQOL are not explained by social support or the other factors examined.