Males accounted for 16.2 million stays in 2007 and females experienced 23.2 million hospitalizations in 2007—7 million more stays than males.

• Circulatory conditions were the most frequent major cause of hospital stays in 2007, accounting for 6.4 million stays and 16 percent of all discharges. These stays were for diagnoses such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack, and irregular heart beat.
• If pregnancy and childbirth are excluded, the largest differences between males and females in reasons for hospitalization were for diseases of the digestive system, which accounted for 2.0 million female stays, but only 1.6 million male stays, and for diseases of the respiratory system, where females accounted for 1.8 million stays and males for 1.6 million stays.
• Even when pregnancy and childbirth stays are excluded, females accounted for more stays than males—18.2 million stays for females compared to 16.2 million stays for males.
• Males accounted for 41 percent of all hospitalizations in 2007.
• Of these stays, 20 percent (3.3 million discharges) were for circulatory conditions, 15 percent (2.4 million discharges) were for stays during the perinatal period, and 10 percent (1.6 million discharges) each were for respiratory and digestive system conditions.
• These four major conditions amounted to 55 percent of all hospitalizations for males.
• Females accounted for 59 percent of all hospitalizations in 2007.
• Pregnancy and childbirth was the reason for more than 1 out of every 5 female hospitalizations (5 million stays).
• Other major reasons for female hospitalizations included conditions related to the circulatory system (14 percent or 3.1 million stays), respiratory system (8 percent or 1.8 million stays), and digestive system (8 percent or 2.0 million stays).

Previous  Next