Is Feminism Bad For Public Health?

Probably not.  But this study from Sweden does suggest as much:

This study examines associations between indicators of gender equality and public health. We compare Swedish municipalities on nine indicators in both the private and public sphere, and an additive index, and study the correlations with indicators of morbidity and mortality. The hypothesis that a higher level of gender equality is associated with a convergence of health outcomes (life expectancy, sickness absence) between men and women was supported for equality of part-time employment, managerial positions and economic resources for morbidity, and for temporary parental leave for mortality. Our main finding is that gender equality was generally correlated with poorer health for both men and women. Our conclusions are tentative due to the methodological uncertainties.

However, the results suggest an unfortunate trade-off between gender equality as we know it and public health. Sweden may have reached a critical point where further one-sided expansion by women into traditionally male roles, spheres and activities will not lead to positive health effects unless men also significantly alter their behaviour. Negative effects of this unfinished equality might be found both for women, who have become more burdened, and men, who as a group have lost many of their old privileges. We propose that this contention be confronted and discussed by policymakers, researchers and others. Further studies are also needed to corroborate or dispute these findings.

If I get this right, a higher level of gender equality does correlate with a "convergence of health outcomes" among the sexes.  But it achieves this at the cost of worse heath for both men and women.  I am skeptical that this will hold up, but from one point of view it is unsurprising.  Women are healthier and less likely to die from a number of causes than men.  If the lifestyle of women in general becomes more like that of men, you would expect overall female health to decline a bit.  None of this is an argument against gender equity.  But it should be figured into any debates on that score.  Hat tip of William Saletan at Slate.