Research News South Africa

Health magazines reveal survey results

Women's Health and Men's Health recently ran a survey called "The Battle of The Sexes" in which 1000 South African men and women were questioned on various aspects of their relationships, health, exercise routines and career. The info from the survey features in the April editions of the magazines which went on sale at the beginning of this week.

Described as the real truth about men and women to help readers to decode the opposite sex, the "Battle of the Sexes" behaviour survey, featured in both magazines, will educate readers on the greatest divides between the sexes and where we are not as different as one might think.

"Once again, a power couple collaboration with Women's Health has helped us gain unique insight into what women think. But rather than just highlight the differences between the sexes, we turned the results of the poll around to give readers tips on how to improve every aspect of their lives," said Men's Health editor, Jason Brown.

Battle theme permeates both issues

This battle theme is continued in other features in both magazines. Women's Health's "Survival of the Fittest" reveals the relationship secrets of some of South Africa's fittest couples, including Vanessa Haywood and Ryan Sandes. Men's Health's "Sex With Aliens: Women Explained" exposes some insights from the survey.

Results

The greatest differences between men and women:

  • 82% of female respondents who consider online flirting to be cheating, compared with 64% of men
  • 42% of male respondents who said they would agree to a shared bank account, compared to 34% of women
  • 25% of male respondents who admitted to cheating, compared to 15% of women
  • 41% of men who admitted watching porn was the biggest secret they would keep from their partner
  • 33% of female respondents who said that concealing the number of ex partners is the biggest secret they'd keep from their partner

Some relationship facts:

  • Men were more likely to say I love you within the first two weeks (15% after two weeks as opposed to 6% for women).
  • Men consider marriage more essential (62.1%) with a long-term partner than do women (55.8%)
  • When asked what the respondent would not give up for their partners, the highest responses were: Females: Independence (60%), Kids (49.9%), Friends (39%); Males: Kids (38%), Career (37.4), Independence (35.4%)
  • 25% Number of male respondents who admitted to cheating, compared to 15% of women, However men were also more likely to confess their infidelity than women
  • When asked what was the biggest thing couples fought about, women rate chores the highest point of conflict and men said spending time with his friends/her with her friends was the biggest cause of fights
  • 32% of men say it's ok to tell a white lie about online activities, as opposed to 21.1% of women
  • When asked what secrets they would keep from their partners both women and men would try conceal number of ex partners and men said they would also lie about their contact with their exes and watching porn, whilst women considered their weight as well as debt should stay under wraps

Career/Money:

  • The general consensus is that the man makes more money in the relationship, however more men tend to rate this about themselves than do their partners
  • When asked who has bigger savings the men considered themselves to have quite a bit more money put away than the women considered them to
  • When asked what men and women were most likely to splurge on both answered travel, and men said tech & gadgets were important, and women said property/home renovations would be splurge worthy
  • 60% of men said they wished their partners would spend less on clothes whereas women said the same for alcohol and tech & gadgets for their partners
  • More men seem to be more open to the idea of sharing a bank with their partners than were women
  • When it comes to asking for a raise at work, 58.4% of men claimed to ask for a raise in the last year as opposed to 63.9% of women

Health:

  • The most common favourite meal for women is salad (34% of respondents)
  • 60% of men did not take a sick day last year, as opposed to 47% of women
  • Men are not as clueless about the food they, eat with 75% of respondents checking food labels (79% for women)
  • 57% of men feel it is ok to tell a white lie about his partner's cooking and 53% about her weight
  • 47% of men and 49% of women say they take supplements
  • 10% of women had lost count how many diets they have been on in the last year, as opposed to 2.9% of men
  • 16% of men admit to counting kilojoules and 27.8% of women
  • Both men and women seem to be fairly equal when it comes to knowing their cholesterol levels, but this is still less than half of respondents
  • 15% of men say that one of the biggest compromises they have made for their partner was changing their diets and 17% of women said the same but 30% percent of men said they would not give up meat for their partner

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