S-TIME-DISTANCE ? DUAL PARALLEL SYSTEM FOR ANALYSING INDICATORS EXAMPLE OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN LIFE EXPECTANCY IN THE WORLD

The S-time-distance method enables two-dimensional analysis of disparities in time series indicators: distance in time for a given level of the variable is complementing prevailing static distance at a given point of time. Expressed in time units it is intuitively understandable to everybody and comparable across variables, fields of concern and units of comparison. We need new data and indicators, but we also need innovative concepts of looking at data and new generic statistical measures to better perceive and exploit the information available in existing data. It is recommended that for time series analysis in many fields S-time-distance may be tested to provide new insight from existing data. Two generic statistical measures, S-time-distance and S-time-step, S-time-matrix and novel application for monitoring implementation of targets are discussed and demonstrated on the example of gender differences in life expectancy at birth in the world. The degree of disparity may be very different in static terms and in S-time-distance; for gender disparity in life expectancy in EU static index is less than 7 percent while S-time-distance amounts to 26 years ? a very different perception of the divide. Comparing four indicators for 200 countries, for life expectancy and obesity prevalence women consistently show higher values, men lag them in about 100 countries for more than 20 years. For mean BMI gender differences are more balanced, while for diabetes prevalence the situation is different, incidence for men is ahead of women, in 34 countries men are ahead of women for more than 20 years.