Lifespan Gender Gap Continues to Shrink April 8, 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Men's News Daily NEWSWIRE ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In 1920, the lifespan gender gap was only 1 year. Over the next several decades, the gap steadily widened, and reached a 7.8 year disparity in 1975. Then, the gap begin to shrink. Now, according to a recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the gap has narrowed to 5.5 years. On average, American women live 79.4 years, while men live 73.9 years. The greatest disparity affects Black males, who only live 67.8 years. The NCHS explains the improvement in male life...