More men than women died in the 1918 influenza pandemic in New Zealand, whereas most countries had a slight preponderance of female deaths. Males in the 30–34 age group were the worst affected, and at the time people noticed that strong and healthy men rather than ‘chesty’ or ‘weedy’ types were more susceptible.

Possible explanations include conjecture that healthy males did not catch the first mild wave of the flu, so were more vulnerable when the second, more deadly, wave arrived; and the fact that most men went out to work and so were more exposed to the virus than women, who were more able to stay at home. If men brought the virus into the household, women and children could often stay home and recover, while many men would have had to continue working.