Title : Gender differences in therapeutic adherence, quality of life and presence of informal caregiver in patients with heart failure
Abstract:
Background
Gender differences in patients with cardiovascular diseases have been little explored; pioneering studies suggest a differential impact on variables such as quality of life. In the Mexican context, it has not been determined how wide these differences may be and the factors that determine them.
Aim
To analyze the differences in treatment adherence, quality of life, and support from an informal primary caregiver between men and women diagnosed with cardiovascular conditions.
Methods
A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted. One hundred and twenty patients with cardiovascular disease participated, divided into two groups: men (G1) and women (G2). Treatment adherence was assessed using the MBG scale, which evaluates four categories: active compliance (AC), adherence autonomy (AC), adherence complexity (CAD), and total adherence score (PT). Quality of life was measured using the SF-12 questionnaire. The presence of support from a primary care physician (PCP) was identified through interviews.
Results
The average age for both groups was 64 [53.8-75.0] 51.67% were men and 48.33% were women. No significant differences (p>0.05) were found in treatment adherence by gender (G1/G2): CA (G1 : ME= 15 / G2: ME= 15), AC (G1: ME= 16 / G2: ME= 16), CAD (G1: ME= 11 / G2: ME= 12). When assessing caregiver support, it was found that 75.8% of men and 67.2% of women had it. In terms of quality of life, women had a mean score of 60.2 and men a mean score of 72.03. These differences were not statistically significant.
Conclusions
Although differences in caregiver support are not significant, men's greater availability of such support may be linked to gender roles within this population. These same roles could have a differential impact on quality of life, with women experiencing less of it compared to men. As has been documented in Mexico, differences in daily tasks persist, hindering self-care activities. Further research is needed to identify the factors involved in this phenomenon.
