TY - JOUR
T1 - Gender differences in health perceptions and meaning in persons living with heart failure
AU - Evangelista, Lorraine S.
AU - Kagawa-Singer, Marjorie
AU - Dracup, Kathleen
N1 - Funding Information:
Funded through a predoctoral fellowship award from the American Heart Association, Western States Affiliate.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine whether gender differences exist in health perceptions, psychosocial adjustment to illness, and concerns related to illness in patients with heart failure (HF). DESIGN: Thirty-two patients (50% women) from a single outpatient HF clinic were asked to complete standardized tools to assess health perceptions and psychosocial adjustment to illness. Open-ended questions were used to obtain data on concerns related to HF. RESULTS: The women had higher health perceptions than men did; they also demonstrated better psychosocial adjustment to illness. The qualitative data further suggest that women ascribed more positive meanings to their illness than men did. CONCLUSION: The current study underscored the importance of gender differences in health perceptions related to HF. Patient teaching and counseling can be tailored to address the gender-specific concerns of men and women suffering with this condition to improve patient outcomes.
AB - OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to determine whether gender differences exist in health perceptions, psychosocial adjustment to illness, and concerns related to illness in patients with heart failure (HF). DESIGN: Thirty-two patients (50% women) from a single outpatient HF clinic were asked to complete standardized tools to assess health perceptions and psychosocial adjustment to illness. Open-ended questions were used to obtain data on concerns related to HF. RESULTS: The women had higher health perceptions than men did; they also demonstrated better psychosocial adjustment to illness. The qualitative data further suggest that women ascribed more positive meanings to their illness than men did. CONCLUSION: The current study underscored the importance of gender differences in health perceptions related to HF. Patient teaching and counseling can be tailored to address the gender-specific concerns of men and women suffering with this condition to improve patient outcomes.
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U2 - 10.1067/mhl.2001.114893
DO - 10.1067/mhl.2001.114893
M3 - Article
C2 - 11343002
AN - SCOPUS:0035023882
SN - 0147-9563
VL - 30
SP - 167
EP - 176
JO - Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical Care
JF - Heart and Lung: Journal of Acute and Critical Care
IS - 3
ER -