Gender differences in the disability (functional limitations) associated with cardiovascular disease: a general...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Cardiology
• Mental Health

Background:

• Traditional views suggest women with heart disease have poorer adjustment, often narrowly defined as depression.
• Broader definitions of adjustment, including functional limitations, and gender differences are understudied in general populations.
• Previous research often lacked adequate representation of women in general population samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in adjustment to cardiovascular disease (CVD) using a broad definition.
• To compare functional limitations and depression levels between men and women with CVD in a general population.
• To challenge the notion that women with heart disease cope less effectively than men.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a nationally representative survey of 7434 New Zealanders, including 618 with self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD).
• Assessed mental disorders using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0).
• Measured health-related disability (functional limitations) with the World Health Organization Disability Adjustment Schedule (WHODAS-II).

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular disease was linked to significant functional limitations across various domains in both genders.
• No significant gender differences were observed in the degree of disability associated with CVD.
• Women with CVD exhibited a higher prevalence of depression compared to men.

Conclusions:

• Men and women with CVD reported comparable levels of disability in this general population sample.
• The findings do not support the hypothesis that women with heart disease cope less well than men.
• Adjustment to CVD, when broadly defined, shows no gender disparity despite differences in depression rates.