Women's help-seeking behaviour during a first acute myocardial infarction

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sociology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) treatment times have improved, yet gender disparities persist.
• Women tend to delay seeking medical care for AMI symptoms compared to men.
• Previous research identified factors influencing AMI care decisions, but social context's impact on women's experiences remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how women's lived experiences and social contexts influence their decision-making process to seek medical care for a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study employing grounded theory.
• Interviews conducted with 17 women (aged 38-75) who experienced their first AMI.
• Simultaneous data collection and analysis.

Main Results:

• Women navigated three interrelated processes before seeking care, often hindering normal activities and driven by existential needs.
• Individual experiences of symptom progression and timing varied significantly, leading to diverse care-seeking times.
• Seeking medical care required the coincidence of symptom acknowledgment, healthcare system accessibility, and sufficient cardiac damage for measurable detection.

Conclusions:

• Women's decision-making to seek care for AMI is a complex process influenced by symptom interpretation, healthcare accessibility, and physiological changes.
• Social context and individual experiences significantly shape women's responses to AMI symptoms.
• Interventions should consider these multifaceted factors to improve timely AMI care for women.