Gender differences in barriers to lifestyle change for cardiovascular disease prevention

Achieving and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are important aspects of a cardiovascular disease prevention program. Few data have evaluated barriers to lifestyle change by gender. We studied self-reported barriers to lifestyle change and evaluated support systems to make positive changes in 293 patients (186 men, 107 women) enrolled in a multidisciplinary preventive cardiology clinic. Subjects were asked to rate barriers and support systems on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being very important and 5 not important. Women ranked self-esteem as the most important barrier and rated it significantly higher than did men (p = 0.0003). Women also rated money, knowledge, skills, and stress significantly higher than did men (p < 0.05). Physicians were rated as the most important source of support for both genders. Women, compared with men, rated dietitians, exercise physiologists, nurses, counselors, family members, and social/religious groups as more important sources of support. These data suggest that gender differences exist in barriers to lifestyle change. Psychosocial factors should be considered important elements of programs designed to help patients make positive lifestyle changes.