Are there gender differences in adaptation, activity, and social support among survivors of acute MI and their spouses during the six months post-hospital discharge?
Women recovering from MI may carry a heavier burden of household responsibilities than men, which could pose a threat for reinfarction during early rehabilitation.
A longitudinal study was conducted to investigate gender differences in adaptation and activity among survivors of acute myocardial infarction (MI) and their spouses during the six months post-hospital discharge. Male and female married survivors of MI, matched on age, disease severity, and socioeconomic status, and their spouses responded to measures about functional impairment, psychological distress, and level of involvement in household and other activities prior to and 4, 10, 16, and 22 weeks after the MI. Both patients and spouses were distressed by the MI, but the distress lasted longer for spouses. Male spouses increased traditional domestic activities (e.g. cooking, laundry) in the weeks shortly after their wives' heart attack, and patient wives decreased domestic activities compared to prior to the MI. However, wives still did as much as their husbands. Women recovering from MI may carry a heavier burden of household responsibilities and activities than their male counterparts. This burden, if premature, may pose a threat for reinfarction during the early stages of rehabilitation.
Rose et al. (Sun,) studied this question.
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