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Guilt
Women feel more guilt when suffering from HF than men do. Perhaps because of stereotypical gender roles. Women are often the dominant figure at home, while men traditionally feel that they are in their dominant position at work. When anyone is prohibited from fulfilling the role that they perceive as naturally theirs, it can be devastating. Heart failure patients are often elderly and retired, therefore the physical restrictions imposed on them will frequently not affect them at work. By this time men are out of their dominating element, but women are still in theirs, and may still be feeling that it is their job to maintain their home and look after their family. After doing this most of their lifetime, suddenly being unable to can be emotionally devastating [9]
Health Perceptions
Evangelista, et al. (2001) [5] performed a study in the hopes of determining gender differences in:
Sociodemographic and clinical variables
Health perceptions and psychosocial adjustment to illness
Concerns and meaning ascribed to illness
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5. Evangelista LS, Kagawa-Singer M, Dracup K.Gender differences in health perceptions and meaning in persons living with heart failure.Heart Lung 2001;30:167 –76.
9. Ekman I, Ehrenberg A. Fatigue in chronic heart failure - does gender make a difference. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing 1. 2002:77-82.
