Gender differences in delay seeking treatment and related experiences in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Purpose: This comparative descriptive study was to identify gender differences in delay seeking treatment and related experiences in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods: Ninety-seven participants were recruited from a tertiary hospital. Results: Mean age of 47 women was 71.5±13.3 while that of men was 55.0±10.9 (p < .001). More women lived alone and were jobless, less educated, and poorer than men. Men were likely to be 'current smokers' and drink alcohol, however viewed themselves healthier than women (p = .030). Women's hospital stay was 9.23±21.04 days while men's was 4.86±2.72 days (p = .014). More women had been diagnosed with hypertension (p = .040). Women appeared to report significantly less pain (6.46±3.1) than men (8.44±1.8). More men described their pain as sudden onset (p = .015) and chest pain as major symptom (p = .034) than women. More women were found alone upon onset of symptoms (p = .023) and had important reasons for delay seeking treatment (p = .021) than men. Median time from onset of symptoms to seeking medical service was 1.5 hours for men and 5.1 hours for women (p = .003). Median time taken from onset of symptoms to hospital for therapy was 3.5 hours for men and 9.1 hours for women (p = .019). Conclusion: This study findings that women reported less pain and delayed in seeking treatment, suggest needs for strategies targeting women at risk of AMI.