Newswise — Dalhousie researcher explores why women cardiac patients exercise less than men
Health psychologist Dr. Chris Blanchard has embarked on a three-year study of heart patients to learn why women are 20 to 30 per cent more likely than men to drop out of cardiac rehabilitation programs. He is following 600 women and 600 men across Atlantic Canada, to record their health, exercise behaviour and the factors that influence whether or not they stick with their prescribed cardiac rehabilitation programs.
"We don't know why women heart patients don't exercise as much as men," says Blanchard, Canada Research Chair in Cardiovascular Disease and Physical Activity at Dalhousie Medical School. "We need to uncover the physical, social, environmental and psychological barriers that prevent them from exercising, even when they know it will improve their health. Once we know what all the barriers are, we can work to remove them."
Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Heart and Stroke Foundations of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the $700,000 project is the world's most comprehensive study of gender differences in exercise behaviour of cardiac patients.
In addition to following the 1200 patients over three years, Blanchard and his team are interviewing families, cardiac rehabilitation specialists, physicians, hospital administrators, community groups involved in physical activity initiatives, policymakers and others. They are also examining patients' communities to see how factors such as crime rates, sidewalks, fitness facilities and parks may impact how closely or how long they follow their prescribed exercise programs.
At the end of the study, Blanchard will present his findings at community forums designed to kick start solutions. "Involving policymakers, health care providers, patients and communities is a powerful way to bring about change," he says. "My mission is to inform the world about the importance of exercise for heart patients' survival and quality of life " and the impact the gender gap is having on women's health " while spurring change in Atlantic Canada."
Blanchard wants to raise physical activity levels of cardiac patients across the board, while bringing women's levels closer to men's. Exercise is especially critical for female heart patients, he notes, because women who have had a heart attack are more likely than men to have a recurrence. Becoming and staying physically active is the key to reducing this risk, while improving overall quality of life.
Ultimately, Blanchard aims to improve physical fitness across Atlantic Canada. This region has the highest death rates for cardiovascular disease in Canada, while roughly 70 per cent of the population has one or more of the major risk factors for cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, excess fats in the blood, smoking). "It's time for change," says Blanchard. His insights into the psychology of exercise behaviour may point the way.
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