Differences in quality of life among male and female cardiac rehabilitation participants.

PURPOSE: This study examined possible sex differences in quality of life measured by the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) among cardiac rehabilitation participants.
METHODS: Forty-five men (62.6 +/- 10.4 years) and 58 women (65.7 +/- 11.1 years) matched on time in a program, completed the Sickness Impact Profile. Exercise testing data and medical history were collected from medical records.
RESULTS: Women reported significantly greater dysfunction on the total (7.01 vs 4.32), psychosocial (5.86 vs 2.48), home management (12.37 vs 16.69), and emotional behavior (7.32 vs 1.22) categories (P < .05). Women also had significantly greater (P < .05) incidence of widowhood, migraine/chronic headache, and arthritis than men. Men had significantly higher (P < .05) functional capacity (8.4 vs 6.9 metabolic equivalents [METS]). Covarying Sickness Impact Profile scores for functional capacity eliminated significant differences except in the emotional and psychosocial categories. Subjects with high grade chest pain, chronic low back pain, and migraine/chronic headache reported greater dysfunctional Sickness Impact Profile scores (P < .05).
CONCLUSIONS: Women participating in cardiac rehabilitation reported poorer quality of life than men, particularly in the areas of psychosocial functioning and emotional behavior that were not dependent on functional capacity. Women's poorer quality of life may be related to a higher incidence of related diseases and their greater frequency of widowhood. The poorer quality of life of the women in categories of total SIP score and home management were related to their lower functional capacity.