Are there gender differences in the reasons why African Americans delay in seeking medical help for symptoms of an acute myocardial infarction?
To identify gender differences in delay time and the reasons why African Americans delay in seeking medical care for symptoms of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Cross-sectional. Five hospitals in the San Francisco and East Bay areas. Sixty-one African American men and women diagnosed with an AMI. Prehospital delay time. Median delay time was longer for women compared to men (4.4 hours vs 3.5 hours), although the difference was not significant. Single women delayed longer than single men (P = .03), and women who were alone when symptoms began delayed longer than women with someone (P = .03). Women who received advice to seek help or call 911 upon symptom onset had shorter delays compared to women who were not advised to call 911 (P = .01). Men at home delayed longer than men who experienced their symptoms outside the home (P = .01). Men with emergency room insurance delayed longer than men without emergency room insurance (P = .03), and men who took an ambulance to the hospital had shorter delay times than men who took other means of transportation (P = .04).
Women compared to men often delay seeking treatment for an AMI, which further increases their risks. Our findings suggest specific characteristics that can serve as a profile to those African Americans most likely to delay seeking treatment for AMI.