Gender difference in coping strategies among patients enrolled in an inpatient rehabilitation program.
BACKGROUND
Previous research has not addressed gender differences in coping strategies among patients with mild to moderate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who are enrolled in inpatient and multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs.


METHODS
The coping strategies of 182 consecutive patients (61 women aged 61.1 years; 121 men aged 62.7 years) with mild to moderate COPD were assessed on admission and then at discharge after 29 days of pulmonary rehabilitation, using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations. A one-way analysis of variance for repeated measures was used to test the differences in coping scores.


RESULTS
During the rehabilitation program, problem-focused strategies increased (+2.54 [95% confidence interval: 1.41-3.67] with F=23.77, P<.0001), emotion-focused strategies decreased (-2.75 [95% confidence interval: -4.06, -1.45], F=15.37, P<.001), and avoidance strategies were differently (t=2.97, P<.05) influenced in women (+2.43 [95% confidence interval: .66-4.19]) compared with men (-1.30 [95% confidence interval: -2.82-.22]). The prevalence of COPD in women is increasing, and rehabilitation professionals need a greater awareness of how women cope differently than men with this disease.
Laboratory Symbolic Process for Health and Sport, University of Montpellier I, Montpellier, France.
Grégory
G
Ninot
Marina
M
Fortes
Magali
M
Poulain
Audrey
A
Brun
Jacques
J
Desplan
Christian
C
Préfaut
Alain
A
Varray
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011340:Problem Solving; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012737:Sex Factors