Discussion
NCDs and Gender
The results of this study suggest statistically significant gender differences in all the defining variables, .i.e. morbidity and mortality as well as hospital admissions. Females are more likely to suffer morbidity than males while men are more likely to die from NCDs than women. Females are more likely to be hospitalised for NCDs than males. These results bring forth the concept of genderinequalities in health which has attracted attentions from diverse disciplines [17-19].
A study in The Gambia shows that there is an association between obesity and female sex, advancing age, non-manual work, urbanity and diastolic hypertension [7]. These findings are not surprising given the socio-cultural context of the Gambia. Many women in the urban environments are housewives, traders or sedentary workers, and are poorly educated with little or no dietary awareness. In many African cultures/societies, being robust or fat is seen as an evidence of affluence or good living or absence of chronic infectious disease such as HIV/AIDS and TB. Hence, this underscores the need for appropriate health education from all disciplines involved in the delivery of health services.
It is not a norm in the Gambia and many other African countries for the female gender to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activities. This may be due to the socialisation process that does not seem to encourage such activities by females. Moreover, previous studies have shown that females are less physically active than males [20-22]. Therefore, the finding in this report is expected; females are more likely to present with morbidity due to NCDs than males, in view of the relationships between obesity, physical inactivity and NCDs.
The proportional difference observed in this study may be explained by the fact that more women seek health care more than men, though men suffer greater mortality than women. In other words, the apparent gender differences noted in morbidity and mortality due to NCDs may be explained by, or is a product of, the synergy between gender differences in health seeking behaviour, health behaviour and lifestyle, socio-cultural influences, and innate biological differences.
Discussion
NCDs and Gender
The results of this study suggest statistically significant gender differences in all the defining variables, .i.e. morbidity and mortality as well as hospital admissions. Females are more likely to suffer morbidity than males while men are more likely to die from NCDs than women. Females are more likely to be hospitalised for NCDs than males. These results bring forth the concept of genderinequalities in health which has attracted attentions from diverse disciplines [17-19].
A study in The Gambia shows that there is an association between obesity and female sex, advancing age, non-manual work, urbanity and diastolic hypertension [7]. These findings are not surprising given the socio-cultural context of the Gambia. Many women in the urban environments are housewives, traders or sedentary workers, and are poorly educated with little or no dietary awareness. In many African cultures/societies, being robust or fat is seen as an evidence of affluence or good living or absence of chronic infectious disease such as HIV/AIDS and TB. Hence, this underscores the need for appropriate health education from all disciplines involved in the delivery of health services.
It is not a norm in the Gambia and many other African countries for the female gender to engage in moderate to vigorous physical activities. This may be due to the socialisation process that does not seem to encourage such activities by females. Moreover, previous studies have shown that females are less physically active than males [20-22]. Therefore, the finding in this report is expected; females are more likely to present with morbidity due to NCDs than males, in view of the relationships between obesity, physical inactivity and NCDs.
The proportional difference observed in this study may be explained by the fact that more women seek health care more than men, though men suffer greater mortality than women. In other words, the apparent gender differences noted in morbidity and mortality due to NCDs may be explained by, or is a product of, the synergy between gender differences in health seeking behaviour, health behaviour and lifestyle, socio-cultural influences, and innate biological differences.
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