CAN THE THEORY OF PLANNED BEHAVIOUR EXPLAIN WHY FEMALES DELAY SEEKING TREATMENT FOR ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME SYMPTOMS AND GUIDE PRIMARY CARE EDUCATION?

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death in Canadian women, and research has well-demonstrated sex and gender disparities in the pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical presentations, and management of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Notably, acute myocardial infarction often presents with atypical symptoms in females and leads to worse outcomes than in males. Despite this knowledge, under-recognition, under-diagnosis, and under-treatment for ACS in females persist. Experts argue that females’ delayed treatment-seeking behaviour contributes significantly to this phenomenon, and the current educational approach focused on symptom recognition alone is insufficient to prevent this delay. Therefore, this scoping review aims to analyze females’ delayed treatment-seeking behaviour for ACS symptoms and provide primary care providers with recommendations for patient education.