Gender differences in patients' attributions for myocardial infarction: Implications for adaptive health behaviors

Attributions for myocardial infarction were studied in a patient sample (N = 157). Men and women were comparable at intake on age, health status, and lifestyle factors. Attributions to diet, x(2) (1, N = 157) = 8.83, p = .003, and exercise, x(2) (1, N = 157) = 6.60, p = .01, were less common among women than men. After 3 months (n = 136), women were less likely than men to report improving their diets or increasing exercise. Initial attributions predicted subsequent reports of behavior change in relevant domains. These findings suggest that gender differences in causal attributions for myocardial infarction may contribute to subsequent differences between men and women in health-related behavior change.