Abstract

ROMERO HERNANDEZ, CLAUDIA. DIFERENCIAS DE GÉNERO EN LAS REDES DE APOYO SOCIAL ENTRE LOS PACIENTES CON TUBERCULOSIS PULMONAR: ESTUDIO CUALITATIVO EN DOS POBLADOS DEL ESTADO DE VERACRUZ, MÉXICO. Rev. Inst. Nal. Enf. Resp. Mex. [online]. 2004, vol.17, n.2, pp.80-90. ISSN 0187-7585.

Introduction: Morbidity incidence of tuberculosis in the world population shows differences regarding gender, it is 1.7 times more frequent in men than in women. However, it remains to be determined if these differences correspond to a gender inequality, meaning a sociocultural construction of the analysis. Objective : To investigate how the social support networks operated in a group of lung tuberculosis patients from two communities of the state of Veracruz. Material and methods: We used qualitative tools, such as a detailed interview and a semi-open questionnaire aimed to reconstruct the type of social network that supported the patient during his/her ailment. Results: A clear gender disparity was found in the type of social network that supported the patients. The disease represented a social disadvantage for female patients, while in male patients, their life quality increased due to the ample social support networks.

Keywords : Gender; anthropology; social network; lung tuberculosis; Veracruz.