Gender Differentials in Health Patterns in Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State, Nigeria

Abstract

The problem of gender-based inequalities in health has been an issue af concem over the years in Nigeria. This study investigated gender disparity in health on four aspects of health namely; chronic conditions, self-rated health, distress and heavy alcoholic drinking among residents of Makurdi metropolis, North Central Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed, and using the structured questionnaire, data were collected from 245 participants. One hundred and sixty seven, 167(68.2%) were male while 75(30.6%) were female. Means, standard deviations, and t-statistics were used as method of data analysis. There mean age was 29.32 years (SD=10.11 years). Four research questions were assessed. The findings revealed that; i) females reported more chronic conditions than males; ii) females also reported significantly poorer self-rated health than male, iii) males reported higher distress than female; iv) similarly male reported higher heavy alcoholic drinking than females. It was discussed that morbidity differs across the gender divide but that the female gender tends to be more averwhelmed especially on global self-assessment of ill-health. The study therefore recommends more attention to health care delivery and moderation of alcoholic consumption.