Gender disparities and prevalence of non-communicable diseases in korangi, Pakistan: Results of a cohort study

Due to gender disparities in supply of food, access to early vaccination, social biases towards female children, lower literacy rate, social norms to keep women indoors, and the expectation that women will sacrifice their own needs for the needs of their husbands and children, women in Karachi slums are at a high risk of developing Non-Communicable Diseases (Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension, Vascular Diseases). Data was randomly collected from 676 households (1787 individuals between age 18 and 65) in Korangi (slum of Karachi) and conducted into a baseline survey of education status, prevalence of life style risk factors (diet, exercise, tobacco use), prevalence of risk factors for vascular disease, morphometric and biochemical analysis, and compared the findings between men and women in this cohort. 41% women were literate (men 53%), 45% women consume at least one helping of fruit and vegetable (men 50%), 2% women exercise regularly (men 18%), 9% women smoke tobacco (men 19%), 38% women use smokeless tobacco (men 57%), 35% women are obese or overweight (men 21%), 22% women have hypertension (men 16%), and 8% women have diabetes (men 9%). Based on the data collected women appear to be at a high risk of Non-Communicable Diseases compared to men. The difference between what a man and a woman can do in a low-middle income country, such as Pakistan, with social and religious constraints is detrimental to women's health. Health education and disease screening is critical to prevent Non-Communicable Diseases and it's long term complications for these women.