The National Lung Health Framework: An opportunity for gender analysis

Abstract

Smoking related respiratory diseases in Canada represent a huge social and economic burden for both women and men. This article addresses the potential impact of the National Lung Health Framework for reducing disparities between women and men in respiratory health and between sub-populations of women and men. A preliminary analysis of the existing framework documents indicates that sex and gender factors, differences and infuences have not yet been clearly or suffciently identifed. Yet, there are sex and gender issues related to tobacco prevention and cessation, lung health and lung disease. In particular, we consider the specifc respiratory health needs and experiences of women to demonstrate the need for sex and gender-based analysis within the framework. For example, while there is inconsistent evidence regarding quit rates, women and men have different cessation patterns and reasons for smoking. Although creating a Canada-specifc approach to lung health is an important initiative, the sex and gender issues associated with respiratory disease and health need to be explicitly addressed in the planning and development stages of the framework in order to have a benefcial and lasting impact on both women and men.