[Gender-based violence highly vulnerable contexts. Intersectionality: Response adaptation to the diversity of contexts and situations]

Addressing gender violence from the health system effectively, still involves addressing numerous challenges. If gender violence is suffered by women with one or more situations of personal and social vulnerability, intervention is surrounded by formidable difficulties. In these heterogeneous situations, early detection is urgent, as well as professional support adapted to each woman with her particular context. The intersectional approach to gender violence provides useful tools for actions in these complex scenarios, full of suffering and fragility. This article mentions the common and specific needs of the most vulnerable women. Recommendations are offered to improve the intervention to be developed from the health system - a privileged space for this - to understand and accompany these women in their diversity, with the most effective services and resources, in coordination with the rest of the social protection systems and entities.

The necessary gender perspective for the analysis of health problems

This work begins with the difference between sex and gender, then show that the contrasts in the field of health between men and women can be explained: by the construction of gender of consultants and health service providers, by the structure of the services themselves of health (which also reflects gender constructions), and by the reproduction of gender patterns through education and research. The work shows the need to include a gender perspective in health research.

Social inequalities in cardiovascular mortality in Spain from an intersectional perspective

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

There is an interaction between age, sex, and educational level, among other factors, that influences mortality. To date, no studies in Spain have comprehensively analyzed social inequalities in cardiovascular mortality by considering the joint influence of age, sex, and education (intersectional perspective).

METHODS

Study of all deaths due to all-cause cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, heart failure, and cerebrovascular disease among people aged ≥ 30 years in Spain in 2015. Data were obtained from the Spanish Office of Statistics. The relative index of inequality (RII) and the slope index of inequality (SII) were calculated by using Poisson regression models with age-adjusted mortality. The RII is interpreted as the relative risk of mortality between the lowest and the highest educational level, and the SII as the absolute difference in mortality.

RESULTS

The RII for all-cause cardiovascular mortality was 1.88 (95%CI, 1.80-1.96) in women and 1.44 (95%CI, 1.39-1.49) in men. The SII was 178.46 and 149.43 deaths per 100 000, respectively. The greatest inequalities were observed in ischemic heart disease and heart failure in younger women, with a RII higher than 4. There were no differences between sexes in inequalities due to cerebrovascular disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiovascular mortality is inversely associated with educational level. This inequality mostly affects premature mortality due to cardiac causes, especially among women. Monitoring this problem could guide the future Cardiovascular Health Strategy in the National Health System, to reduce inequality in the first cause of death.