Gender Variation And The Impact Of Gas Flarig On Cardiopulmondry Parameters Of Residents In Gas Flaring Communities In South-South Nigeria

Abstract

The study determined gender variation on cardiopulmonary parameters-blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate and peak expiratory flow rate of residents in gas flaring communities compared with non-gas flared communities. The ex post facto study carried out using a stratified random sampling method involving five hundred and four (504) residents in the gas flaring communities and five hundred (504) in the non - gas flaring communities comprising 564 males and 444 females. Samples for this study were taken from five states in the South-South geopolitical states of Nigeria. The electronic blood pressure kit was used to measure blood pressure and respiratory rate while the peak flow rate was measured with a peak flow metre and respiratory rate was measured manually. Data generated were expressed as mean ± SD. Significance difference between means was determined by student t-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). SPSS 20 software was used for statistical analysis. A level of p≤0.05 was accepted as significant. Findings indicate that mean diastolic pressure was higher in males (10.96%) than females (5.05%). The pulse rate (36.07%) and the respiratory rate (19.38%) of the female residents in the gas flared environments was significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the male residents (13.53% and 13.64% respectively), with the female subject more impacted. The mean Peak Expiratory Flow Rate was higher in male (11.06%) residents with females (9.7%) more impacted. This study has shown that gender variation impacted on cardiopulmonary parameters of residents in gas flaring communities in south-south Nigeria