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Readiness for behavioral changes in patients with heart failure.
1College of Nursing and Heart Failure Clinic, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Summary
Patients with heart failure often overestimate their adherence to crucial lifestyle changes. Readiness to change assessments may not accurately reflect actual self-care behaviors in heart failure management.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Behavioral Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Heart failure self-care necessitates significant lifestyle modifications, including dietary restrictions (sodium, fluid), substance avoidance (alcohol, tobacco), regular exercise, and weight management.
- The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) provides a framework for understanding behavioral change through distinct stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the stage of readiness for six key lifestyle behaviors in heart failure patients.
- To compare heart failure signs, symptoms, disease knowledge, and self-reported behaviors between patients actively engaged in change and those not.
Main Methods:
- A mail survey was administered to 250 individuals diagnosed with heart failure.
Main Results:
- While most patients reported adherence to tobacco, alcohol, sodium, and fluid restrictions, and exercise, actual practice varied significantly (e.g., 94.2% consumed high-sodium foods; only 38.7% had a regular exercise program).
- Heart failure knowledge was generally low and did not correlate with the stage of change.
- Weight management goals were unmet, with many overweight patients attempting to lose weight for over six months.
Conclusions:
- Patient self-perception of adherence to heart failure lifestyle guidelines often diverges from actual reported behaviors.
- The TTM's stage of change may be less effective for assessing readiness in heart failure due to the complexity and number of required lifestyle adjustments.