Long-term behavioral outcomes after attendance at a secondary prevention clinic for cardiac patients

Secondary prevention interventions, including hospital clinics, can help patients improve their risk factors and lifestyles after an acute cardiac event. This study aimed to investigate the long-term behavioral outcomes of attending and nonattending patients consecutively enrolled in a trial of a family-based clinic providing screening, advice, and support 3 months after hospital admission. The study also aimed to identify predictors of long-term smoking status, dietary habit, and physical activity.

Semistructured interviews were conducted an average of 30 months after the acute cardiac event with 83 of the 103 nonattending patients and a random sample of 96 patients who had attended the clinic. Behavioral outcomes were investigated, and self-reported risk factors at the time of the acute illness were documented.

The patients who had attended the clinic were significantly more likely than nonattenders to report positive dietary changes and, among former smokers, successful cessation of smoking. Furthermore, they reported being more physically active than nonattenders. Using logistic regression, clinic attendance was identified as a significant and independent predictor of all three outcomes.

The results of this observational study suggest that attendance at a secondary prevention clinic facilitates maintenance of improved long-term health behaviors, although this finding is based on self-report. Factors possibly responsible for favorable outcomes include strong physician advice and support from a multidisciplinary team of health professionals. Furthermore, the timing of the intervention may have been appropriate for enrollment in a secondary prevention clinic.