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A Novel Digital Platform for a Monitored Home-based Cardiac Rehabilitation Program
Published on: April 19, 2019
Marital status and cardiac rehabilitation attendance: a meta-analysis
Gerard J Molloy1, Mark Hamer, Gemma Randall
1Psychobiology Group, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK. g.molloy@ucl.ac.uk
Insights
Married individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD) are more likely to attend cardiac rehabilitation (CR). This finding suggests marital status may influence CR participation and subsequent health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Public Health
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Marital status is a known predictor of health outcomes in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients.
- Potential mechanisms include pathophysiological and behavioral factors influencing health management.
- Understanding social determinants like marital status is crucial for improving cardiovascular care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between marital status and attendance at outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR).
- To quantify the impact of being married or partnered on CR participation rates.
Main Methods:
- A meta-regression analysis was performed on published studies.
- Electronic databases (Medline, Science Citation Index) were searched for relevant studies.
- Studies reporting on marital status and CR attendance in CHD patients were included.
Main Results:
- Eleven studies comprising 6,984 CHD patients were analyzed.
- Married or partnered individuals showed significantly higher odds of attending CR.
- The pooled odds ratio for CR attendance was 1.72 (95% CI 1.50-1.97) for married/partnered patients.
- No significant heterogeneity or publication bias was detected.
Conclusions:
- Married or partnered CHD patients are 1.5-2 times more likely to attend CR.
- Marital status may be a key factor influencing CR attendance.
- This association could partially explain the link between marital status and improved CHD outcomes.
Background:
Marital status has been clearly linked to subsequent health outcomes in those with established coronary heart disease (CHD). This robust association may be because of both pathophysiological and behavioural mechanisms.
Design:
We employed meta-regression to examine the association between marital status and attendance at outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in published studies.
Methods:
We searched electronic databases, for example, Medline and Science Citation Index, for published studies that reported an association between a measure of marital or partnered status and CR attendance in patients with diagnosed CHD.
Results:
Eleven studies were identified which incorporated 6,984 CHD patients. Being married/partnered was associated with significantly higher odds of attending CR. Using a fixed effects model, the pooled odds ratio of CR attendance was 1.72 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.50-1.97] for those who were married/partnered. There was no evidence of heterogeneity of effects (P=0.42) or publication bias (P=0.12).
Conclusion:
CHD patients who are married or have a partner are between 1.5-2 times more likely to attend CR. Associations between marital status and CR attendance may partly explain CHD outcomes.
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