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Gender-specific barriers and facilitators to heart failure self-care: a mixed methods study
Barbara Riegel1, Victoria Vaughan Dickson, Lisa Kuhn
1School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 420 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6096, United States. briegel@nursing.upenn.edu
International Journal of Nursing Studies
|January 19, 2010
Summary
Men and women with heart failure (HF) show minimal differences in self-care practices. However, distinct gender-specific barriers and facilitators significantly impact how individuals manage their HF self-care decisions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Gender Studies
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) affects approximately 50% of adult women, yet gender-specific aspects of HF self-care remain under-explored.
- Understanding gender similarities and differences in HF self-care is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To delineate self-care behaviors in men and women with chronic heart failure.
- To identify gender-specific barriers and facilitators that influence heart failure self-care.
Main Methods:
- A mixed-methods study involving 27 adults (8 women) with chronic heart failure.
- In-depth interviews analyzed for gender-specific self-care influences, with findings confirmed by quantitative data from the same participants.
Main Results:
- No consistent gender-specific differences were observed in overall self-care practices.
- Significant gender differences emerged in symptom interpretation and treatment initiation, with men demonstrating greater efficacy.
- These differences were linked to variations in self-care confidence, social support, and mood between genders.
Conclusions:
- While overt self-care behaviors show minimal gender variation, the underlying barriers and facilitators are distinctly gendered.
- Addressing these gender-specific factors is essential for optimizing heart failure self-care management.
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