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A Systematic Review of the Instruments Used for Evaluating Causal Beliefs and Perceived Heart Risk Factors
Mozhgan Saeidi1, Saeid Komasi2, Angelo Compare3
1Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, Imam Ali Hospital, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
Insights
This review found few valid tools to measure patients' perceived heart risk factors (PHRFs) and beliefs about heart disease causes. New, comprehensive tools are needed to assess these crucial patient perceptions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Psychology
- Research Methodology
Background:
- Heart disease etiology and causal beliefs are key components of the health self-regulatory model.
- Understanding patient perceptions is vital for effective cardiac care and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the literature for tools evaluating causal beliefs and perceived heart risk factors (PHRFs).
- To assess the validity and availability of existing measurement instruments for PHRFs.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across six databases (1992-2017).
- Included 22 studies, with qualitative evaluation using CASP checklists.
- Followed PRISMA guidelines for study selection and data extraction.
Main Results:
- 22 distinct tools were identified for measuring PHRFs.
- Instruments included valid scales, invalid questionnaires, checklists, and open-ended items.
- Only 23.2% of the reviewed instruments demonstrated sufficient validity.
Conclusions:
- A significant scarcity of valid and standardized tools exists for measuring PHRFs.
- Developing comprehensive instruments is necessary to capture the full spectrum of patients' beliefs about heart disease.
- Improved assessment tools are crucial for understanding and addressing patient perceptions in cardiac care.
Abstract:
Background: The etiologies and causal beliefs of heart disease are considered one of the 5 dimensions of health self-regulatory model. Thus, the present study aimed to review the literature and screen the appropriate tools for evaluating the causal beliefs and perceived heart risk factors (PHRFs). Methods: The review samples encompassed all published articles from 1992 to March 2017. A systematic search was conducted across 6 databases: the Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, EBSCO, ProQuest, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. The qualitative evaluation of the articles was examined using the checklists of the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) by 2 independent investigators. After the application of the criteria for inclusion in the study, 22 studies were obtained according to the PRISMA guidelines. Results: A total of 10 504 (50.5% male) patients at an average age of 57.85±10.75 years participated in 22 studies under review. The results of the systematic review showed that 22 tools were available to measure PHRFs. The instruments were categorized into 4 groups of valid scales (6 studies), invalid questionnaires (6 studies), checklists (3 studies), and open-ended single items (7 studies). Only 23.2% of the measuring instruments were sufficiently valid. Conclusion: The results of this systematic review showed that a limited number of valid tools were available to measure PHRFs. Considering the importance of studying cardiac patients' perception of the etiology of disease and the paucity of standards and valid grading scales, it seems necessary to design and provide tools with broader content that can cover all aspects of patients' beliefs.
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