Testing a Middle -Range Theory of Heart Failure Self-Care.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Gerontology
• Public Health

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition requiring significant self-management.
• Self-care is crucial for managing HF and improving quality of life (QoL).
• Understanding cultural-specific factors influencing HF self-care is vital for effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To test a middle-range theory of heart failure self-care derived from the self-care deficit theory.
• To examine the direct effects of basic conditioning factors on self-care agency and QoL in Arab American older adults with HF.
• To identify predictors and outcomes of self-care within a theoretical framework for this population.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative study was conducted with 175 Arab American older adults diagnosed with heart failure.
• A middle-range theory was statistically tested to assess its fit and the significance of hypothesized relationships.
• Regression analyses were used to determine the direct effects of individual factors on self-care agency and QoL.

Main Results:

• The middle-range theory demonstrated good statistical fit overall.
• Conceptualizing basic conditioning factors as a single latent variable was not supported.
• Depression, social support, and duration of living with heart failure significantly predicted self-care agency and QoL.

Conclusions:

• The tested theory provides a partial framework for understanding heart failure self-care in Arab American older adults.
• Individual factors like depression and social support are key determinants of self-care and QoL.
• Further research is needed to refine the theoretical model and guide culturally sensitive HF self-care interventions.