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Self-Care Behaviors in Heart Failure Patients Using the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale: Systematic
Reza Negarandeh1, Sara-Sadat Hoseini-Esfidarjani1, Ali Aghajanloo2
1Nursing and Midwifery Care Research Center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Florence Nightingale Journal of Nursing
|June 27, 2026
Summary
Heart failure patients exhibit suboptimal self-care behaviors, as indicated by the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale. This systematic review and meta-analysis highlights the need for improved patient self-management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Nursing Research
- Public Health
Background:
- Heart failure (HF) is a chronic condition requiring significant patient self-management.
- Effective self-care is crucial for managing HF symptoms and improving patient outcomes.
- The European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale (EHFSCBS) is a validated instrument for assessing HF self-care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the self-care status of heart failure patients.
- To evaluate self-care behaviors using the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behavior Scale.
- To identify the overall level of self-care among individuals with heart failure.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases.
- Eligible studies were independently screened by two researchers for title, abstract, and full-text relevance.
- Data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software with a random effects model.
Main Results:
- 31 articles were included from 7819 screened studies.
- Mean self-care scores varied based on the EHFSCBS version used (12-item: 32.91; 9-item: 25.54; 9-item standardized: 62.28).
- Confidence intervals indicated significant variability in self-care scores across included studies.
Conclusions:
- The findings indicate that heart failure patients generally demonstrate unsatisfactory levels of self-care.
- High heterogeneity among the included studies necessitates cautious interpretation of the results.
- Further research with standardized methodologies is recommended to better understand HF self-care behaviors.
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