Women and heart disease: living with lifestyle changes--a pilot study

Although deductively derived motivational models have identified cognitive mediators that encourage a person to initiate cardiovascular health behaviors, these models do not explain the low compliance level regarding health behavior change. Understanding the meaning of health change for the person in the context of her life could help nurses develop programs aimed at facilitation of life-long health behaviors that foster cardiovascular health. The author, using hermeneutic phenomenology, describe and interpret women's efforts to make lifestyle changes to reduce their coronary risk factors. Many participants related that they tried to follow orders but were not given specific information how to comply. Implications for nursing are in community education.