Self-Care and Quality of Life in Patients with Heart Failure
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2010-03-30
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
The Thailand Nursing Council
Abstract
Self-care for those with heart failure (HF) is challenging. Despite predictions that better self-care can positively influence quality of life (QOL), there is a lack of evidence supporting this assumption. Further investigation may help identify those vulnerable to a diminished QOL, due to an inability to incorporate self-care in management of their HF. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the self-care process (e.g., self-care maintenance and self-care management) and examine relationships among demographic characteristics, social support, self-care processes, self-care self-confidence and QOL. In addition, demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as social support, were evaluated for their effects on QOL (disease-specific, physical functioning and mental-emotional functioning). The sample (n=98), for this cross-sectional cohort study, was recruited from the HF/Transplant Program at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System. Subjects were asked to complete six mailed survey questionnaires including a: 1) Demographic Questionnaire; 2) Charlson Co-morbidity Index; 3) Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support Survey; 4) Self-Care of HF Index; 5) MOS Short-Form-12 Health Survey; and, 6) Living with HF Questionnaire. The results revealed: 1) better disease-specific QOL was predicted by being less likely to require self-care management strategies, better self-care self-confidence, lower NYHA functional class and less comorbidity; 2) better physical functioning QOL was predicted by lower NYHA functional class, better self-care maintenance, better self-care self-confidence and being less likely to require self-care management strategies; and, 3) better mental-emotional functioning QOL was predicted by lower NYHA functional class and being male.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Thai Journal of Nursing Research; Vol.13 No.4 October-December 2009; 302-317