RETRACTED: Influence of uncertainty in illness on health behavior in individuals with coronary artery disease: a path analysis

Abstract

Background The incidence of cardiovascular diseases is rapidly increasing worldwide, and the associated fatalities are also on the rise. In this study, we aimed to investigate the influence of uncertainty-related factors on health behavior in individuals with coronary artery disease based on Mishel’s disease uncertainty theory model. Methods We used a cross-sectional design and conducted path analysis to investigate the influence of uncertainty and related factors on health behavior. The participants were 228 patients with coronary artery disease who visited a hospital’s outpatient department of cardiology between September 2020 and June 2021. SPSS 25.0 and AMOS 25.0 were used to analyze the data. Results Our final model was a good fit for the data. We found that 11 out of 12 paths were significant. Uncertainty had a positive effect on danger and a negative effect on self-efficacy and opportunity. Danger had a positive effect on perceived risk. Opportunity had a positive effect on social support, self-efficacy, perceived benefit, and intention and a negative effect on perceived risk. Social support, self-efficacy, perceived benefit, and intention had a positive effect on health behavior. Perceived benefit and intention had the most significant direct effect and self-efficacy had the most significant indirect effect in the relationship between uncertainty and health behavior. The path model was suitable for predicting the health behavior of patients with coronary artery disease who experience uncertainty. Conclusions When a patient experiences uncertainty, interventions that increase self-efficacy are urgently needed. Nursing programs that can support patients in rapidly transforming their appraisal of uncertainty as a danger into an opportunity should be developed. In addition, programs to improve social support and self-efficacy by focusing on the perceived benefit and intention of health behavior are needed.