The changes and factors associated with post-discharge self-care behaviors among Chinese patients with heart failure

Abstract

BackgroundSelf-care behavior is essential for achieving good outcomes among patients with heart failure. Understanding the factors associated with self-care over time is important for the provision of appropriate and targeted interventions. However, little is known regarding the changes and factors associated with post-discharge self-care behaviors among Chinese patients with heart failure.ObjectiveTo investigate the changes and factors of self-care behaviors during the first 3 months following discharge among patients with heart failure in the People’s Republic of China.MethodsA descriptive design with a convenience sample was utilized in this study. Patients (N=128) from two hospitals, West China Hospital and Angjin Hospital, in Chengdu, People’s Republic of China, were recruited from June 2013 to June 2014. The instruments used in the study included the following: the Social Support Rating Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale, and the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify the factors related to self-care behaviors at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months following discharge.ResultsPatients’ self-care behaviors were poor and decreased significantly over time (F=4.09, P<0.05). The factors associated with self-care behaviors at baseline included the following: education level, comorbidities, and social support. The factors related to self-care behaviors at 1 and 3 months following discharge included the following: education level, comorbidities, social support, and self-efficacy. The variances in self-care behaviors attributed to these factors were 43%, 46%, and 42% at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months following discharge, respectively.ConclusionAdditional support should be provided to patients with heart failure with low educational levels and patients with multiple comorbidities. Follow-up, continuity of care, and family caregiver integration following discharge are necessary for the said patients to improve their self-care behaviors and obtain better outcomes.

Knowledge and self‐care behaviors among patients with heart failure in Jordan

“…When the knowledge mean score (5.29) in the current study was compared with other previous results, it was low. This finding confirms previous findings (Cocchieri et al, ; Dracup et al, ; Hu, Hu, Su, Qu, & Dolansky, ; Jaarsma et al, ; Sahebi, Mohammad‐Aliha, Ansari‐Ramandi, & Naderi, ) of a low level of knowledge and SCBs among different populations with HF, all suggesting the need for patient education. Knowledge was correlated with all SCBs scales and other sociodemographic variables including educational level.…”

“…Social support is important in motivating people to practice SCBs. Family members and friends play a significant role in improving the health orientation of patients, which may lead to higher SCBs (Hu et al, ).…”

“…However, age did not predict self‐care in the study conducted by van Der Wal et al (). Organic factors of increasing age such as memory impairment (Moser et al, ) and comorbidities (Hu et al, ) negatively affect self‐care among older patients with HF. Numerous comorbidities make patients unable to differentiate between HF signs and symptoms and other diseases; and many comorbidities add additional costs and requirements of self‐care (Dickson, Buck, & Riegel, ).…”

Factors for self‐management activities among rural patients with chronic hepatitis B: A cross‐sectional study

“…Consistent with previous studies (Arda Surucu et al, 2018;Hu et al, 2015), social support significantly influenced patients' selfmanagement activities. Objective support was found to be positively associated with self-management in symptom, lifestyle and disease information among rural patients with CHB.…”

“…Patients with chronic diseases depend on the support from their social networks to facilitate adjustments in their health behaviours (Lorig & Holman, 2003). Social support was found to be significantly associated with health behaviours (e.g., diet and excise) and health outcomes in patients with diabetes and chronic heart disease (Arda Surucu, Buyukkaya Besen, & Erbil, 2018;Hu, Hu, Su, Qu, & Dolansky, 2015;Reeves et al, 2014). Some demographic factors, such as gender, age and education were found to be associated with patients' self-management activities, but inconsistent results existed (Darawad et al, 2017;Hu et al, 2015;Huang, Zhao, Li, & Jiang, 2014;Yang et al, 2017).…”