Determinants of heart failure self-care behaviour in community-based patients: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: European journal of cardiovascular nursing : journal of the Working Group on Cardiovascular Nursing of the European Society of Cardiology 2013-04, Vol.12 (2), p.167-176
• Main Authors: Peters-Klimm, F, Freund, T, Kunz, CU, Laux, G, Frankenstein, L, Müller-Tasch, T, Szecsenyi, J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Ambulatory Care; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Female; Health Behavior; Health Status; Heart; Heart Failure - therapy; Heart failure, cardiogenic pulmonary edema, cardiac enlargement; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mood disorders; Myocarditis. Cardiomyopathies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Self Care; Socioeconomic Factors
• ISSN: 1474-5151; 1873-1953
• DOI: 10.1177/1474515112439964

Background: Self-care behaviour in patients with heart failure (HF) represents a series of specific actions that patients should take, as an important treatment component. Aims: The aim of this study was to identify potential determinants of HF self-care in ambulatory patients with stable systolic HF. Methods: In a cross-sectional study of 318 patients with chronic systolic HF recruited in 48 German primary care practices, we evaluated the patient-reported European HF Self-care Behaviour scale (EHFScBs) assessments (range 12–60, where lower scores indicate better self-care). Potential determinants included socio-demographic (e.g. age, living status), clinical (e.g. NYHA class, LVEF, NT-proBNP levels, co-morbidities), behavioural (e.g. smoking and alcohol intake), psychosocial (SF-36 scales and KCCQ domains, e.g. quality of life and self-efficacy) and depression status (PHQ-D), plus previous health care utilisation. Mixed regression modelling was applied. Results: Patients had a mean (SD) age of 69.0 (10.4) years and were 71% male. They had a good overall EHFScBs score of 24.7 (7.8) (n=274). In the final regression model (n=271), six determinants were retained (β; descriptive p-value): self-efficacy (-0.24;