Risk Factor Outcome Comparison Between Exercise-Based Cardiac Rehabilitation, Traditional Care, and an Educational Workshop

• Published in: The Journal of continuing education in nursing 2007-03, Vol.38 (2), p.83-88
• Main Authors: Adams, Jenny L, Nuss, Terri, Banks, Carolyn, Hartman, Julie, Segrest, Wendy, Spears, Joanne, Yount, Phyllis, Bryant, Lona
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Analysis of Variance; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - prevention & control; Blood pressure; Body Composition; Body mass index; Cardiovascular disease; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Coronary Disease - diagnosis; Coronary Disease - etiology; Coronary Disease - rehabilitation; Coronary vessels; Data collection; Depression - etiology; Depression - prevention & control; Educational Strategies; Exercise; Exercise Therapy - organization & administration; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health Services Needs and Demand; Heart attacks; Heart surgery; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - complications; Hypercholesterolemia - prevention & control; Intervention; Lipids; Lipoproteins; Male; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Nursing; Nutrition; Obesity - complications; Obesity - prevention & control; Outcome Assessment (Health Care); Patient Education as Topic - organization & administration; Physiology; Program Evaluation; Rehabilitation; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; Risk Reduction Behavior; Standard deviation; Statistical analysis; Surgery; Texas; Variance analysis; Veins & arteries; Workshops
• ISSN: 0022-0124; 1938-2472
• DOI: 10.3928/00220124-20070301-04

Background: This study examined risk factor outcomes among patients who attended cardiac rehabilitation sessions, those who received traditional care, and those who attended Leap for Life® workshops. Methods: A non-equivalent, three-group design was used in this observational study. Baseline and 12-month measurements were collected for 217 participants. Analysis of covariance was performed to determine differences between groups on outcome variables. Results: The only significant finding was in participants with an initial high-density lipoprotein value of less than 40. High-density lipoprotein levels increased more in the cardiac rehabilitation group than in the traditional care group (30.54 to 37.48 versus 30.17 to 33.67 [The only significant finding was in participants with an initial high-density lipoprotein value of less than 40. High-density lipoprotein levels increased more in the cardiac rehabilitation group than in the traditional care group (30.54 to 37.48 versus 30.17 to 33.67 [ F = 4.577, p = .035]). Conclusions: Based on these findings, a strong case can be made for the transition to more individually intense and focused risk factor modification strategies for patients in cardiac rehabilitation programs.