Researcher(s)
- Rachel Thomas, Nursing, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Christine Hoch, School of Nursing, University of Delaware
Abstract
Background: Adults with heart failure (HF) are required to manage complex treatment regimens that require consistent self-care behaviors to maintain health and disease stability. Adequate self-care is associated with improved quality of life and reduced rates of hospitalizations and mortality. Despite its importance, adults with HF often engage in suboptimal self-care behaviors.
Purpose: To identify sociodemographic, clinical, and psychologic associations of self-care among adults with HF.
Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2021-2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Adults aged 18 years or older with a self-reported diagnosis of heart failure were included in the analysis (N=136). Self-care was measured using a composite score of self-care behaviors as per the Theory of Self-Care in Heart Failure. Multiple linear regression with backward elimination was used to examine the association between sociodemographic, clinical, and psychologic variables and self-care.
Results: The mean age was 66.96 ± 9.51 with 78 (57.4%) of the sample being male. Age was positively associated with self-care behaviors (B=0.025, SE=0.010, p = 0.009) as was being female (B=0.486, SE=0.191, p = 0.012). Higher depression scores were associated with lower self-care (B= -0.041, SE=0.016, p = 0.010). Compared to individuals with an income three or more times higher than the poverty line, those at or below the poverty line had significantly lower self-care scores (B= -0.426, SE= 0.214, p = 0.048). The association between low-income and self-care was not statistically significant (B= -0.379, SE=0.254, p = 0.138).
Conclusions: Living at or near poverty, having depression, being male, and younger have significant implications on self-care behaviors. Adults with these characteristics may spend more time focusing on other needs such as stable living conditions, rather than self-care and thereby require individualized patient teaching that accounts for these characteristics to support the management of HF.