A study of the psychological predictors controlling the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Background: It seems that more cardinal steps can be taken towards constraining cardiovascular diseases (CVD) through the identification of relevant factors and predictors of behaviors associated with cardiac health. Objectives: The present study is aimed to investigate the health literacy of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), personality traits, perception of cardiovascular disease risk and their relationships with controlling behaviors associated with cardiac health through playing self-efficient intervention roles. Methods: The statistical population of the present study consisted of residents of Kermanshah, Iran in 2015. Additionally, due to the possibility of sample attrition and uncooperative subjects during the study, a total sample of 800 subjects was selected using cluster sampling. After data collection, they were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Results: The results demonstrated that there were significant correlations between personality traits and controlling the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. Similarly, significant correlations were found between controlling the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and self-efficacy, health literacy of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and perception of cardiovascular diseases. Further, the results showed that controlling behaviors associated with cardiac health had the greatest direct effects on the path of perception of cardiovascular diseases. Conclusions: It can be concluded that neuroticism, impulsive sensation seeking and hostility result in risky behaviors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) when self-efficacy is low and the cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors are controlled through health literacy and perception of cardiovascular diseases when self-efficacy is high.