Health promotion interventions in informal caregivers and their impact on health promoting behaviors in patients with cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction Health behaviors are considered a key element in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Less than optimal self-care for cardiovascular disease is associated with adverse health outcomes and lower quality of life. Support from an informal caregiver is important for patients with cardiovascular disease. The caregiver, as the person who directly cares for the chronically ill patient, has the greatest influence on the development of the patient's attitude toward health. Purpose The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors that influence the intensity of health behaviors among informal caregivers of patients with cardiovascular disease and to evaluate the effects of health-promoting interventions among caregivers on the health behaviors of their charges. Methods The study was conducted with 193 patients with chronic cardiovascular disease and their 161 informal caregivers. The author interviewed them using a questionnaire and the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient test and logistic regression were used for the analyzes. Results The strongest predictors influencing lower health behavior expression in informal caregivers were male gender (p < 0.001), level of relationship with patient (p = 0.016), professional activity (p = 0.028), lack of expectations of the PHC physician (p = 0.028), family nurse practitioner (p = 0.003), and social worker (p = 0.008), and lower client health care efficiency (p = 0.036). Higher severity of caregiver health behaviors was associated with higher odds of better client health care efficiency (odds ratio (OR) 1.60 (1.06;2.56). Conclusions Comprehensive caregiver education using modern technologies (Internet) and advanced ICT systems to promote health behaviors and specifically for the above caregivers could provide innovative solutions to promote and sustain health behavior change in patients with cardiovascular disease. A breakthrough is now needed in health and social care, where digital health solutions show promise but have not yet been fully implemented.