Knowledge and Practice Related to Home Management and Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease, among Wives of the Patients with Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

The study was aimed to assess knowledge and practice related to prevention and home management of coronary artery disease (CAD), among wives of the patients with coronary artery disease. The objectives of the study were to assess the knowledge and practice regarding prevention and home management of coronary artery disease among wives of patients with coronary artery disease. A non-experimental survey design was used. A Structured interview schedule was used to assess knowledge and practice related to prevention and home management of coronary artery disease. 116 participants were selected by judgmental sampling from Medical and Cardiology wards of Govt. Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. The study findings revealed that nearly half (49.1) of the participants had poor knowledge and only (5.2%) had good knowledge related to prevention and home management of coronary artery disease. Results revealed that41.4%of participants had poor practice and 58.6% wives had only average practice and none had good practice to prevent and manage CAD in the family.Of the participants, 56% had poorhad poor knowledge about the general aspects of CAD. 35.4% had poor knowledge and 47.4% had average knowledge and 17.2%on dietary aspects, Majority (93.1%) had poor knowledge on exercise to prevent and mange CAD. 96.6% had poor knowledge and none had good knowledge about sexual life after CAD. 37.1% had poor practices and more than half of the participants (61.2%) had average dietary practice in the family and only 1.7% had good practices of following a heart healthy diet. Majority (85.3%) of them had poor practice of exercise and none (0%) had good practice of exercise. Study finding revealed that (44%) had economic constraints as a stress factor in the family. More than half of them (51.7%) had poor practice in timely management of pain. The study results project the extent of lack of knowledge and practice of home management in the wives of patients with coronary artery disease. The study findings reveal the contribution of uncontrolled risk factors to the recurrence and occurrence of coronary artery disease in the family.