PHASE IV CARDIAC REHABILITATION PATIENT KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS

Abstract

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine if phase IV cardiac rehabilitation patients are aware of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and if they know their personal and recommended values for specific risk factors. These risk factors include hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, diabetes, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and stress. METHODS There were 24 men and 5 women from the Immanuel St. Joseph - Mayo Health System that volunteered to participate in the study. The participants were between the ages of 53 and 82 and reported a mean of 70 +/− 8.4 years. Subjects completed a questionnaire asking what the risk factors for CVD are and if they knew their personal and recommended values for specific risk factors. Data was analyzed for means and percentages for demographics and each variable. RESULTS The most frequently mentioned risk factor was sedentary lifestyle, followed by diet and obesity. Of the subjects, 72.4% could correctly identify three or more risk factors. Awareness of average fasting blood sugar, target heart rate and blood pressure was high, while awareness of total cholesterol, LDH, HDL, and triglyceride levels were low. Knowledge of recommended days per week for exercise and blood pressure were higher than knowledge of recommended minutes per session for exercise, target heart rate, cholesterol levels and average blood sugar levels. CONCLUSION The results from this investigation suggest that as the subjects education level and/or length of time in the program increased, their awareness and knowledge of modifiable risk factors also favorably increased.