Abstract
Objective: to describe self-care behavior and its associated factors in a sample of heart failure Brazilian patients. Method: descriptive cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic sample of 116 ambulatory patients undergoing heart failure treatment. Self-care was evaluated using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index, (scores ≥70 points=appropriate self-care). Association tests were applied, considering a descriptive level of 0.05.Results: the mean age of participants was 57.7 (SD =11.3) years; 54.3% were male; the mean schooling was 5.5 (SD = 4.0) years; and 74.1% had functional class II-III. The mean scores on the subscales of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index indicated inappropriate self-care (self-care maintenance: 53.2 (SD =14.3), selfcare management: 50.0 (SD = 20.3) and self-care confidence: 52.6 (SD=22.7)) and it was found low frequencies of participants with appropriate self-care (self-care maintenance, 6.9%), self-care management (14.7%) and self-care confidence (19%). Higher scores of the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index were associated with: reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (p=0.001), longer time of experience with the disease (p=0.05) and joint monitoring by physician and nurse (p=0.007). Conclusion: investments are needed to improve the self-care behavior and the nursing can play a relevant role in this improvement.
Highlights
Self-care in chronic diseases is related to the maintenance of the appropriate level of physical and psychological well-being, decrease in morbidity and mortality and in the use and cost of healthcare, increase in patient’s satisfaction, improvement of control sense and life quality, reasons by which selfcare is a central concern in the care for people with chronic diseases[1].The self-care concept has evolved over the years.It is associated with autonomy, independence and individual responsibility for healthy behaviors, as well as for the development of activities required to manage and monitor health conditions[2,3].The illness experience requires that people integrate practices and recommendations to self-care, in order to maintain the greatest well-being possible
Heart failure (HF) is currently one of the major public health problems in Brazil, and its complex and progressive nature often results in adverse events, such as high rate of rehospitalization and mortality, which could be reduced if there were appropriate self-care[5]
The cross-sectional observational study was performed with data obtained by personal interview of a non-probabilistic sample of 116 adult patients in an ambulatory care setting for HF in the period from April to September 2013
Summary
Self-care in chronic diseases is related to the maintenance of the appropriate level of physical and psychological well-being, decrease in morbidity and mortality and in the use and cost of healthcare, increase in patient’s satisfaction, improvement of control sense and life quality, reasons by which selfcare is a central concern in the care for people with chronic diseases[1].The self-care concept has evolved over the years.It is associated with autonomy, independence and individual responsibility for healthy behaviors, as well as for the development of activities required to manage and monitor health conditions[2,3].The illness experience requires that people integrate practices and recommendations to self-care, in order to maintain the greatest well-being possible. The self-care concept has evolved over the years. It is associated with autonomy, independence and individual responsibility for healthy behaviors, as well as for the development of activities required to manage and monitor health conditions[2,3]. The self-care promotion is essential in chronic disease by involving activities and skills that should be learned and used by the individuals to improve their quality of life [3]. Heart failure (HF) is currently one of the major public health problems in Brazil, and its complex and progressive nature often results in adverse events, such as high rate of rehospitalization and mortality, which could be reduced if there were appropriate self-care[5]
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