Impacting Cardiovascular Recovery after a MI: The Study of Predictors of Health Promoting Behaviors and Health Related Quality of Life in the Post MI Population

Anderson, Janice K.

Tuesday, 1 November 2011: 9:10 AM

Janice K. Anderson, PhD, RN
Deborah A. Tapler, PhD, RN
College of Nursing, Texas Woman's University, Dallas, TX

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to indentify predictors of health promoting behaviors in adults after a myocardial infarction.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to indentify predictors of health-related quality of life in post myocardial infarction adults.

Because cardiovascular diseases are the cause of more than 2,200 American deaths each day and the leading cause of death in the United States, studies seeking to examine this important global health issue are very relevant (Roger et al., 2011). The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to identify predictors of health promoting behaviors and health-related quality of life after a myocardial infarction (MI). The 2005 data set from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) was used in this study and reduced (n = 6,749) to include only MI patients.

Elements of the Health Promotion Model were the foundation for this study and used to determine predictors of health-related quality of life (Pender, Murdaugh, & Parsons, 2006). The study variables included biological factors (age, gender, BMI, comorbidities, disabilities), sociocultural factors (marital status, education, race/ethnicity, employment, income, insurance), and psychological factors (emotional support, life satisfaction) which were examined to determine if they were predictors of health promoting behaviors (cardiac rehabilitation attendance, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake) and if all were predictors of health-related quality of life.

Study findings reported that biological factors explained 27.2% of the variance, biological and sociocultural factors explained 35.2% of the variance, and all personal factors explained 39.5% of the variance in the study model. The entire model accounted for the highest amount of variance (39.9%) for health-related quality of life. The predictors of health promoting behaviors and health-related quality of life for both men and women were examined and suggest that the recovery experiences for men and women after a MI are different.

New nursing knowledge about the factors that impact recovery after a MI would impact the cardiovascular health of people throughout the world and allow nurses to influence the promotion of cardiovascular health in their patients.

See more of: Health Promotion Strategies for the Adult Population
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