Women's Social Support and Social Network after Their First Myocardial Infarction; A 4-Year Follow-Up with Focus on Cardiac Rehabilitation

BACKGROUND: Knowledge about women's recovery following a myocardial infarction (MI) with focus on how their social support and network change over time as a result of participation in a cardiac rehabilitation programme (CRP) is not well established. AIM: The aim of this study was to describe and compare social support and network changes over a 4-year period in women with a first MI, based on socio-demographic and situational data. METHOD: A longitudinal, comparative study with a non-randomised design including pre- and post-tests (1 and 4 years after MI) was carried out in 18 hospitals in Sweden. Consecutively chosen women (N=240) answered a questionnaire on the subject of social support and network. RESULTS: The women who participated in a CRP were mainly dependent upon professional support during the first year after MI (p<0.0001), while those who declined to participate in a CRP needed professional support throughout the whole 4-year period (p=0.001). Participation in CRP was dependent on the women's age, those under 60 years (p=0.050). CONCLUSION: There is a need to develop CRPs that are specifically designed for women based on their age and family relationships. Nurses' training programmes should place greater emphasis on cardiac rehabilitation from the perspective of women with focus on professional support.