The Impact of Nutritional Behaviors on Health Perception and Adaptation to Disease in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure

Chronic heart failure is a global public health problem. Nutritional behaviors significantly affect the disease trajectory, prognosis, perceived health, and adaptation of patients with heart failure. This study aims to examine the impact of nutritional behaviors on health perception and adaptation to disease in patients with chronic heart failure. This descriptive, cross-sectional study collected data from 200 patients with chronic heart failure attending a cardiology clinic between July and September 2024. Participants were assessed using the Scale for Dietary Behaviors in Heart Failure, the Perception of Health Scale, and the Adaptation to Chronic Illness Scale. Analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and regression analyses. Nutritional behaviors were found to significantly influence health perception and disease adaptation. Positive correlations were observed between healthy dietary habits and health perception (R= 0.268, R²= 0.072, p < 0.001) and between healthy dietary habits and disease adaptation (R= 0.229, R²= 0.052, p < 0.001), indicating that healthier dietary behaviors are associated with increased health perception and greater disease adaptation. The study highlights the importance of nutritional behaviors in improving health perception and disease adaptation in chronic heart failure. These findings suggest that individually tailored nutritional interventions and education provided by healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, could enhance clinical outcomes and quality of life in patients with heart failure.