Self-Care Behavior Among Patients With Heart Failure: Relationship Between Sociodemographic and Clinical Variables

Objective: to assess self-care behavior and its relationship with the sociodemographic and clinical variables of patients with heart failure. Method: a cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted in a cardiomyopathy outpatient clinic in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Data were collected between 2018 and 2020. The sample consisted of patients with heart failure without visual, auditory, or cognitive deficits. Self-care behavior was assessed using the European Heart Failure Self-care Behavior Scale. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were selected through a literature review. The Spearman’s correlation coefficient and the Mann-Whitney test were used for data analysis. Factors presenting p≤0.10 and the variables of clinical interest were included in the multiple analysis, and p-values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant. Results: 340 patients with a mean self-care score of 24.7 were analyzed. Those taking more medications and adhering to the pharmacological treatment tended to present improved self-care (p≤0.001). In contrast, patients without a partner (p=0.022), with a sedentary lifestyle (p<0.001), or employed (p<0.001) tended to present worse self-care scores. Conclusion: The factors related to self-care behavior were adherence to pharmacological treatment, the number of medications taken, marital status, employment, and sedentary lifestyle.