Predictors of compliance with diet 6 months after heart transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
To examine and predict patient compliance with diet 6 months after heart transplantation.


METHODS
Prospective, correlational design, with nonrandom sample.


METHODS
Midwestern and southern medical centers.


METHODS
Ninety-four adult patients who had undergone heart transplantation 6 months previously (mean age 55 years; primarily married men).


METHODS
Sixteen independent variables measured by nine instruments (with acceptable preliminary reliability and validity data) and chart review were used to predict compliance with diet 6 months after heart transplantation.


METHODS
Descriptive statistics, correlations, and multiple regression were used to analyze the data.


RESULTS
More than 85% of patients were compliant with their diet most or all of the time, and more than 70% of patients experienced little or no difficulty complying with their diet. Difficulty with dietary compliance, gastrointestinal symptoms, and health perception predicted dietary compliance (accounting for 38% of variance).


CONCLUSIONS
This study will contribute to enhanced patient care and may decrease morbidity and deaths after transplantation.
Grady
K L
KL
Section of Cardiology, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612-3824, USA.
Jalowiec
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results