title: Changes in eating and weight control habits after myocardial infarction.
abstract: The focus of this study was to describe changes the patients make in eating and weight control habits 3--4 months after diagnosis of myocardial infarction, and to identify difficulties associated with the reported changes 1 month later. Subjects were 50 male patients (mean age 48 years, mean body mass index 27.9kg/m(2)) participating in an in-patient cardiac rehabilitation programme. The changes were assessed with a questionnaire (46 items) at the beginning of the rehabilitation programme and 4 days food diaries were used to assess the diet at home. Difficulties were assessed with a questionnaire (34 items) 1 month later. Nearly all patients (96%) had changed their habits after myocardial infarction. The majority of the patients (76%) reported that they had consumed foods containing less fat and many of them anticipated difficulties to eat healthily at workplace. More attention could be paid to self-change without the assistance of formal treatment among patients with cardiac disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland
authors.forename: Merja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koikkalainen
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mykkänen
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Julkunen
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saarinen
authors.forename: Raimo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lappalainen
mesh_terms: D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013997:Time Factors