title: Predictors of health status for heart failure patients.
abstract: Health status is poorly understood for patients with heart failure. The purpose of this study was to determine the relative importance of relevant sociodemographic, clinical, health perception, and emotional variables in predicting health status. In this study of 87 patients, health status was conceptualized as health-related quality of life, physical activity level, and symptom burden. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to determine sociodemographic, clinical health perception, and emotional variables associated with health status. Worse New York Heart Association class, higher anxiety, and higher depression predicted worse health-related quality of life. Better New York Heart Association class and higher anxiety predicted higher levels of physical activity. Worse New York Heart Association class and higher depression predicted greater symptom burden. Traditional demographic and clinical variables were not associated with health status. Although not routinely assessed, emotional variables had a major impact on health status. Interventions to improve health status should target both physical and emotional well-being.
authors.affiliation: Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, TX, USA. mdejong@aol.com
authors.forename: Marla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Jong
authors.forename: Debra K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Moser
authors.forename: Misook L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires