The enduring impact of social factors on exercise tolerance in men attending cardiac rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
This study explored the influence of social support on a prognostic indicator among cardiac patients, exercise tolerance. The relationship of sociodemographic factors to social support was examined, as well as the role of social support as a potential mediator between sociodemographic factors and exercise tolerance.


METHODS
Archival data were collected from a sample of 254 men referred to cardiac rehabilitation. An exercise tolerance test was completed upon entry into cardiac rehabilitation, after 14 weeks, and after 9 months.


RESULTS
Sociodemographic factors and social support reported upon entry into the cardiac rehabilitation program were related to initial and post-cardiac rehabilitation exercise tolerance, after controlling for admitting diagnoses, medical history, smoking, and perceived severity of illness. Overall, 28% of the variance in exercise tolerance was explained at baseline, 19% at 14 weeks, and 20% at 9 months. Specifically, older individuals had poorer exercise tolerance, whereas those with more income had better exercise tolerance. Social support was positively related to exercise tolerance at all 3 times. Older men reported less social support than younger men did, and those with more income reported more social support. However, social support did not mediate the relationship between sociodemographic factors and exercise tolerance.


CONCLUSIONS
Results support the potential use of broad social factors in examining the determinants of prognostic factors for heart patients.
Fraser
Shawn N
SN
Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada. shawn.fraser@athabascau.ca
Rodgers
Wendy M
WM
Murray
Terra C
TC
Daub
Bill
B
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000416:Alberta; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D017079:Exercise Tolerance; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010807:Physical Endurance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors