Reported adherence and social support among immigrants compared to native Swedes.
Challenges experienced by heart failure patients have seldom been studied from the perspective of immigrants.


OBJECTIVE
To describe and compare immigrant and native Swedish patients regarding changes in physical limitation, emotional state, social support and self-care.


METHODS
A comparative study was conducted including 23 consecutively selected immigrants and 46 Swedish patients. Baseline and 4-month follow-up interviews were conducted using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, Short Form-36, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, MOS Social Support Survey, and European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale.


RESULTS
A larger number of immigrants adhered to prescribed medications (P = 0.02) and significantly less (P = 0.048) felt having somebody to confide to compared to Swedish patients. However the distress level, frequency and severity of symptoms and signs, physical function, emotional state and self care were similar between the groups over time.


CONCLUSIONS
Caregivers should be aware that immigrants may be in need of greater emotional support than has previously been anticipated.
Hedemalm
Azar
A
Institute of Health and Care Sciences, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden. azar.hedemalm@gu.se
Schaufelberger
Maria
M
Ekman
Inger
I
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000208:ethnology*; D012648:Self Care; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden