Barriers to cardiac rehabilitation: DOES AGE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
OBJECTIVE
To quantitatively investigate age differences in barriers to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) enrollment and participation.


METHODS
Cardiac outpatients (N = 1,273, mean age = 65.9 +/- 11.2) completed a mailed survey to discern barriers to CR enrollment and participation. Both enrollees and nonenrollees were asked to rate 18 CR barriers on a 5-point Likert scale.


RESULTS
Of the respondents, 535 (43%) reported participating in CR at 1 of 40 sites, with younger patients being more likely to participate (P = .002). Older age was positively related to total CR barriers (P < .001). Older patients more strongly endorsed the following CR barriers: already exercising at home (P = .001), confidence in ability to self-manage their condition (P = .003), perception of exercise as tiring or painful (P = .001), not knowing about CR (P = .001), lack of physician encouragement (P < .001), comorbidities (P < .001), and perception that CR would not improve their health (P < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
Given that the benefits of CR are achieved in older patients as well as the young, interventions to overcome these modifiable barriers to enrollment and participation are needed.
Grace
Sherry L
SL
York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. sgrace@yorku.ca
Shanmugasegaram
Shamila
S
Gravely-Witte
Shannon
S
Brual
Janette
J
Suskin
Neville
N
Stewart
Donna E
DE
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors