title: A correlational study of illness knowledge, self-care behaviors, and quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with heart failure experience adverse physical symptoms that affect quality of life. The number of patients with heart failure in Taiwan has been growing in recent years.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article examines correlations among illness knowledge, self-care behaviors, and quality of life in elderly patients with heart failure.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional research design using three questionnaires was adopted. The study was undertaken in an outpatient department of a teaching hospital in Taiwan from January to June 2008. Potential participants aged 65 years or older were selected by a physician based on several diagnostic findings of heart failure that included an International Classification of Diseases' code 4280 or 4289. Patients who were bedridden or had a prognosis of less than 6 months were excluded from consideration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred forty-one patients with heart failure were recruited. Most participants were men (51.8%), older adults (49.6% older than 71 years old), and either educated to an elementary school level or illiterate (69.5%) and have New York Heart Association class II (61.0%). Participants had an average left ventricular ejection fraction of 41.1%. The illness knowledge of participants was poor (accuracy rate: 29.3%), and most were unaware of the significance of self-care. Illness knowledge correlated with both self-care behaviors (r = -.42, p < .01) and quality of life (r = -.22, p < .01). Illness knowledge and age were identified as significant correlated factors of self-care behaviors (R = .22); and functional class, living independently, and age were identified as significant correlated factors of quality of life (R = .41).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Participants in this study with higher self-reported self-care behaviors and quality of life were younger in age and had better illness knowledge. Furthermore, physical function and independence in daily living significantly affected quality of life. Care for patients with heart failure, particularly older adults, should focus on teaching these patients about heart failure illness and symptom management. Assisting elderly patients with heart failure to promote and maintain physical functions to handle activities of daily living independently is critical to improving patient quality of life.
authors.affiliation: 1MSN, RN, Case Manager, Heart Failure Center, Keelung Chang-Gung Memorial Hospital, and Doctoral Student, School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University 2PhD, MD, Director, Heart Failure Center, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Professor, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University 3RN, Heart Failure Center, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital 4MD, Superintendent, Department of Internal Medicine, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, and Professor, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University 5PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, National Yang-Ming University.
authors.forename: Min-Hui
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chao-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Yen
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wen-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Cherng
authors.forename: Kai-Wei Katherine
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000145:classification / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan