title: Relationship between Awareness of Disease and Adherence to Therapeutic Regimen among Cardiac Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adherence to prescribed therapeutic regimen is an important element of self-care behaviors in cardiac patients. Awareness of disease may play an important role in patient adherence. Thus, this study was conducted to examine the relationship between awareness of the disease and adherence to therapeutic regimen among cardiac patients admitted to selected hospitals in Mashhad, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a descriptive correlational design, 340 patients with heart disease were selected using convenience sampling from five hospitals in Mashhad during December 2009 to May 2010. Data were collected using three questionnaires including demographic information, awareness of disease and treatment adherence (including medication, diet and physical activity). Validity and reliability of the questionnaires were examined by content validity and test-retest, respectively. Also, inter-rater reliability was examined for two data raters. Data were analyzed by SPSS software, using Spearman and Kruskal-Wallis tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results showed that only 15 percent of the study subjects had a good awareness of their disease. The majority of patients followed a good medication adherence (79 %), good diet adherence (60%), and weak physical activity adherence (61%). A significant correlation was found between knowledge and adherence to therapeutic regimen (P=0.001, rp=0.32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that awareness of disease and adherence to physical activity was low in the majority of patients. It is recommended that studies should be conducted to explore effective educational programs and strategies to improve adherence to therapeutic regimen among cardiac patients.
authors.affiliation: Evidence-Based Caring Research Center, Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran;
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Surgical Nursing, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran;
authors.forename: Elaheh Sadat
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Ziaee
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery, North Khorasan University of Medical Sciences, Bojnurd, Iran.
authors.forename: Akram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gazrani
keywords: Awareness of the Disease; Cardiac Patients; Heart Disease; Patient Adherence