title: What matters to patients with heart failure? The influence of non-health-related goals on patient adherence to self-care management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the life goals of heart failure (HF) patients and to determine whether adherence is influenced by the extent to which these priorities are perceived as compatible with HF self-care regimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty HF outpatients identified their top-five life goals and indicated the compatibility of HF self-care regimens (diet, exercise, weighing) with these priorities. HF knowledge, self-efficacy and reported adherence were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients valued autonomy and social relationships as much as physical health. However, the rated importance of these domains did not predict adherence. Adherence positively correlated with the extent to which the regimen, specifically exercise, was considered compatible with life goals (r=.34, p<.05). Exercise adherence also correlated with illness severity and self-efficacy (rs=-.42 and .36, p<.05, respectively). The perceived compatibility of physical activity with personal goals predicted 11% of the variance in exercise adherence above and beyond that accounted for by illness severity and self-efficacy (FΔ (1, 36)=7.11, p<.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients' goals outside of the illness management context influence self-care practices.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exploring patients' broad life goals may increase opportunities to resolve ambivalence and enhance motivation for self-care adherence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada. Electronic address: kzhang44@uwo.ca.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Language & Liberal Studies, Fanshawe College, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dindoff
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: J Malcolm O
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jeanine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Leora C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Swartzman
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Heart failure; Patient goals; Self-care; Therapeutic regimen adherence