title: The changes and factors associated with post-discharge self-care behaviors among Chinese patients with heart failure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Self-care behavior is essential for achieving good outcomes among patients with heart failure. Understanding the factors associated with self-care over time is important for the provision of appropriate and targeted interventions. However, little is known regarding the changes and factors associated with post-discharge self-care behaviors among Chinese patients with heart failure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes and factors of self-care behaviors during the first 3 months following discharge among patients with heart failure in the People's Republic of China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive design with a convenience sample was utilized in this study. Patients (N=128) from two hospitals, West China Hospital and Angjin Hospital, in Chengdu, People's Republic of China, were recruited from June 2013 to June 2014. The instruments used in the study included the following: the Social Support Rating Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease 6-Item Scale, and the European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviour Scale. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to identify the factors related to self-care behaviors at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months following discharge.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients' self-care behaviors were poor and decreased significantly over time (F=4.09, P<0.05). The factors associated with self-care behaviors at baseline included the following: education level, comorbidities, and social support. The factors related to self-care behaviors at 1 and 3 months following discharge included the following: education level, comorbidities, social support, and self-efficacy. The variances in self-care behaviors attributed to these factors were 43%, 46%, and 42% at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months following discharge, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional support should be provided to patients with heart failure with low educational levels and patients with multiple comorbidities. Follow-up, continuity of care, and family caregiver integration following discharge are necessary for the said patients to improve their self-care behaviors and obtain better outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiuying
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yonglin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Moying
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Mary A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Dolansky
keywords: associated factors; heart failure; patients; self-care behaviors