title: Health beliefs and desire to improve cholesterol levels among patients with hyperlipidemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Because hyperlipidemia is asymptomatic, many veterans affairs (VA) patients may not perceive it seriously. We assessed key Health Belief model concepts to describe patients' cholesterol-related health beliefs and examine associations between patient-level factors and desire to improve cholesterol control.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used baseline data from an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Eligible patients were receiving care at the Durham VA and had CVD risk-total cholesterol levels >130 mg/dL and/or <80% medication adherence in the previous 12 months. A survey assessed patients' health beliefs about high cholesterol and self-reported medication adherence. Multivariable logistic regression examined whether there was an association between desire to control cholesterol and cholesterol status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 64% (n=155) of patients perceived high cholesterol as 'very serious'. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, patients who perceived high cholesterol as 'very serious' (OR 2. 26, p=0.032) and/or with high self-efficacy (OR 4.70, p<0.001) had increased odds of desiring cholesterol control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The factors most significantly associated with desire to improve cholesterol control were perceiving hyperlipidemia as 'very serious and self-efficacy for cholesterol control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Educating patients, with the goal of appropriately increasing their perceived risk of disease, is likely necessary to impact cholesterol control.
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, USA; Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Leah L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Zullig
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Linda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Sanders
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Investigational Drug Service, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danus
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, USA.
authors.forename: Felicia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McCant
authors.affiliation: Center of Excellence for Health Services Research in Primary Care, Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, USA; Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, USA; Departments of Psychiatry and School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, USA. Electronic address: boswo001@mc.duke.edu.
authors.forename: Hayden B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Bosworth
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000188:drug therapy; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009657:North Carolina; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D016903:Drug Monitoring
chemical_list: D000924:Anticholesteremic Agents; D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Disease susceptibility; Health behavior; Hyperlipidemia; Medication adherence; United States Department of Veterans Affairs