title: "I Just Can't Do It Anymore" Patterns of Physical Activity and Cardiac Rehabilitation in African Americans with Heart Failure: A Mixed Method Study.
abstract: Physical activity and cardiac rehabilitation (CR) are components of heart failure (HF) self-care. The aims of this study were to describe patterns of physical activity in African Americans (n = 30) with HF and to explore experience in CR. This was a mixed method, concurrent nested, predominantly qualitative study. Qualitative data were collected via interviews exploring typical physical activity, and CR experience. It was augmented by quantitative data measuring HF severity, self-care, functional capacity and depressive symptoms. Mean age was 60 ± 15 years; 65% were New York Heart Association (NYHA) class III HF. Forty-three percent reported that they did less than 30 min of exercise in the past week; 23% were told "nothing" about exercise by their provider, and 53% were told to do "minimal exercise". A measure of functional capacity indicated the ability to do moderate activity. Two related themes stemmed from the narratives describing current physical activity: "given up" and "still trying". Six participants recalled referral to CR with one person participating. There was high concordance between qualitative and quantitative data, and evidence that depression may play a role in low levels of physical activity. Findings highlight the need for strategies to increase adherence to current physical activity guidelines in this older minority population with HF.
authors.affiliation: New York University College of Nursing, New York, NY 10010, USA. mmccarthy@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.affiliation: New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. stuart.katz@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Stuart D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.affiliation: New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY 10016, USA. judith.schipper@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schipper
authors.affiliation: New York University College of Nursing, New York, NY 10010, USA. vdickson@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Victoria Vaughan
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Dickson
keywords: cardiac rehabilitation; exercise; heart failure; minorities