Background: Cardiac rehabilitation programs (CRP) entail beneficial changes for the majority of participants with heart problems. However, only 21% to 41% of those patients participate in such programs.
Goal: The goal of this study was to identify modifable and non-modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, as well as perceptions of illness that affect the participation of patients with cardiovascular problems in CRPs.
Method: Thirty individuals with a cardiovascular disease participated in this exploratory, quantitative study.
Results: The results suggest that the level of education as well as increases in the level of HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein) and of anxiety predict the participation in CRPs. However, the perception of illness was not associated with participation in CRPs.
Discussion: The implications of these results are discussed.