Adherence to diet and medication and the associated factors among patient with chronic heart failure in a multi-ethnic society

Abstract

Objective: To investigate diet adherence, medication adherence and self-care behaviour among patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) in a multi-ethnic society and identify the significant factors associated with their diet and medication adherence.

Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted with a convenience sample of 107 patients with CHF recruited from two cardiology wards of a public tertiary hospital in Singapore. Study variables were measured using the Dietary Sodium Restriction Questionnaire, the Medication Adherence Rating Scale-5 items and the European Heart Failure Self-care Behaviour Scale-12 items.

Results: Our sample reported positive attitudes towards diet adherence, poor self-care behaviour, and good medication adherence. The multiple linear regression results indicated that lower income, Chinese ethnicity, diabetic complications, current smoking, lower New York Heart Association classification I and II, and poorer self-care behaviour predicted poorer diet adherence. In addition, absence of hypertension, having non-myocardial infarction as a cause of CHF, and moderately diminished ejection fraction were identified as significant predictors of poorer medication adherence.

Conclusion: The findings from this study have established the need to improve current education and rehabilitation programmes for patients with CHF by addressing those factors significantly influencing their adherence to diet and medication.

Keywords: Chronic heart failure; Diet adherence; Medication adherence; Self-care behaviour.