RESUMO
After coronary artery bypass graft surgery, the patients need to perform self-caring behaviors. Thus, the assessment of such behaviors in order to promote them is recommended. To determine the self-care behaviors in cardiac patients after coronary artery bypass graft surgery in Heshmat hospital, Rasht. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Heshmat hospital in Rasht, on 110 patients who were operated on and selected using purposive sampling method. The data were collected through interview with patients, their self reporting and respective records. The measurement tools were two questionnaires about demographic characteristics and self- care questions. Collected data were analyzed by descriptive statistical tests, mean, standard deviation, frequency, and chi-square test. This study showed that just ten percent of the studied patients conducted self- caring well. However, factors such as: age [p=0.000], education [p=0.000], gender [p=0.024], occupation [p=0.001], income level [p=0.015], time of illness [p=0.000] and time of hospitalization [p=0.040] had significant relationships with reported self-care behaviors. However, marital status had no significant relationship with self-care behaviors [p>0.05]. As this study demonstrated, the minority of the participants performed self -care behavior well. Therefore, training and encouraging the cardiac patients to care for themselves, is strongly recommended