The Awareness of Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Its Correlates in Patients with Coronary Artery Diseases / 성인간호학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Cardiovascular risk factor modification is important for patients with coronary artery disease to prevent poor progression of the disease. Without an understanding and an awareness of risk factors, patients with coronary artery disease are not able to reduce their risk by the lifestyle modification. The aims of this study were to assess patient's awareness of risk factors and to identify predictors of awareness of risk factors. METHODS: A descriptive correlational study using a cross-sectional survey method was performed. The sites of the study were three hospitals in Seoul, Korea. The sample consisted of 214 subjects. The awareness of risk factors and other subjects' characteristics were measured by a questionnaire developed for this study. RESULTS: A range of subjects (gender 72.0%; hyperlipidemia 51.9%; hypertension 40.7%; obese 37.4%; age 35.5%; smoking 22.4%; diabetes 19.2%; family history 18.2%) were not able to accurately identify the risk factors. Among predictors, gender (beta=-.17) and diabetics (beta=-.25) had statistically significant influences on awareness of risk factors. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the lack of awareness of risk factors for coronary artery disease. The findings have important implications for nursing practice in terms of guiding educational strategies for the modification of risk factors for coronary heart disease.