Influence of Neighborhood Disadvantage and Individual Sociodemographic Conditions on Heart Failure Self-care.

BACKGROUND: Residence in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods and individual sociodemographic conditions contribute to worse heart failure (HF) outcomes and may influence HF self-care. However, associations between neighborhood disadvantage, socioeconomic conditions, and HF self-care are unclear. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this secondary analysis was to investigate whether neighborhood disadvantage and individual socioeconomic conditions predicted worse HF self-care. METHODS: This study was a secondary analysis of baseline data from a mixed-method study of 82 adults with HF. Participant zip codes were assigned a degree of neighborhood disadvantage using the Area Deprivation Index. Those in the top 20% most disadvantaged neighborhoods (Area Deprivation Index ≥ 80) were compared with those in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods. The Self-Care of Heart Failure Index was used to measure self-care maintenance and monitoring. Multiple linear regression was conducted. RESULTS: Of all participants, 59.8% were male, 59.8% were persons of color, and the mean age was 64.87 years. Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood and living alone predicted worse HF self-care maintenance and monitoring. Having no college education was also a predictor of worse HF self-care maintenance. Although persons of color were more likely to reside in disadvantaged neighborhoods, race was not associated with HF self-care. CONCLUSION: Residing in a disadvantaged neighborhood and living alone may be important risk factors for worse HF self-care. Differences in self-care cannot be attributed solely to the individual sociodemographic determinants of race, gender, age, annual household income, or marital status. More research is needed to understand the connection between neighborhood disadvantage and HF self-care.

We Have to Really Decide: The Childbearing Decisions of Women With Congenital Heart Disease.

BACKGROUND: Medical management and surgical improvement techniques permit persons with congenital heart conditions to live longer. Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) have more childbearing options than previously available to them. However, there is an increased childbearing risk associated with certain types of CHD. Minimal investigation has been given to the childbearing decision-making experiences and adaptation of women with CHD. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to gain insight into the childbearing decision-making and adaptation experiences of women with CHD. METHODS: Using a narrative inquiry approach, 17 adult women with CHD of any severity, of childbearing age, who had, within the last 5 years, made a decision regarding childbearing, were interviewed. In this study, we applied the key components of the Roy Adaptation Model to understand childbearing decision-making experiences and their adaptation. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed 5 stages of childbearing decision making: (1) prologue: stimulus to consider childbearing; (2) exploring childbearing options; (3) considering childbearing options; (4) choosing to bear or not to bear a child; and (5) epilogue: adapting to the childbearing decision. Adaptation occurred in the areas of self-concept (ie, emotional adaptation), role function (ie, relational adaptation), and interdependence (ie, interactional adaptation). CONCLUSION: Childbearing decision making is a complex personal decision that is carefully and deliberately made. Women with CHD long for children and seek childbearing information from various resources and may experience grief regarding the inability to bear children. A greater understanding of childbearing decision making can be useful in addressing women's childbearing emotions and assist with adaptation to childbearing needs.

The Impact of Resilience, Health Literacy, and Social Support on Medication Adherence and Self-care Among Adults With Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Personal and psychological factors, such as depression, have a considerable influence on nonadherence to medications and self-care in those with heart failure. More evidence is needed about positive personal factors that motivate adherence to medications and self-care in those with heart failure. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there was a relationship between the personal resources of resilience, hope, health literacy, social support, and self-care activation and adherence to HF self-care and medications and whether race impacts adherence. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional, correlational design. Stepwise regression was used to test whether resilience, hope, health literacy, self-care activation, and race significantly predicted medication adherence and self-care. A diverse sample was recruited for this study. RESULTS: Of the 174 participants, 51% were female, 51.7% were White, and the mean age was 62 years. After adjustment for differences in age and depressive symptoms, a predictive relationship remained between resilience, health literacy, and medication adherence. Hope, activation, and race were not selected in the final regression model. A high level of perceived social support was the only predictor of better HF self-care. CONCLUSION: Persons with heart failure may have better medication adherence and overall self-care if sufficiently resilient, health literate, and supported regardless of their degree of hope or activation. Race and age may be important factors to consider. More research is needed to understand the connection between resilience and medication adherence.

Resilience mediates the effects of self-care activation and hope on medication adherence in heart failure patients.

Medication adherence is important to heart failure (HF) self-care. However, the rate of medication nonadherence is approximately 50%. Evidence suggests that self-care activation and hope may be internal motivators for medication adherence. Empirical data on the association between self-care activation, hope, and medication adherence among people with HF is sparse, and the mechanism by which these factors influence medication adherence is unclear. The findings of prior research studies suggest that resilience may help to explain the relationship between self-care activation, hope, and medication adherence. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate whether resilience mediated the effects of self-care activation and hope on medication adherence. A total of 174 adults with HF, between the ages of 19 and 92, completed the Patient Activation Measure, The Adult Hope Scale, the 14-item Resilience Scale, and the Domains of Subject Extent of Nonadherence Scale. Mediation analyses revealed that resilience fully mediated the effects of self-care activation and hope on medication adherence. Clinicians should consider the person related factors of self-care activation, hope, and resilience when promoting medication adherence in people with HF. Resilience may play an important role in improving medication adherence in HF patients. More research is needed to understand the connection between resilience, self-care activation, hope, and medication adherence.

Reproductive Health and Women With Congenital Heart Disease: A Practice Update.

The purpose of this article was to examine reproductive health issues for women with congenital structural abnormalities of the heart. Because of surgical advances and innovations in healthcare, infants with congenital heart disease often live now into adulthood. Women with congenital heart disease have reported the desire to have children but expressed concern about fertility and the health consequences of pregnancy. Although many women with congenital heart disease are able to give birth without adverse outcomes, life-threatening complications can occur. Best practices for the care of women with congenital heart disease are grounded in an understanding of how cardiac defects may affect pregnancy and in communicating the implications of cardiac defects for reproductive health to support informed decision making.

Applying Stress and Coping Theory to Understand Diuretic Adherence Experiences in Persons with Heart Failure.

Despite the benefits of diuretics for treating the symptoms of heart failure (HF), patients may report side effects and intentionally not adhere to diuretic regimens. Positive internal motivators, such as positive emotions, may benefit individuals in their adaptation to medication-related stress. However, there has been limited study of these potential motivators in those with HF. Using a descriptive qualitative approach, 82 adults taking diuretics for HF were interviewed. This study applied stress and coping theory to understand the diuretic-taking experiences of patients with HF. Data analysis revealed three themes: (a) diuretics are bothersome, (b) staying positive in the mid of hardship, and (c) adapting to endure. Findings suggest that adherent participants stayed positive amid the perceived hardship, maintaining resilient and grateful attitudes. Adherent participants adapted to bothersome diuretic effects and utilized creative strategies. More research is needed to understand the relationships between resilience, adaptive coping, and diuretic adherence.

2022 ACC/AHA guideline for the diagnosis and management of aortic disease: A report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.

AIM: The "2022 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of Aortic Disease" provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the diagnosis, genetic evaluation and family screening, medical therapy, endovascular and surgical treatment, and long-term surveillance of patients with aortic disease across its multiple clinical presentation subsets (ie, asymptomatic, stable symptomatic, and acute aortic syndromes). METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted from January 2021 to April 2021, encompassing studies, reviews, and other evidence conducted on human subjects that were published in English from PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, CINHL Complete, and other selected databases relevant to this guideline. Additional relevant studies, published through June 2022 during the guideline writing process, were also considered by the writing committee, where appropriate. STRUCTURE: Recommendations from previously published AHA/ACC guidelines on thoracic aortic disease, peripheral artery disease, and bicuspid aortic valve disease have been updated with new evidence to guide clinicians. In addition, new recommendations addressing comprehensive care for patients with aortic disease have been developed. There is added emphasis on the role of shared decision making, especially in the management of patients with aortic disease both before and during pregnancy. The is also an increased emphasis on the importance of institutional interventional volume and multidisciplinary aortic team expertise in the care of patients with aortic disease.

Professional Values of RN-to-BSN Students in an Online Program.

Professional values are an important component of nursing education. This cross-sectional study assessed the professional values of 222 students in an online RN-to-BSN program. Higher scores were related to items reflecting direct patient care and accountability for nursing practice. Items focusing on nursing theory, cost of care, and professional nursing organization revealed lower scores.