Factors Influencing Self-Care Among Patients With Heart Failure Based on the Situation-Specific Theory: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Multiple factors influenced self-care maintenance in heart failure patients, including age, employment status, symptom experience, self-efficacy, and social support.

• The final regression model for self-care maintenance had an explanatory power of 39.4%.
• Study included 134 patients diagnosed with heart failure at a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.
• Data were collected between June and September 2023 using a cross-sectional design.
• Self-care was measured using the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index version 7.2.

Health literacy and self-efficacy were the significant predictors of symptom perception in heart failure patients.

• The final regression model for symptom perception had an explanatory power of 31.0%.
• Symptom perception was one of three self-care dimensions measured by the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index version 7.2.
• Independent variables measured included symptom experience, knowledge, health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support.
• Data were analysed using multiple regression analyses with SPSS 25.0.

Age, religion, health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support were significant predictors of self-care management in heart failure patients.

• The final regression model for self-care management had the highest explanatory power at 44.1%.
• Self-care management was one of three self-care dimensions assessed in the study.
• Religion was a unique predictor of self-care management that did not appear as a predictor in the other two self-care dimensions.
• The study sample consisted of 134 patients from a university-affiliated hospital in South Korea.

The study was grounded in the situation-specific theory of heart failure self-care to identify predictors across three self-care dimensions.

• The three self-care dimensions examined were self-care maintenance, symptom perception, and self-care management.
• Independent variables were selected based on the situation-specific theory and included symptom experience, knowledge, health literacy, self-efficacy, and social support.
• The cross-sectional study included 134 patients diagnosed with heart failure.
• Heart failure is described as 'a rapidly increasing global health concern, necessitating the development of effective self-care strategies for better management.'

Health literacy, self-efficacy, symptom experience, and social support were identified as key predictors of self-care across multiple dimensions in heart failure patients.

• Self-efficacy appeared as a significant predictor across all three self-care dimensions: self-care maintenance, symptom perception, and self-care management.
• Health literacy was a significant predictor for both symptom perception and self-care management.
• Social support was a significant predictor for both self-care maintenance and self-care management.
• The authors recommend that 'nurses should assess these factors and provide tailored, literacy-sensitive education and support to strengthen patients' confidence and resources.'