Self -efficacy and barriers to health -promoting behavior in cardiac rehabilitation participants and nonparticipants

Cardiac rehabilitation research has largely focused on the outcomes of exercise participation, with less emphasis on dietary habits or psychological determinants of behavior change. Because the cardiac rehabilitation population only compromises up to 20% of the total cardiac population, it is necessary to examine determinants of health-promoting lifestyle behaviors in cardiac patients who do not attend a formal cardiac rehabilitation program as well as in program attendees. The purpose of this study was to compare self-efficacy and barriers to exercise and healthy dietary intake of cardiac rehabilitation program participants and nonparticipants. Specific Aim 1 compared the change in self-efficacy and barriers related to exercise in cardiac rehabilitation participants versus nonparticipants between 6 and 12 weeks post-hospital discharge. Specific Aim 2 compared change in self-efficacy and barriers related to healthy dietary intake in cardiac rehabilitation participants versus nonparticipants between 6 and 12 weeks post-hospital discharge. A prospective cohort design was used in this study. Findings of this study support that there is a significant relationship between cardiac rehabilitation program attendance and exercise and diet self-efficacy as well as barriers to exercise and diet. Results indicated that cardiac rehabilitation participants reported higher exercise and diet self-efficacy scores, indicating that they were more confident than the cardiac nonrehabilitation group that they could consistently commit to an exercise regimen and healthy diet by making time for exercise and reducing dietary calories, salt, and fat for a least a 6-month time period. Additionally, cardiac rehabilitation participants reported fewer barriers to exercise and healthy dietary intake. These findings increase our understanding of the determinants of adoption of healthy behaviors, specifically related to diet and exercise, and will be useful for designing interventions to assist individuals in sustaining secondary preventive efforts over time.