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The Influence of Caregiver Preparedness on Caregiver Contributions to Self-care in Heart Failure and the Mediating Role of Caregiver Confidence
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The Influence of Caregiver Preparedness on Caregiver Contributions to Self-care in Heart Failure and the Mediating Role of Caregiver Confidence

Ercole Vellone, Valentina Biagioli, Angela Durante, Harleah G. Buck, Paolo Iovino, Marco Tomietto, Sofia Colaceci, Rosaria R. Alvaro and Antonio Petruzzo
The Journal of cardiovascular nursing, Vol.35(3), pp.243-252
05/2020
DOI: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000000632
PMID: 32084078
url
https://hdl.handle.net/11585/966005View
Open Access

Abstract

Background Caregiver contributions (CC) to heart failure (HF) self-care maintenance (ie, CC to maintaining HF stability) and management (ie, CC to dealing with HF signs and symptoms) improve patient outcomes, but it is unknown whether caregiver preparedness influences CC to self-care and whether caregiver confidence mediates this process. Objectives We evaluated the influence of caregiver preparedness on CC to HF self-care maintenance and management and the mediating role of caregiver confidence. Methods This is a secondary analysis of the MOTIVATE-HF study. Patients were 18 years or older, with a diagnosis of HF in New York Heart Association classes II to IV, who had insufficient self-care and did not have severe cognitive impairment. Patients' informal caregivers were those people inside or outside the family who gave most of the informal care to the patients. We used the Caregiver Preparedness Scale and the Caregiver Contribution to Self-Care of HF Index. We tested a path analysis model and the indirect effects. Results Caregivers (n = 323) were 55 (SD, 15) years old on average and predominantly female (77%). The path analysis showed that higher scores in caregiver preparedness were associated with higher scores in caregiver confidence. In turn, higher caregiver confidence was associated with higher CC to self-care maintenance and management. Caregiver confidence mediated the association between caregiver preparedness and CC to self-care maintenance and management. Conclusions Caregiver confidence may play a role in CC to self-care. Interventions to improve CC to HF self-care should not only be focused on improving caregiver preparedness but also should consider the role of caregiver confidence.
Nursing Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems Cardiovascular System & Cardiology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Science & Technology

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