The Effect of Educating Self-Care Behaviors to Patients With Heart Failure in Hospitals of Zahedan

Heart failure is a chronic disease in the elderly. Self-care education has a significant role in preventing the disease, its progress, and complications. The present study aimed to assess the effect of training on self-care behaviors among patients with heart failure in hospitals of Zahedan City in 2012. The present study had a quasi-experimental interventional design with control group, and was conducted in CCU and post-CCU wards in hospitals affiliated to Zahedan University of Medical Sciences in 2012. There were 140 hospitalized patients in two equal groups of case (70 people) and control (70 people). The case group received an educational package including a pamphlet, an educational CD, and educational footage for their cell phone. After one month, they took the posttest. The data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software ver. 18. After training, the mean scores of awareness, attitude and practice among patients in the case group were respectively 8.93 ± 2.32, 47.69 ± 2.21, and 66.04 ± 3.44 (P < 0.0001). The mean score difference of attitude in the intervention group was 17.78 ± 7.0, and 3.30 ± 6.85 in the control. The mean score difference of practice in the intervention group was 26.57 ± 6.37, and 2.08 ± 7.16in the control group (P < 0.0001). The results of the present study showed that self-care behaviors in patients with heart failure were influenced by awareness, and their practice improved with increasing their knowledge. Therefore, it is recommended to give an educational pamphlet video to patients with heart failure.