The Challenges of People With Heart Failure in Activity of Daily Living Performance: A Qualitative Study in Iranian Context

Objectives: People with Heart Failure (HF) encounter many limitations while performing their daily activities. These limitations can have adverse effects on their quality of life and selfsatisfaction. Hence, to assess problems in the Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and plan effective interventions, we should properly identify people rsquo;s challenges in performing daily activities. This study aimed to recognize the ADL challenges in people with HF and their effects on ADL. Methods: Twelve people with HF (aged 38 to 65 years) recruited from Rajai Hospital participated in this study using a purposeful sampling method. They were interviewed up to data saturation. Each semistructured interview session lasted for 2045 minutes (average 32.5 minutes). The obtained data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Results: The challenges of the participants with performing ADL were summarized under two themes: ldquo;obstacles preventing normal functioning rdquo; and ldquo;disturbances in doing daily living activities as a burden rdquo;. The first theme consisted of ldquo;interference of previous experience in performance rdquo; and ldquo;challenges during the performance rdquo;. The second theme consisted of ldquo;personal laborious activities rdquo; and ldquo;interruption of activities performance related to family roles and outdoor tasks rdquo;. Discussion: Patients with HF have serious challenges with performing ADLs which are crucial for their living. Therefore, identifying their barriers and needs will play a major role in designing compensatory, educational, and coping programs based on the limited activities and the interrupted parameters in ADL performance.