Abstract

Background: Lifestyle modification is an integral component of secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Lifestyle is greatly influenced by the perception of disease. This study sought to evaluate the effects of pre-discharge education and telephone follow-up on illness perception and lifestyle in patients with myocardial infarction (MI).

Methods: This non randomized controlled trial was performed in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Broujerd, Iran during 2014. Convenience sampling was applied to select 70 hospitalized patients with MI (35 patients in the intervention group and 35 in the control group). A demographic and disease characteristics questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ), and a lifestyle questionnaire were administered to collect data. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics (independent t, paired t, chi-square, and Fisher’s exact tests) in SPSS/16. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.

Result: In pre-test, the two groups had no significant difference in the mean score of illness perception (P=0.528). However, the mean score of lifestyle was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P=0.018). In the post-test, the two groups had significant differences in both illness perception (P=0.04) and lifestyle (P=0.01). Comparison of the mean differences between pre- and post-test scores revealed statistically significant differences in illness perception (P=0.018). In contrast, no significant difference was observed in case of lifestyle (P=0.826).

Conclusion: According to our findings, pre-discharge education and telephone follow-up can correct illness perception in patients with MI. However, it seems that lifestyle changes will require long-term interventions.