Publication

Abstract : Introduction: - Myocardial infarction is one of the foremost cardiovascular disease causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. The prevention of this disease requires continuous monitoring and rehabilitative management. It can be achieved by the health promotion of patients using effective, planned educational programs and lifestyle modification by the patient. Patients perceived that their learning needs were unmet and that the information provided was too general. Hence, assessing the healthy heart habits performed by the patient and the patient’s preference regarding learning needs is crucial. The descriptive study is intended to identify the perceived health behaviors and learning needs of patients with myocardial infarction for the first time. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive design was used in this present study. The study included 102 newly diagnosed patients with MI carefully chosen by the non-probability convenience selection method. Information was collected using a patient profile (socio-demographic data, clinical data, and clinical parameters), a Modified cardiac health behavior scale (MCHBS), and a Cardiac patient's learning needs inventory (CPLNI). Results: -The present study result showed that subjects with MI for the first time had a high level of perceived learning needs of 164.11 + 22.28, with symptoms management was 27.61 + 3.763, medication information was 23.15 + 3.010, diet information was 23.12 + 3.148 were the areas perceived as high learning need information among the subjects. Only 11 (10.8%) subjects had a high perception of cardiac health behavior, among which were controlling risk habits and was 14.53 + 3.16. Medication adherence was only 6.76 + 1.89, perception of the subjects regarding dietary management was 19.47 + 4.15, and blood pressure control was 5.09 + 2.13 as considered essential in maintaining a healthy heart. Interestingly, the findings show that subjects with the perception of higher learning needs showed a negatively weak correlation with a lesser perception of health behavior, which is not a statistically significant level at p >0.05. The study highlighted that exercise, habits, and RBS had a statistically significant association with perceived health behavior (χ2= 18.52, p <0.001), (χ2=20.133, p =0.013), (χ2=9.067, p=0.037) respectively. Also, the exposure of subjects to mass media (χ2 =15.01, p<0.05), diversional activities practiced (χ2 =19.08, p <0.01), perception about the prognosis (χ2=7.22, p<0.02), habits (χ2= 13.68, p<0.03) level had a statistically significant association with the perceived learning needs. Conclusion: - Patients’ health behaviors practices and learning needs will change according to their perceptions. Determining the learning needs will help to guide the patient to achieve good cardiac health behaviors practice, subsequently reducing the reoccurrence of myocardial infarction.