Background:
Self-care, a process of health maintenance, monitoring and symptom management, improves morbidity and mortality in adults with HF. Caregivers are important in promoting patient self-care but little is known about the effect of relationship quality (RQ) on HF patient self-care, especially in same and mixed gender dyads.
Aim:
Quantify the contribution of dyadic gender and RQ on HF patient self-care maintenance.
Methods:
Secondary analysis of baseline data from a study of Italian adults with HF and their caregivers (
n
=503). Dyads were enrolled to assess effectiveness of motivational interviewing on HF self-care maintenance measured with the Self-Care of Heart Failure Index v.6.2, validated in an Italian population. RQ was assessed with the Mutuality Scale, validated for HF patients and caregivers. Dyadic gender was categorized as Male-Male (M-M), Female-Male (Fpt-Mcg), Female-Female (F-F), and Male-Female (Mpt-Fcg; reference group). Univariate linear regression with backward elimination (
p
<.05) was used to identify determinants of HF patient self-care maintenance.
Results:
The sample was 48% Mpt-Fcg, 27% F-F, 15% Fpt-Mcg, 10% M-M. Mpt-Fcg dyad patients were married (86%); with older (59±15 years), less educated (46% secondary or lower) spousal caregivers (66%). More F-F vs M-M patients lived alone (32% vs 4%). Determinants of better patient self-care were: living alone, receiving assistance for HF, better mental quality of life, patient and caregiver employment, caregiver married status, higher caregiver perceived social support, and more months caring for the patient. Dyad gender, RQ, and these covariates explained 23% of variance in patient self-care maintenance. Dyad gender independently contributed to self-care, but only for same gender dyads. Being in a M-M dyad was associated with higher patient self-care (ß=.52,
p
<.026). Better caregiver perception of RQ in both M-M and F-F dyads was associated with lower patient self-care (M-M: ß=-.97,
p
<.001; F-F: ß=-.55,
p
<.026). There were no significant interactions for patient RQ or mixed gender dyads.
Conclusion:
Dyadic relationship quality appears to be important for self-care, particularly in M-M dyads and should to be considered when working with HF patients and their caregivers.
Parental mindfulness and dyadic relationship quality in low-income cohabiting Black stepfamilies: Associations with parenting experienced by adolescents.