Adherence to a Low-Sodium Diet in Patients With Heart Failure Is Best When Family Members Also Follow the Diet: A Multicenter Observational Study

Background: Adherence to a low-sodium diet (LSD) is difficult without continuous support from spouses or family members. Whether having a family member follow an LSD improves patient adherence has not been tested objectively. Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of family adherence to an LSD on patient adherence to an LSD and to examine whether this effect differed by relationship status and living arrangement. Methods: In this secondary data analysis, we analyzed data from 379 outpatients with heart failure who had objective evidence of adherence to an LSD (ie, a 24-hour urinary sodium excretion). The t test, analysis of variance, and logistic regressions were used to compare levels of adherence among groups that were categorized by family adherence to an LSD, relationship status, and living arrangement with family member and to predict the likelihood of being adherent to an LSD (24-hour urinary sodium excretion
Source: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing - Category: Nursing Tags: Articles Source Type: research