Factors influencing self-care behaviour in patients with heart failure: Grit as a behavioural support factor

Aims: This study aimed to examine the relationship between heart failure knowledge, self-efficacy, social support, grit and self-care behaviour in patients with heart failure and to identify factors associated with patients' self-care behaviour. Background: Most patients with heart failure are not as active in implementing self-care behavioural practices as recommended by the guidelines. Design: This descriptive cross-sectional study was designed based on Bandura's Social Cognitive Theory. Methods: This study included 138 patients who were diagnosed with heart failure in an outpatient department of cardiology at a tertiary hospital in Korea. Data were collected between July and October 2020 using a structured questionnaire and electronic medical records. Data were analysed using the SPSS/WIN 27.0 program. Results: Grit had the strongest association with self-care behaviour among patients with heart failure, followed by social support, self-efficacy and heart failure knowledge. These variables accounted for approximately 52% of the variance in self-care behaviour. Conclusions: Health-care professionals should assess patients' grit and develop patient-tailored grit enhancement programmes. Based on the social cognitive theory, nursing intervention programmes that can simultaneously manage cognitive (knowledge and self-efficacy), social and environmental (social support) and behavioural support (grit) factors should be developed and applied to nursing practices to promote self-care.