A STUDY ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR ON LIFE STYLE CHANGES OF THE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

Abstract

Health and happiness of the members of a society is the biggest asset of a country for social developments and
economic prosperity. A person's health has several dimensions one of the most important of which is the
physical health; and among the vital organs, heart plays an important role in maintaining such health.
Coronary arteries diseases and the ensuing myocardial infarction are among the most common causes of
death in human beings in many countries around the world including Iran.
Teaching health behaviors such as balancing the diet, having regular exercises, quitting cigarette smoking,
and management of stress are among the solutions for preventing, caring, curing and returning the patient to
the physical, mental and social status he/she had before being afflicted by the disease.
Methods
In a case study, 60 hospitalized patients were chosen based on random sampling and were divided into two
groups- control and study- each consisting of thirty people. To gather the data, along with using reliable
documents, (patients medical records) a questionnaire was given during the interviews sessions as a pre test
and posttest. The questionnaire was given to the study group and it was about the plan for following up
health behaviors in the four areas of nutrition, physical activity, smoking and stress before being discharged
from the hospital, and a follow up plan for the second, the fourth, the sixth, and the eighth weeks after being
discharged.
No interference was done to the control group. At the end of the sixteenth week, the acceptance of health
behavior and the change in lifestyle by the study group were measured through a questionnaire, and the data
thus obtained was analyzed-using the SPSS software~ by employing statistical descriptive methodology.
W- Results
The results of the research study showed that there was not a meaningful difference among the factors
making up the lifestyle in the control and study group at the beginning of the study. However, patient training
caused the acceptance of health behaviors in the three areas of nutrition, physical activity and tress, hence
public health, but it did not have any positive effects on smoking.
Discussion
Training health behaviors before discharging patients from the hospital and a follow up program at his/her
home will cause a change in the lifestyle of some people.