The role of perceived control in the dietary changes of cardiac patients and their spouses

Abstract

<bold>Background:</bold> The objectives of this study were to determine whether there are differences of dietary behavior changes in coronary heart disease patients as well as their spouses based on the level of perceived control in the spouses. <bold>Methods:</bold> This is a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data examining 167 couples recruited from hospitals in western Washington. Measures included demographics, dietary behavior changes and perceived control which were collected by baseline questionnaires. <bold>Results:</bold> Logistic regression analyses showed that spousal perceived control levels were significantly associated with differences in spousal dietary behavior change since hospitalization, but not spousal intent to change diet, patient dietary behavior change since hospitalization and patient intent to change diet. Findings also showed that the association between spousal dietary change and patient dietary change was statistically significant. <bold>Conclusion</bold>: The findings suggest that spouses of cardiac patients with high levels of perceived control are more likely to report changes in dietary behavior following the patient's hospitalization than those with low levels of perceived control.