The Effect of Family Support on Self-Management Behavior in Postoperative Cardiac Surgery Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) serves as a critical component in ongoing care for cardiovascular disease patients, improving postoperative anxiety and depression in cardiac surgery patients while reducing readmission rates and mortality. However, patient completion rates for CR programs remain low due to insufficient awareness and lack of social support. This study aimed to investigate the impact of family support levels on self-management behaviors in postoperative cardiac surgery patients, providing a basis for family-based cardiac rehabilitation interventions.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey involved 76 patients who had undergone major vascular surgeries one month prior and were subsequently discharged from the hospital's cardiology department. Participants completed questionnaires assessing demographic details, family support, psychological status, and self-management practices. Logistic regression analysis identified factors influencing perceived social support from family (PSS-Fa), while correlation analyses examined relationships between family support and self-management behaviors.

Results: The mean PSS-Fa score was 10.82 ± 1.50, and the average self-management behavior score was 140.80 ± 20.46. Female gender, marital status, and educational attainment significantly influenced higher family support scores (p < 0.05). For the univariate analysis, key determinants of better self-management included age, educational level, marital status, household income, type of medical insurance, presence of comorbidities, cardiac function classification, and psychological states indicative of anxiety or depression (all p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that PSS-Fa, age, and education level significantly influenced self-management behaviors in postoperative cardiac patients. Family support and education level had a positive effect, while age had a negative impact. The model's overall fit statistics are R² = 0.821 and F = 33.722 (p < 0.05). Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a positive association between family support and overall self-management behaviors (r = 0.303, p < 0.05), particularly in nutrition management, exercise adherence, self-monitoring, and timely medical consultations.

Conclusion: This suggests that the role of family support should be fully considered in developing CR programs in the future, and targeted interventions should be implemented to enhance this support, thereby potentially improving patient outcomes and adherence to CR programs.