The effects of education based on Leventhal's self-regulation model on self-care and quality of life among patients with heart failure: A clinical trial

Background: Patients with heart failure experience poor self-care and diminished quality of life (QOL). Enhancing the well-being of these patients necessitates the implementation of innovative educational methods.Objectives: To determine the effects of education based on Leventhal's self-regulation model on self-care and QOL in patients with heart failure.Methods: This clinical trial was conducted with 100 patients hospitalized with heart failure at Farshchian Hospital in Hamadan, Iran. Subjects were selected using consecutive sampling and assigned to either an intervention group or a control group, using the randomized block permutation method. Prior to and two months after the intervention, patients completed the self-care questionnaire for heart failure patients and the Minnesota Quality of Life questionnaire. The control group received routine ward education, whereas the intervention group participated in an educational program based on the Leventhal model. Data were analyzed using the chi-square, Fisher's exact, paired t, and independent t tests.Results: The two groups were homogeneous in their characteristics. The independent t-test showed no significant difference in mean baseline self-care and QOL scores between the intervention and control groups (P > 0.05). However, after the intervention, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05), with the intervention group showing an increase in self-care and QOL compared to the control group.Conclusion: Education based on Leventhal's self-regulation model resulted in improvement in self-care and QOL in patients with heart failure. It is recommended that this model be used in the education of patients with heart failure.