Health beliefs and desire to improve cholesterol levels among patients with hyperlipidemia.
Journal Article
OBJECTIVE: Because hyperlipidemia is asymptomatic, many veterans affairs (VA) patients may not perceive it seriously. We assessed key Health Belief model concepts to describe patients' cholesterol-related health beliefs and examine associations between patient-level factors and desire to improve cholesterol control. METHODS: We used baseline data from an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Eligible patients were receiving care at the Durham VA and had CVD risk-total cholesterol levels >130 mg/dL and/or <80% medication adherence in the previous 12 months. A survey assessed patients' health beliefs about high cholesterol and self-reported medication adherence. Multivariable logistic regression examined whether there was an association between desire to control cholesterol and cholesterol status. RESULTS: Approximately 64% (n=155) of patients perceived high cholesterol as 'very serious'. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, patients who perceived high cholesterol as 'very serious' (OR 2. 26, p=0.032) and/or with high self-efficacy (OR 4.70, p<0.001) had increased odds of desiring cholesterol control. CONCLUSION: The factors most significantly associated with desire to improve cholesterol control were perceiving hyperlipidemia as 'very serious and self-efficacy for cholesterol control. PRACTICE IMPLICATION: Educating patients, with the goal of appropriately increasing their perceived risk of disease, is likely necessary to impact cholesterol control.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Zullig, LL; Sanders, LL; Thomas, S; Brown, JN; Danus, S; McCant, F; Bosworth, HB
Published Date
- May 2016
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 99 / 5
Start / End Page
- 830 - 835
PubMed ID
- 26673107
Pubmed Central ID
- 26673107
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1873-5134
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1016/j.pec.2015.11.025
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- Ireland