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. 2023 Sep;45(9):807-814.
doi: 10.1177/01939459231186339. Epub 2023 Jul 5.

Heart Failure Family Caregivers' Perspectives of Physical Activity Engagement: A Qualitative Study

Christina Baker  1 , Heather Coats  2 , Catherine M Jankowski  3 , Dawon Baik  2
Affiliations

Heart Failure Family Caregivers' Perspectives of Physical Activity Engagement: A Qualitative Study

Christina Baker et al. West J Nurs Res. 2023 Sep.

Abstract

Research on caregiver burden and related psychological distress has been widely studied. However, little research has focused on perspectives and experiences of older family caregivers of persons with heart failure on engaging in physical exercise to improve their health and wellness. We investigated barriers and facilitators influencing physical activity engagement for older family caregivers of persons with heart failure through a qualitative descriptive study design utilizing participant interviews. The social cognitive theory framework guided the thematic analysis. Identified themes and subthemes that emerged were centered around the framework's interrelated personal, environmental, and behavioral factors. Self-efficacy emerged as a central construct facilitating engagement in physical activity. The older family caregivers embraced technology for physical activity interventions more readily since the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged increased technology use. The age-related and caregiving barriers to physical activity found in this study highlight considerations for an older family caregiver and guide interventions for future family caregivers' engagement.

Keywords: family caregivers; heart failure; physical activity; social cognitive theory.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests.

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Thematic Findings Guided by the Social Cognitive Theory framework
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