Finding benefits in a cardiac event: Direct links with positive affect and healthy dietary behaviors during cardiac rehabilitation

Benefit finding (BF) may be a coping strategy that positively influences outcomes after a stressful event, but previous studies provide an inconsistent pattern of results across several different patient populations. This study aimed to reconcile these inconsistencies by testing whether positive affect related to a cardiac event (PA) mediates the relationship between BF and healthy dietary behaviors, and whether this mediating relationship is stronger for participants high in disease severity. Participants were patients with cardiovascular disease in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Results supported partial mediation, but the interaction was not as predicted: participants low in disease severity showed a stronger relationship between BF and PA than their counterparts high in disease severity. Additionally, the PA/healthy dietary behaviors relationship was negative. Health providers may encourage patients in CR to engage in BF, but also to make thoughtful food decisions when in a positive mood, especially for patients low in disease severity.