Depression and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among patients with coronary artery diseases in Jordan

BACKGROUND: It is well-established in the literature that coronary artery disease (CAD) is a risk factor for depression and that depressive symptoms inversely affect the development and progression of CAD. No published studies have examined the relationship between depression and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among patients with CAD in Jordan. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of depression on adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among CAD patients in Jordan. METHODS: A correlational, cross-sectional study of convenience sample of 130 patients with CAD was conducted from out-patient cardiac clinics in a university-affiliated hospital and government-operated hospital in Northern Jordan. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires on depression and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among CAD patients. RESULTS: Our data showed that 41% of the participants were non-adherent to healthy lifestyle behaviors, especially in the areas of physical activity (6.2%), maintaining a healthy diet (24.6%), and weight loss (26.15%). Gender, smoking status, and number of cardiac catheterization procedures were found to be significant predictors of patient adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors. Although depressive symptoms were present in 56.9 % of the participants, depression was not found to be a significant predictor of adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among our sample. CONCLUSION: There was no significant relationship between depression and adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among CAD patients in Jordan. Physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, and weight loss were the least lifestyle behaviors that were adopted, while quitting smoking and medication compliance were the most adopted behaviors among the patients. Our study provides valuable data regarding the levels and predictors of adherence to healthy lifestyle behaviors among CAD patients with CADs. Implications for future research and practice are addressed.