Lifestyle effects of group health education for patients with coronary heart disease

In the present study, effects of a health education (INFO) and a PsychoEduc ational Prevention (INFO + PEP) programme were investigated in three hospit als. These programmes were offered to groups of coronary heart disease (CHD ) patients and their partners after discharge from hospital. The INFO was o ffered to 127 CHD patients in addition to FIT (i.e., standard medical care an physical training). The PEP was offered to 90 patients in addition to th e INFO and FIT. A control group of 122 patients received only FIT. The INFO and the PEP consisted of four weekly two-hour group sessions each. In addi tion, the PEP was followed by seven telephone follow-up contacts. On average, patients improved their lifestyles during the first three month s. Between three and twelve months an extra improvement was found for eatin g habits, whereas there was a relapse for smoking and a sedentary lifestyle . In the short term, angina pectoris and a longer period of heart complaint s were parallelled with a decrease in the risk of maintaining unhealthy eat ing habits, whereas in the long term a longer period of heart complaints, a younger age and unemployment predicted a lower risk of maintaining unhealt hy eating habits. In the short term living with a partner and in the long t erm female gender were predictive of continued smoking behaviour. In the sh ort term, older age, a first CABG and a specific hospital setting decreased the risk of a continued sedentary lifestyle. The FIT + INFO + PEP had a favourable short-term effect on eating habits. F or smoking and a sedentary lifestyle, however, there were negative effects. In the short term, patients in the FIT + INFO and those in the FIT + INFO + PEP had significantly more problems in quitting a sedentary lifestyle tha n those in the FIT intervention. In the long term, patients in the FIT + IN FO had significantly more problems in stopping smoking compared to those in the FIT.