Using survival analysis to explore female cardiac rehabilitation program adherence

Heart disease continues to be the predominant cause of death in the United States. Traditionally, coronary heart disease (CHD) has been considered to be a male disorder, but it is also a significant cause of death and disabil ity among older women. Cardiac rehabilitation offers valuable tertiary prev ention after myocardial infarction and other cardiac events and has proven to decrease CHD death risk. This study used survival analysis as a means to incorporate time as a variable in the analysis of cardiac rehabilitation p rogram adherence with a sample of female CHD patients. Implications for the management of female cardiac rehabilitation are discussed. Copyright (C) 2 001 by W.B. Saunders Company.