School of Kinesiology and Health Science

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Open Access
Barriers to Cardiac Rehabilitation: Does Age Make a Difference?
(2009-11-26T19:52:08Z) Grace, Sherry L.; Shanmugasegaram, Shamila; Gravely-Witte, Shannon; Brual, Janette; Suskin, Neville; Stewart, Donna Eileen
PURPOSE: To quantitatively investigate age differences in barriers to cardiac rehabilitation (CR) enrollment and participation. METHODS: Cardiac outpatients (N = 1,273, mean age = 65.9 ± 11.2) completed a mailed survey to discern barriers to CR enrollment and participation. Both enrollees and nonenrollees were asked to rate 18 CR barriers on a 5-point Likert scale. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 535 (43%) reported participating in CR at 1 of 40 sites, with younger patients being more likely to participate (P=.002). Older age was positively related to total CR barriers (P<.001). Older patients more strongly endorsed the following CR barriers: already exercising at home (P=.001), confidence in ability to selfmanage their condition (P=.003), perception of exercise as tiring or painful (P=.001), not knowing about CR (P=.001), lack of physician encouragement (P<.001), comorbidities (P<.001), and perception that CR would not improve their health (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Given that the benefits of CR are achieved in older patients as well as the young, interventions to overcome these modifiable barriers to enrollment and participation are needed.