Illness perceptions affect healthy life habits in colombian patients after a myocardial infarction

Abstract

A myocardial infarction is an event that leads to a change of healthy habits for maintaining a good quality of life and have a good prognosis of the disease (American Heart Association, 2010). As a chronic disease, the adjustment of the cardiac condition implies that the patient needs to change their health-related behaviours (Stanton, 2007), by doing physical activity, control saturated fats and increase the consumption of fruits and vegetables (Yusuf et al, 2004). Leventhal´s self-regulatory theory has shown that illness perceptions are associated with the strategies that patients develop to adjust to their condition (Leventhal, Phillips & Burns, 2016). The objective of this study was to assess the importance of illness perceptions regarding changes of healthy habits in Colombian patients after a Myocardial Infarction.