Adherence to lifestyle changes: Does Phase II cardiac rehabilitation make the difference?

This quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine if Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation has an effect on improving long-term adherence to lifestyle changes after a cardiac event. The sample consisted of 66 subjects who were at least 12-18 months post cardiac event. The treatment group was comprised of 34 patients who had experienced a Phase II Cardiac Rehabilitation program as part of their recovery. The control group was made up of 32 cardiac patients who had not participated in a Phase II rehabilitation program.

Subjects completed the Medical Characteristics Form, the Risk Factor Identification Index, and the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile. Independent t-Tests were used to compare the mean scores between the two groups. Additionally, an ANOVA was calculated to assess the main effects and interaction effects of age and gender variables on the results. Data analysis revealed significant differences between the Rehab group and the Non-Rehab group, indicating that the treatment group exhibited a higher adherence to recommended lifestyle changes.