Lifestyle changes in heart transplant recipients

The purpose of this study was to understand the lifestyle; examine the relationships among lifestyle, medical factors, and stress status; and determine the predictors of better lifestyle in heart transplant recipients in Taiwan. A prospective design with convenience sampling was used. Data were collected through the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II and demographic questionnaires, which included personal information, stress status, and medical information. Pearson correlations, 1-way analysis of variance, independent t tests, paired t tests, and hierarchical regression were used to analyze the factors related to better lifestyle. A total of 80 heart transplant recipients participated. The mean score for lifestyle decreased from baseline to 3 months and was even lower at 6 months. Nevertheless, the trend for some participants was the opposite—their lifestyle improved over the 6-month period after baseline. Notably, the trend for each of the 6 subscales was not consistent with the mean of the total score. Stress status accounted for 12.8% of lifestyle. When stress status was combined with family income and creatinine, the 3 factors accounted for 32.2% of lifestyle. This study demonstrated that maintenance of a healthy lifestyle fluctuates after transplantation. Demographic factors and stress status can help to identify people who are more likely to have a poor lifestyle.