Self-care behavior, hope, and social support in Taiwanese patients awaiting heart transplantation.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to examine the self-care behavior, hope, and social support in patients awaiting heart transplantation and to explore all the correlative and related factors. METHODS In total, 45 participants who met the selection criteria were selected by purposive sampling from four medical centers in Taiwan. The three instruments Self-Care Behavior Scale, Herth Hope Index (HHI), and Social Support Inventory were used for data collection. RESULTS Significant, positive correlations among self-care behavior, hope, and social support were observed. Social support was the best predictive factor for both self-care behavior and hope. CONCLUSION The outcomes of this study can help medical care personnel better understand the self-care behavior, hope, and social support in patients awaiting heart transplantation and can also serve as a reference when developing relevant interventions for these patients.