Family composition and living arrangements-Cross-sectional study on family involvement to self-managed rehabilitation of people with coronary artery disease.
Sonja Tuomisto, Meeri Koivula, Päivi Åstedt-Kurki and 1 others
PMID 33072355WHAT IT FOUND
People with coronary artery disease who lived alone reported fewer family issues hindering rehabilitation than those living with grown children, but less support for daily recovery.
Men and those with children in the family reported more rehabilitation challenges.
Key findings
01Living alone was associated with fewer issues encumbering rehabilitation compared to living with grown children, except for future uncertainty.
02Men were more likely than women to report challenges in family relations during rehabilitation.
03Having children in the family was a predictor of issues encumbering rehabilitation.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was heavily male (76%), which may limit generalisability to women. Subgroups such as those living with underage or grown children were small (N=11 each), reducing statistical power for these comparisons. The FIRE scale is new and has not been validated in other studies, with no established cut-off values for 'good' or 'bad' involvement. Cross-sectional design prevents determining causality between living arrangements and rehabilitation outcomes. Patients with poor health or vision were excluded, potentially biasing the sample towards those with better functional status.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that living alone is better for rehabilitation overall. While those living alone reported fewer family encumbrances, they also reported worse enabling circumstances for recovery, and the study excluded patients too unwell to participate.