Self-care behaviours of first-generation Chinese immigrants living with cardiovascular disease: A qualitative study.
Ling Zeng, Xiaoyue Xu, Lin Perry
PMID 38923031WHAT IT FOUND
Many first-generation Chinese immigrants with heart disease tried to eat better, walk, take tablets, and watch symptoms, but many kept old habits, used Chinese medicines or supplements, and some waited to seek care after chest pain.
Nurses need plain Chinese-language education for patients and families.
Key findings
01Many participants adapted heart-healthy eating, but half still kept previous poor eating practices.
02Over one-third used traditional Chinese medicine, and over half reported taking dietary supplements.
03During angina episodes, over half rested and took nitroglycerine or Chinese heart pills, while others waited until the next follow-up.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
All participants were from Sydney, so the findings may not apply to Chinese immigrants living elsewhere. The study required participants to speak English or Mandarin, so people who spoke only Cantonese were not included. Participants knew they were being interviewed, so they may have described socially desirable behaviours rather than what they actually did. No transcripts were returned to participants for feedback because of pandemic restrictions, so some interpretations were not checked with them. This was a small qualitative study of self-reported behaviours, so it cannot show whether any intervention would improve cardiovascular outcomes.
Declared interests
No conflict of interest was declared. The corresponding author received a government research training scholarship, and no funding was declared for the other authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the use of traditional Chinese medicine or supplements as evidence that they are safe or effective for heart disease. The study reports what participants did and believed; it did not test these treatments or measure cardiac outcomes.