Sociodemographic Indicators of Social Position and Self-care Maintenance in Adults with Heart Failure.

This was a secondary analysis of existing cross-sectional data collected for a different purpose, so it cannot show that sociodemographic factors cause poor self-care. The variables explained only 3.8% of the variance in self-care maintenance scores. The sample had few Asian or mixed-race participants, so these groups were combined and the analysis could not examine race in more detail. Self-care maintenance was measured by self-report questionnaire, not by observed behavior or clinical outcomes. 84 participants were excluded for missing key data, although excluded and included participants did not differ. Income adequacy was measured as perceived adequacy, not actual income, so it may not capture financial hardship. The model was built using a less strict p = .2 cutoff than the usual p = .05.

The paper is listed as NIH extramural research support. No author conflict-of-interest declaration is included in the supplied text.

Do not treat race, education, or marital status as reliable predictors of inadequate heart failure self-care. They explained only 3.8% of score differences, and the study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that these factors cause poor self-care.