The Status of Quality of Life and Adaptation of Patients with Heart Failure to Their Disease in Shushtar, Khuzestan Province

Background Currently, studying the quality of life of patients and the level of their adaptation to their disease is considered an important issue in studies of chronic diseases. Heart failure affects the quality of life of patients in varying degrees. Objectives The present study aimed to determine the status of quality of life of patients with heart failure and their level of adaptation to their disease. Methods In this descriptive-analytical study, 76 patients with heart failure who had referred to one of the specialized therapy clinics of Shushtar in Khuzestan Province during year 2015 were selected based on the convenience sampling method and inclusion criteria. The research tools for collecting the required data and information included demographic information questionnaire, minnesota quality of life questionnaire, and an assessment form designed for patients with heart failure based on four dimensions of the Roy adaptation model. The data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistics (independent t-test). Results The results of this study showed that this disease leaves the greatest negative impact on the physical dimension of quality of life (32.97 ± 6.89). In addition, this disease has put the least negative impact on mental dimension of quality of life. Also, the lowest average adaptation was related to the dependence-independence dimension (28.71 ± 5.54). The results indicated that there is a significant difference between males and females in terms of physical and mental dimensions of quality if life, with lower averages of both in females (P = 0.037 and P = 0.007, respectively). The study findings also showed that different dimensions of adaptation are the same in males and females and there is no significant difference between them (P > 0.05). Conclusions The present study showed that quality of life and adaptation have a weak status in the studied patients with heart failure. By taking appropriate measures and training programs, nurses can help these patients improve their quality of life and level of adaptation to their disease