Correlation between Type D Personality and Adherence to Low-Sodium Diet in Patients with Systolic Heart Failure

Adherence to low-sodium diet is an important aspect of self-care behaviors, which plays a role in improving the quality of life, and in reducing readmission rate, mortality, and healthcare costs. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between type D personality and adherence to low-sodium diet in patients with systolic heart failure.
This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 100 patients with heart failure with at least one year history and ejection fraction below 40% hospitalized in the internal ward of Alborz Social Security Hospitals of Karaj and Shahriar in 2013, who were selected by convenience sampling. Demographic characteristics form, type-D personality questionnaire, and adherence to low-sodium diet, were completed by interview. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient.
In this study, there was a poor significant positive correlation between adherence to low-sodium diet and dimensions of depression/anxiety (p=0.032), social inhibition (p=0.008), and total score of type D personality (p=0.023).
The results of this study showed that heart failure patients with type D personality had lower adherence to low-sodium diet. Hence, screening and evaluation of heart failure patients in terms of type D personality, referring patients for consultation, and use of appropriate therapies, can help to improve adherence to low-sodium diet and quality of life in heart failure patients.