OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of receiving emotional support on self-perceived current health status and physical and mental health wellness among adults with cardiovascular disorders (CVD) in the United States.
METHODS: We identified adults aged 40 years with CVD (i.e., self-reported stroke, congestive heart failure, coronary heart disease or heart attack) in the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a nationally representative survey of the non-institutionalized US population. Outcome measures including self-reported current health status (poor [fair/poor] vs. good [good/very good/excellent]), days with poor physical health, days with poor mental health, and inactive days due to poor physical/mental health, were compared between CVD patients receiving and not receiving emotional support using appropriate univariate tests. All analyses were stratified by patient demographics, including gender and race. National estimates were obtained using sample weights.
RESULTS: In 2007- 2008, 12.4% (Population Estimate16.6 million; 95% CI: 14.2-19.0 million) of the US population 40 years of age had self-reported CVD, of which 92% denoted having someone (e.g., spouse, neighbor) provide emotional support, with the proportion greater among females than males (93.7% vs. 89.8%; P0.188). Among CVD patients not receiving emotional support, a greater proportion reported current health status as ‘poor’ compared with patients receiving emotional support (51.2% vs. 34.6%; P0.091). Similarly, compared with CVD patients receiving emotional support, the number of days with poor physical health (6.9 vs. 12.3 days; P0.014), mental health (4.4 vs. 7.8 days; P0.137), and inactive days (4.4 vs. 9.5 days; P0.101) were each 2 times greater among patients not receiving emotional support.
CONCLUSIONS: A majority patients with CVD diagnosis reported receiving some emotional support, with receipt of emotional support being associated with improved health status. Health care providers (e.g., physicians, pharmacists) should emphasize the value of emotional support to patients with CVD, which may help in improving the physical and mental well-being of these patients.
