The Effect of Action Control Based Intervention on Adherence After Cardiac Rehabilitaiton

The Effect of Action Control Based Interventions on Adherence to Prescribed Exercise and Diet Regimens for Patients Completing a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program Intervetnion on

This will be a pilot study of the effect of an Action Control-based intervention (ACBI) on adherence to prescribed diet and exercise programs after cardaic rehabilitation. The purposes of this study are to:

1. determine if an ACBI has an effect on adherence to prescribed home exercise and diet regimens for individuals 6 weeks after participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program
2. examine whether there is a difference in response to the ACBI between state-oriented individuals and action-oriented individuals.
3. test the interaction effect between action-orientation disposition and the intervention.

Patients with cardiac problems are burdened with complex lifestyle changes involving medication, diet and exercise. Non-adherence to prescribed treatment protocols is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality for these indiviudals. Rehabbilitation programs provide the necessary education and supervision needed to promote health, however, non-adherence occurs even for those indiviudals with appropriate resources and motivation. Most of the research up to this point deals with preparing indiviudals to be adherent. Action Control theory is focused on the mental processes that occur between the time an individual makes a decision to adhere and the moment when the appropriate activty either occurs or does not occur.

This interventions tudy will compare rates of adherece between indivudals who receive an action control based educational intervention and those who do not.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants will be a convenience sample of English literate men and women over the age of 21 enrolled in a cardiac rehabilitation program and accessible by phone for follow-up. All participants are referred to rehabilitation by their physician. Being enrolled in the program indicates the participants have experienced a serious cardiac event, either myocardial infarction and/or coronary surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-English literate, uner teh age of 21