Cognitive predictors and decision-making in the experience of coronary syndrome symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive value of Cognitive Assessment, Symptom Severity, Personal Control and Self-Efficacy on decision making in the experience of Acute Coronary Syndrome symptoms.

METHOD: Quantitative study of cross-sectional analytical design, a probabilistic sampling was carried out for 256 participants diagnosed with coronary syndrome in three health institutions. The effects between the independent variables Cognitive Assessment, Symptom Severity, Personal Control, Self-Efficacy and the dependent Decision-Making were analyzed. Using inferential statistics, a Generalized Linear Regression Model was carried out, which allowed establishing the causal relationships between the variables.

RESULTS: Two predictive models were obtained between decision making and cognitive evaluation, in which personal control, severity of symptoms, sex and context were significant. Self-efficacy was not reported as a predictor variable. The values ​​of the independent variables showed a behavior directly proportional to the Decision Making score.

CONCLUSION: A verification of the conceptual model for the management of symptoms was carried out.