Perceived social support among percutaneous coronary intervention patients over a long-term follow-up period.

AIM: To investigate perceived social support and the associated factors as well as the sources of social support among post-percutaneous intervention patients over a long-term follow-up period.

DESIGN: An explanatory and descriptive survey with a six-year follow-up (STROBE Statement: Supplementary file 1).

METHODS: Baseline data (n = 416) were collected from Finnish patients in 2013, with follow-up data collected from the same study group in 2019 (n = 154). The research employed the Social Support of Patients with Coronary Heart Disease self-reported questionnaire. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate methods.

RESULTS: In the acute phase, higher informational support was associated with lower LDL cholesterol and female gender and higher emotional support with working status. In long-term follow-up period, physical activity, younger age, normal cholesterol levels and previous percutaneous coronary intervention predicted higher informational support, regular participation in follow-up sessions and relationship status predicted higher emotional support, and previous coronary artery bypass grafting, smoking, alcohol consumption, normal cholesterol and regular follow-ups predicted higher functional support.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No Patient or Public Contribution.