Dyadic Intervention for Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients
Principal Investigator: Nancy Artinian, Ph.D, R.N, B.C.:
This Project is a secondary prevention study in African American cardiac rehabilitation patients that is focused on obesity and related lifestyle behaviors. The intervention proposed seeks to increase behavioral adherence to rehabilitation recommendations in African American men and women receiving cardiac rehabilitation and to promote improved quality of life, and psychological adjustment in both cardiac rehab patients and their support providers. A dyadic intervention will be tested against an intervention focused solely on the patient to determine which approach best facilitates effective support exchanges between patients and their primary household support provider. Dr. Pienta, a demographer/social scientist, is a co-investigator on this Project. The primary conditions requiring cardiac rehab are obesity-related and are excessively prevalent in African Americans, thus this project fits thematically with the other Projects. This Project will utilize the services of all of the Cores.