Examination of the relationship among comfort, and semptomseverity, self-care behaviors and quality of life in HEART failure patients

This study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between comfort and symptom severity, self-care behaviors, and quality of life in heart failure patients. The study population was determined as heart failure patients in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital cardiology services and coronary intensive care units. The sample size consisted of 123 heart failure patients in current cardiology services and coronary intensive care units by power analysis. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted between February 2022 and May 2022 using the Patient Diagnosis Form, Heart Failure Symptom Status Scale, Minnesota Heart Failure Living Questionnaire, European Heart Failure Self-Care Behaviors Scale and General Comfort Scale. According to our study, comfort level in heart failure patients was affected by the severity of symptoms experienced by patients and by their self-care behaviors (p<0.05); self-care was not influential on comfort (p>0.05). Symtom severity and quality of life expained 62.3% of comfort level. Patients who were unemployed, older, had care-giver, use oxygen, had high rate of hospital and emergency admission showed low comfort level. In this context, in patients with heart failure; within the framework of patient-centered care, it is recommended that nurses expand the use of comfort theory and integrate it into care. Key words: comfort, heart failure, quality of life, self-care, symptoms.