Determination of comfort and patient activity levels and influencing factors in patients with myocardial infarction

Objective: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the comfort and patient activity levels of patients with myocardial infarction and the factors affecting them. Method: The study was conducted between May 2023 and August 2023 on 138 individuals who met the inclusion criteria in the Cardiology Clinic of Isparta City Hospital. The research data were collected using Personal Information Form, General Comfort Scale and Patient Activation Measure. SPSS 23.0 package program was used for statistical analysis of the data. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, t test, one-way analysis of variance and Pearson correlation analysis. The significance level was accepted as p < 0.05. Results: It was found that 67.4% of the individuals who had myocardial infarction were male, 52.9% were primary school graduates and the mean age was 55.47±13.59 years. The mean score of the General Comfort Scale was 2.85±0.29, the mean score of the Patient Activation Measure was 48.79±12.49, and it was determined that the comfort level was at a moderate level and the patient activity level was at the first stage in 50.7% of the individuals. It was concluded that gender, educational status, smoking frequency, health perception and weakness-fatigue symptom affected the general comfort level of the patients; while education and employment status, regular exercise, presence of chronic disease, headache, numbness in hands and arms symptoms affected the patient activity level. It was found that there was a statistically significant, positive, weak correlation between the mean scores of the General Comfort Scale and the Patient Activation Measure. Conclusion: It was determined that the comfort of individuals with myocardial infarction was at a moderate level and the majority of patients were at the first stage activity level. It is recommended to determine the factors affecting comfort and patient activity levels in individuals with myocardial infarction and to plan holistic nursing interventions to increase them. Keywords: comfort, myocardial infarction, nursing, patient activity level