Self-care among persons with heart failure: Examining the impact of mindfulness and impulsivity using conditional process analysis

Background: According to the literature, self-care in persons with heart failure is inadequate. Such inadequate levels of self-care necessitate a thorough investigation of the potential predictors. Purpose: To: (a) determine the level of self-care among persons with heart failure in Jordan; (b) determine the relationship between mindfulness, impulsivity, and self-care among persons with heart failure; (c) investigate the potential moderation effect of impulsivity on the relationship between mindfulness and self-care. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A convenience sample of 100 persons with heart failure in an outpatient clinic at King Abdullah University Hospital was recruited. The following tools were used to collect the data via phone survey: Self-Care of Heart Failure Index, Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale. Results: The sample consisted of 78 male and 22 female persons with heart failure. The effect of mindfulness was statistically significant only on self-care symptom perception, and not significant on other aspects of self-care. Impulsivity moderated only the effect of mindfulness on self-care symptom perception. Correlation analysis showed a significant relationship between mindfulness and impulsivity (r = - .532, p < .01). Conclusion: Mindfulness is likely to improve at least one aspect of self-care (self-care symptom perception) and reduce impulsivity among heart failure persons.