Effect of an Education Programme on Cardiovascular Health Index among Patients with Myocardial Infarction: A Preliminary Study

Introduction: Health education is an essential part of controlling the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). This study evaluates the effects of one-on-one education programmes on the cardiovascular health index among patients with MI.
Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in Kuala Lumpur Hospital, Malaysia. Data were collected from November 2014 to January 2015 with a total of 58 respondents who met the inclusion criteria. The respondents received a 20-min one-on-one education programme regarding coronary heart disease, treatment and prevention, and healthy lifestyle. A questionnaire comprising demographic data was administered and the cardiovascular health index was measured before and after four weeks of the education programme. Data were analysed with descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: There were statistically significant decreases in the score of anxiety, stress, depression, body mass index, and smoking status (P < 0.001) between pre-test and post-test.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that the one-on-one education programme could improve the cardiovascular health index of patients with MI. Furthermore, nurses need to develop and implement a standard education structure programme for patients with MI to improve health outcomes.

Keywords
education; cardiovascular diseases; prevention and control; myocardial infarction