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Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Heart--Diseases--Patients--Rehabilitation--Germany (West); Heart--Diseases--Patients--Rehabilitation; Germany (West);

Abstract

This study was conducted to collect information about program design and patient population of self-founded and sports club sponsored coronary groups in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). Furthermore, the study attempted to investigate structural and functional differences and similarities between the groups in regard to patient adherence. Areas of particular interest were community size, risk factor prevalence, and strategies that have been identified in the literature to increase patient adherence to exercise programs.

A mailed questionnare [sic] was sent out in March 1989 to 54 sports club sponsored and 48 self-founded coronary groups which were randomly selected from a national listing of coronary programs in the FRG. The overall return rate was 52%. The data analysis (frequencies, and Chi square) revealed no significant differences between the self-founded and sports club sponsored coronary groups in regard to premature dropout, risk factor prevalence, and group activities regardless of community size. However, results showed that dropout rates in both type of groups were higher in smaller communities than in larger cities (>100,000). Also, coronary groups in smaller communities (<100,000) reported to enrole [sic] more patients with coronary risk factors.

Generally, patient adherence was achieved to a high degree in both types of coronary groups. The low dropout rate rates might be attributed to convenience factors, i.e., reduced exercise frequency and close proximity of the groups to the patients' homes.

Considering the fact that this study surveyed 54 of the 2,000 phase III coronary groups currently existing in the FRG presents a major limitation regarding the generalizability of these findings. Future research should include a larger sample size and should investigate to what extend the groups meet the medical standards set by the national organization for prevention and cardiac rehabilitation (Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Prävention urid Rehabilitation e.V.).

Year of Submission

1989

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

School of Health, Physical Education, and Leisure Services

First Advisor

Larry D. Hensley

Second Advisor

Jane E. Richards

Third Advisor

Forrest A. Dolgener

Comments

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Date Original

1989

Object Description

1 PDF file (91 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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