Received and needed social support in relation to sociodemographic and socio-economic factors in a population of people on sick leave due to heart failure

Abstract

Aims: The aim of this study was to determine differences between sociodemographic and socio-economic factors for perceptions of received and needed social support in a population of people on sick leave due to heart failure. Methods and results: A cross-sectional design was used. A postal questionnaire was distributed to all people in Sweden who had been sick listed due to heart failure during March to May 2012 (N = 1297). The questionnaire measured perceptions of received and needed social support from managers, colleagues at work, family and friends. Differences between groups were estimated with the Mann–Whitney U-test. The sample included 414 men and 176 women aged 23 to 67 years (mean 58, median 60, SD = 6.75). Respondents with low income received significantly less support than respondents with high income and also needed significantly more support. Respondents with lower educational level needed significantly more support than people with higher education. Unmarried respondents needed significantly more support than married. Conclusions: People with lower level of education, those who were unmarried and respondents with low income needed more support than they received. By identification of vulnerable patients, healthcare professionals can tailor and target supportive measures for patients who need extra social support.