Attitudes, beliefs and barriers for adherence to the hyposodic diet in patients with heart failure

Abstract

Objectives: To identify attitudes, beliefs and barriers to adherence to the hyposodic diet in patients with heart failure and associated factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 41 individuals. The Dietary Sodium Restriction Questionnaire was used. Fisher’s test was applied for analysis. Results: Attitudes were based on family and professional relationships; in the beliefs, it was highlighted to believe in the diet to improve health. As barriers, insufficient efforts were found to change the diet and taste of low salt foods. It was associated with adherence among the components factors such as: income, perception of cardiac improvement with the diet, family history of renal and heart failure and family adherence to the diet. Conclusions: The identified attitudes and beliefs refer, respectively, to social relationships and trust in the diet to improve health status. The barriers were: insufficient effort to modify the diet and food palatability. Economic, family and clinical factors were associated with hyposodic adherence.