Level of knowledge in outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in adults with chronic coronary artery disease in a family medicine unit in Mexico

Introduction: Ischaemic heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in the world and in Mexico. Outpatient cardiac rehabilitation is a non-pharmacological secondary prevention measure, whose application and study are limited in the Mexican population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the level of knowledge of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation in Mexican adults. Material and methods: An observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out in a family medicine unit in Mexico. Men and women aged 40 to 80 years old with chronic coronary heart disease were included. A sample calculation was made for a prevalence of n=240 adults. The Coronary Artery Disease Education Questionnaire Short Version (CADE-Q SV) and a sociodemographic data questionnaire were used. The univariate analysis of qualitative variables was performed by frequencies and percentages. For quantitative variables, the type of distribution was determined by statistical test criteria (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, considering a p > 0.05) using median and interquartile ranges (IQR 25, 75). Results: Of a total of 240 participants, 72.2% were male, the median age was 69 years old and 93% had systemic arterial hypertension. 57.3% and 30.4% had a good and great level of knowledge of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, respectively. Conclusions: The level of knowledge of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation is good in the study population, however, longitudinal studies with multivariate models are needed to determine the factors influencing the level of knowledge of cardiac rehabilitation.