The Relationship Between Death Anxiety and Health Behaviors in Patients With Heart Failure

This study aimed to examine the relationship between death anxiety and health behaviors in patients with heart failure. The descriptive and cross-sectional study included 120 patients diagnosed with heart failure who applied to the Cardiology Department and outpatient clinics for treatment between March 15 and September 15, 2025. The mean total scores of the participants on the Heart Failure Health Behavior Scale (HFHBS) and the Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) were 64.88 ± 8.19 and 8.46 ± 3.50, respectively. There was a positive and significant correlation between patients’ heart failure health behaviors and their total death anxiety scores ( r = 0.234, p = .10). In simple linear regression analysis, 5% of the change in health behavior scores was explained by death anxiety, indicating that death anxiety was related to health behaviors ( R 2 = 0.05, p = .01). In conclusion, nurses play a crucial role in promoting positive health behaviors in patients and alleviating death anxiety.