Predictors of delay in seeking treatment by Jordanian patients with acute coronary syndrome

• Jordanian ACS patients had a late response to ACS events and late arrival to medical care.
• Patients' history, ACS beliefs, health perception, and diagnosis can predict their decision to seek care.
• ACS patients should be educated to motivate them to seek care earlier in their future ACS attacks.

BackgroundACS management aims for early coronary reperfusion, which should be within one hour from symptoms onset. This time was found to be relatively long, and many patients died before hospital arrival. In Jordan, this phenomenon is not clearly understood with a discrepancy between the reported durations of delay time.AimsTo evaluate Jordanian ACS patients' delay time in seeking medical care, along with predictors of delay.MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional design was utilized to conveniently recruit 160 Jordanian ACS patients. Data were collected using chart review and the Modified ACS Response Questionnaire.ResultsThe mean delay time was 7.8 hours (SD = 3.5), with none of participants presenting within one hour. Delay time correlated negatively with ACS history, knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and perceived risk (r = −0.448, r = −0.400, r = −0.408, r = −0.261, r = −0.411, respectively) and positively with health perception (r = 0.469). A 4-predictor model (history, beliefs, health perception, STEMI diagnosis) was revealed explaining 40% of variance in delay time (R2 = .400, F (14,145) = 6.908, P < .001).ConclusionImproving ACS patients' health seeking behaviors can be achieved when all components of care are considered together.