Family partnership and education interventions to reduce dietary sodium by patients with heart failure differ by family functioning

ObjectivesDetermine if family functioning influences response to family-focused interventions aimed at reducing dietary sodium by heart failure (HF) patients.BackgroundLowering dietary sodium by HF patients often occurs within the home and family context.MethodsSecondary analysis of 117 dyads randomized to patient and family education (PFE), family partnership intervention (FPI) or usual care (UC). Dietary sodium measures were obtained from 3-day food record and 24-h urine samples.ResultsIn the poor family functioning groups, FPI and PFE had lower mean urine sodium than UC (p < .05) at 4 months, and FPI remained lower than UC at 8 months (p < .05). For good family functioning groups, FPI and PFE had lower mean sodium levels by 3-day food record at 4 and 8 months compared to the UC group.ConclusionOptimizing family-focused interventions into HF clinical care maybe indicated.