A Study to Understand and Improve Sexual Activity after Acute Coronary Syndrome
Date
2018-12-13
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Abstract
A major cardiovascular event, like acute coronary syndrome (ACS), can have an extensive and long-term impact on many aspects of a patient-partner relationship, including aspects of sexual activity (SA). Current clinical recommendations suggest that both patients and partners should receive SA support after an ACS episode. To this date, there has been little qualitative inquiry that engages both patient and partner perspectives on their opinions of by whom, where, and how, SA support should be provided post-ACS. The objectives of this thesis were to 1) characterize the experiences of re-engaging in SA post-ACS by patients and partners and to 2) determine if cardiac rehabilitation (CR) could be an acceptable and effective point of intervention for SA support post-ACS by patients and partners. A multi-methods study design was used to address both objectives through qualitative inquiry and a systematic review. The qualitative study provided supportive evidence of the importance of SA by patients and partners post-ACS, revealed that couples thought SA support was insufficient and articulated ways that education could be improved, and identified CR as a potential point of SA support. The systematic review revealed seven studies that reported a significant benefit in SA outcomes in the CR group, one study that reported significant harm, and eleven studies that reported a non-significant difference. This thesis suggests that there is room for improvement in terms of content and delivery of SA support to both patients and partners post-ACS, and that CR may be an appropriate place for such support.
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Keywords
acute coronary syndrome, sexual activity, cardiac rehabilitation, qualitative research, systematic review
Citation
Boothby, C. A. (2018). A Study to Understand and Improve Sexual Activity after Acute Coronary Syndrome (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.