Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Heart disease is the number one cause of illness in Canada, even for women. Cardiac rehabilitation programs are effective in managing heart problems, and participation extends life. In Canada, only half as many women as men participate in cardiac rehabilitation, and women are more likely to drop out than men. There are many issues which help explain why women are less likely to go, but one reason is that the traditional co-ed cardiac rehabilitation programs were developed with men's needs and preferences in mind. Two alternative models of cardiac rehab have been developed which may better meet women's needs: hospital-based women-only program and home-based rehab. To date, it is unknown which of these programs women heart patients are most likely to participate. In this study, I will compare the percentage of prescribed sessions women complete across three cardiac rehab program types: the co-ed hospital-based program, women-only hospital-based program and a home-based program. I will also explore which program type results in the greatest exercise capacity, healthy eating, medication adherence, and smoking cessation. In-hospital female heart patients will be approached and after obtaining patient and doctor consent, I will then assign the patient to one of the three rehab program types. At both baseline and six months later participants will be asked to complete a survey and wear a step counter and record the number of steps they take per day for seven days. The rehab programs will provide information about the participant's capacity to do exercise before and after rehab, and about the percentage of prescribed sessions they completed in person or on the phone. The results may be used to improve women's chances of recovering from heart disease.