“Working me to life” – Longitudinal Perceptions from Adults with Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction Enrolled in an Exercise Training Clinical Trial

Aims Adults with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) responded more favorably to an exercise intervention compared to those with reduced ejection fraction. This study explores factors that contributed to this response focusing on the qualitative perceptions of adults with HFpEF enrolled in an exercise intervention. Methods and results This qualitative descriptive study is a secondary analysis of longitudinal interviews collected at 3, 6, 12, and 18-months from participants with HFpEF enrolled in a randomized controlled trial testing an intervention to promote adherence to exercise. We included participants with at least 2 interviews. Interviews were examined across and within participants and time points using thematic analysis. Analyses included 67 interviews from 21 adults with HFpEF enrolled in the intervention arm. The sample was 52% (11/21) male and over 47% (10/21) non-White. Mean age at enrollment was 63.7 ± 9.9 years. We identified 4 major themes: 1. Overcoming negative attitudes, barriers, and injury, 2. Motivations to exercise, 3. Exercise - the panacea for HFpEF symptoms and quality of life, and 4. Advice for others with HFpEF. Conclusions Our findings suggest that for many adults with HFpEF, initial hesitancy, fear, and negative attitudes about exercise can be overcome. Exercise coaching using social cognitive constructs, medical fitness center memberships, and heart rate self-monitoring are successful strategies of engaging adults with HFpEF in long-term unsupervised exercise training. Registration This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01658670