Self-care is a cornerstone of therapy for adult patients with heart failure to prevent long-term hospital readmission. This
study examines the frequency of self-care behaviors and factors related to such behaviors in Vietnamese adults with heart failure. In
this cross-sectional study, random sampling was used to recruit 200 heart failure patients from the outpatient departments in 10
hospitals in northern Vietnam. Study variables were selected according to Orem’s theory of self-care. The total mean score for selfcare
behaviors was moderate, with the lowest mean score being for treatment compliance. Comorbidity, knowledge of heart failure,
social support, and barriers to sodium restriction predicted 27.6% of the variance in self-care behaviors. The strongest predictor was
barriers to sodium restriction (β=–0.34, p<0.05). The results indicated a need to develop nursing interventions to promote self-care
behaviors in this population via modification of the factors identified in this study
