Recovery Experiences in Young Women with Acute Myocardial Infarction

<h3>Project Overview</h3>
<p>Readmissions for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are common, costly, and pose a substantial burden on healthcare resources, yet existing interventions have not consistently reduced readmission rates. Younger women with AMI (≤55 years) are more frequently readmitted over the first year after AMI than younger men, resulting in poorer outcomes. In concert with sex-related factors (i.e. biological factors), gender-related factors (e.g. psycho-socio-cultural factors) are associated with worse outcomes after a first AMI in young women. However, the role of sex and gender as determinants of AMI re-hospitalization in younger women is not fully elucidated. A major obstacle to effective intervention is that gender-related factors have not been routinely collected in existing cohort studies. Thus, risk models for post-AMI readmission have failed to incorporate variables associated with gender. In addition, there is a lack of understanding of causes of readmission from young women’s perspectives and how sex and gender-related variables affect this risk.</p>
<p>This project incorporates both sex- and gender-related factors in developing an individualized intervention using the WOOP (Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan) self-regulation strategy, to reduce the risk of readmission in young women within one year of discharge from AMI. WOOP helps people target goals and attain behavioral change. It has proven effective across ages and in various health contexts. This strategy may be particularly powerful in young women, as they have significant self-care responsibilities and psycho-socio-cultural stressors. WOOP promises to be an easy, affordable, and effective way to help young women self-regulate their behavior by explicating their individual wishes, outcomes, obstacles, and plans post-AMI. This approach is supported by prior research showing that promoting self-care leads to decreased readmissions.</p>