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Introduction: Hopelessness is associated with increased adverse events and decreased survival in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Hopelessness can persist in these patients and reduce their participation in hospital-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) exercise following an acute event. Because the majority of CHD patients do not attend a hospital-based CR exercise program, examination of factors affecting home exercise is needed. The purpose of this study was to describe the impact of hopelessness levels on both home- and hospital based CR exercise participation in patients with CHD.

Hypothesis: It was hypothesized that higher state and trait hopelessness levels would adversely affect both home- and hospital-based CR exercise participation.

Methods: The Theory of Hopelessness Depression was used as a foundation for study aims. Using a descriptive, longitudinal design, 282 patients who had …