Abstract:
The objective of this descriptive correlation research was to identify selected factors related to hope among persons with first diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. A multi-stage sampling of 213 persons with first diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction were recruited from Cardiovascular outpatient department in Police General Hospital, Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, and Siriraj Hospital. Data were collected using eight questionnaires for persons with first diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction: 1) Demographic data form 2) Hope 3) Knowledge of cardiac disease 4) Cardiac anxiety 5) Health perception 6) Optimism 7) Social support and 8) Uncertainty of illness. All questionnaires were tested for their content validity by five experts. The CVI were 1.00, 0.90, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00 and 1.00, respectively. The Cronbachs alpha coefficient were .75, .76, .83, .81, .76, .94 and .91, respectively. Data were analyzed using Pearsons product correlation coefficient statistics. The findings were presented as follow: 1. Mean score of hope, knowledge, anxiety, optimism, and uncertainty of illness among persons with first diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction were at moderate level (Mean = 23.76 SD = 2.68, Mean = 11.78 SD = 3.49, Mean = 1.63 SD = 0.66, Mean = 45.07 SD = 4.77 and Mean = 56.71 SD = 12.14, respectively), mean score of health perception was at good level (Mean = 63.54 SD = 19.26) and mean score of social support was at high level (Mean = 62.67 SD = 11.28). 2. Health perception, optimism, and social support were significantly positively correlated at low level with hope among persons with first diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction at the .05 (r = .242, r = .208, and r = .277 respectively). Knowledge, uncertainty of illness and anxiety were not correlated with hope among persons with first diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.