Multiple mediating effects of self-efficacy and physical activity on the relationship between frailty and health-related quality of life in adults with cardiovascular disease

Poor health-related quality of life is prevalent among individuals with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and may be associated with frailty as well as low levels of self-efficacy and physical activity. This study aimed to identify the multiple mediating effects of exercise self-efficacy and physical activity on the relationship between frailty and health-related quality of life among community-dwelling adults with CVD.

This cross-sectional study included 489 Korean patients aged >20 years diagnosed with CVD. Data were collected through an online survey conducted in June 2021. The mediation hypothesis was tested using a serial multiple mediation model and the bootstrapping method. Approximately, 39.5% of patients in this study were in a frail state. Our main finding revealed that frailty had an indirect effect on health-related quality of life through all three different pathways: each single mediation of exercise self-efficacy and physical activity, and the serial multiple mediation of exercise self-efficacy and physical activity as the first and second mediators, respectively. The direct effect of frailty on the health-related quality of life was also significant.

Frail adults with CVD tended to have lower levels of self-efficacy, physical activity, and poor health-related quality of life. Thus, early identification of frailty and interventions targeting the promotion of self-efficacy and physical activity may improve health-related quality of life in adults with CVD. Longitudinal studies are necessary to further refine our findings across other samples and to address the limitations of the current study.