A systematic gender-based review of physical activity correlates in coronary heart disease patients

Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death for Canadian men and women due largely to insufficient cardiovascular fitness gained via physical activity. Thus, health promotion efforts should be directed at increasing physical activity levels in both men and women living with heart disease. These efforts should be informed by research identifying the key correlates of physical activity that influence the uptake and longterm maintenance of physical activity among men and women with heart disease. The objective of this article was to provide a review of physical activity correlates in men and women with heart disease by sourcing information from eligible gender-based studies on physical activity and heart disease. The social ecological model was used to organise the physical activity correlates at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community and policy levels. Despite certain methodological challenges and inconsistencies across studies, findings indicated that physical activity in men and women with heart disease is largely influenced by intrapersonal correlates. Specifically, physical activity in women with heart disease is more influenced by physical barriers, while physical activity in men with heart disease is more influenced by psychological issues and social support.