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The Impact of Lifestyle Behaviors and Socioeconomic Factors on the Management and
Treatment Adherence of Heart Disease Among Elderly Individuals in Jamaica
Author’s Name
Date
Course number
Instructor’s Name
, 2
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the successful
completion of this study. Special thanks go to my instructor, [Instructor’s Name], for their
valuable guidance, constructive feedback, and continuous support throughout the research
process.
I am also grateful to the librarians and research staff at [Your Institution’s Name] for
providing access to essential resources and academic databases that were critical for this
systematic review.
Appreciation is extended to the authors and researchers whose scholarly work informed and
enriched this study. Their dedication to advancing knowledge on cardiovascular health and
aging in the Caribbean provided the foundation for this analysis.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the unwavering encouragement and patience of my
family and friends, whose support made the completion of this research possible.
, 3
Abstract
Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for the most cases of serious
illness and early deaths in Jamaica, with more than one third of all deaths occurring after the
age of 60 due to take place because of CVD. Although there are ways to treat the disease,
people do not adhere well to medical advice because of many different lifestyle and economic
reasons. This study looks at how these influences play a role in the proper management and
treatment of heart disease among Jamaica’s older adults.
Methods: The review involved collecting evidence from publications made between January
2017 and November 2024. I searched the databases PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO,
Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library by using keywords connected to heart disease,
forms of behavior, social factors, and adherence to treatment in Jamaica. Quality assessment
was done using the JBI tools, and the information was analyzed in both a thematic and a
quantitative manner, where it made sense.
Results: The review discovered that unhealthy diet (eating a lot of sodium and saturated fat),
low physical activity levels (only one-third met WHO guidelines), and issues related to
money and healthcare access were major barriers to people taking their treatment as advised.
Rural people had to go 2.7 times farther on average to get to the same specialist as someone
living in an urban area. Low-income patients were forced to give up prescriptions, as 47% of
them had to limit how much medication they took, and 62% chose to obtain food before
medication. Since some preferred traditional medicine over Western doctors, it added to the
problem of following the treatment.
Discussion: The results signal that there is a need for interventions that fit different cultures
and focus on diet, money problems, and the influence of neighborhoods. Some policy
suggestions include providing financial aid for prescriptions, expanding healthcare in rural
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areas, and conducting educational campaigns in communities. Further studies should focus on
the differences between genders and the long-term effects of adhering to treatment.
Conclusion: Heart disease among elderly Jamaicans is best controlled by attending to
lifestyle habits and socioeconomic unfairness. Applying cultural approaches and making
changes in the system helps increase treatment following and lower the death rate from heart
disease among this group.
Keywords: Heart disease, elderly, Jamaica, lifestyle behaviors, socioeconomic status,
treatment adherence
The Impact of Lifestyle Behaviors and Socioeconomic Factors on the Management and
Treatment Adherence of Heart Disease Among Elderly Individuals in Jamaica
Author’s Name
Date
Course number
Instructor’s Name
, 2
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all those who contributed to the successful
completion of this study. Special thanks go to my instructor, [Instructor’s Name], for their
valuable guidance, constructive feedback, and continuous support throughout the research
process.
I am also grateful to the librarians and research staff at [Your Institution’s Name] for
providing access to essential resources and academic databases that were critical for this
systematic review.
Appreciation is extended to the authors and researchers whose scholarly work informed and
enriched this study. Their dedication to advancing knowledge on cardiovascular health and
aging in the Caribbean provided the foundation for this analysis.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the unwavering encouragement and patience of my
family and friends, whose support made the completion of this research possible.
, 3
Abstract
Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is responsible for the most cases of serious
illness and early deaths in Jamaica, with more than one third of all deaths occurring after the
age of 60 due to take place because of CVD. Although there are ways to treat the disease,
people do not adhere well to medical advice because of many different lifestyle and economic
reasons. This study looks at how these influences play a role in the proper management and
treatment of heart disease among Jamaica’s older adults.
Methods: The review involved collecting evidence from publications made between January
2017 and November 2024. I searched the databases PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO,
Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library by using keywords connected to heart disease,
forms of behavior, social factors, and adherence to treatment in Jamaica. Quality assessment
was done using the JBI tools, and the information was analyzed in both a thematic and a
quantitative manner, where it made sense.
Results: The review discovered that unhealthy diet (eating a lot of sodium and saturated fat),
low physical activity levels (only one-third met WHO guidelines), and issues related to
money and healthcare access were major barriers to people taking their treatment as advised.
Rural people had to go 2.7 times farther on average to get to the same specialist as someone
living in an urban area. Low-income patients were forced to give up prescriptions, as 47% of
them had to limit how much medication they took, and 62% chose to obtain food before
medication. Since some preferred traditional medicine over Western doctors, it added to the
problem of following the treatment.
Discussion: The results signal that there is a need for interventions that fit different cultures
and focus on diet, money problems, and the influence of neighborhoods. Some policy
suggestions include providing financial aid for prescriptions, expanding healthcare in rural
, 4
areas, and conducting educational campaigns in communities. Further studies should focus on
the differences between genders and the long-term effects of adhering to treatment.
Conclusion: Heart disease among elderly Jamaicans is best controlled by attending to
lifestyle habits and socioeconomic unfairness. Applying cultural approaches and making
changes in the system helps increase treatment following and lower the death rate from heart
disease among this group.
Keywords: Heart disease, elderly, Jamaica, lifestyle behaviors, socioeconomic status,
treatment adherence
