Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study investigated the association between health-related quality of life (HRQOL), sedentary time, and physical function in hospitalized patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) undergoing phase I cardiac rehabilitation (CR). METHODS: This observational study enrolled CVD patients between October 2020 and September 2024. Participants were classified into low-HRQOL ( < 0.83) and high-HRQOL ( ≥ 0.83) groups based on the median EuroQol 5-Dimensions 5-Levels score. Clinical characteristics, physical function measures, and sedentary time were compared between groups. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the score as the dependent variable to identify predictors of HRQOL. RESULTS: The final analysis included 544 patients (mean age: 69.1 years; male: 74.8%), of whom 49.0% were classified into the low-HRQOL group. Patients with low HRQOL showed significantly longer sedentary time and poorer physical function. Multiple regression identified employment status (unstandardized coefficient [B] = 0.068, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.007-0.130, P = 0.030), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and/pr angiotensin II receptor blocker use (B = 0.076, 95% CI: 0.026-0.126, P = 0.003), gait speed (B = 0.233, 95% CI: 0.109-0.358, P <0.001), and sedentary time (B = -0.0004, 95% CI: -0.0005to -0.0003, P <0.001) as significant predictors of HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive sedentary time during hospitalization was significantly associated with lower HRQOL in CVD patients undergoing phase I CR. Reducing sedentary time, along with formulating functional and clinical strategies, may be vital for improving HRQOL in inpatient CR programs. These findings highlight the need for future studies to explore personalized CR interventions to improve long-term outcomes.