Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to estimate the pooled level of self-care behaviour among heart failure patients in Ethiopia. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCE: PubMed/MEDLINE, HINARI, Web of Sciences, Scopus, Google Scholar, Science Direct, African journals online and University repositories were searched from 1 January 2000 to 1 November 2023. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: We include studies that examined self-care behaviour among heart failure patients, studies that report factors associated with self-care behaviour and observational studies (cross-sectional, case-control and cohort) with full text available. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: The data were extracted with Microsoft Excel and analysed by using STATA V.11 software. The weighted inverse variance random-effects model at 95% CI was used to estimate the pooled level of self-care behaviour and its associated factors among heart failure patients. Tests of heterogeneity, test of publication bias and subgroup analyses were also employed. RESULTS: Thirteen cross-sectional studies with 4321 study participants were included; and the pooled level of good self-care behaviour among heart failure patients in Ethiopia was found to be 38.3% (95% CI 31.46 to 45.13). Only 68.8% of heart failure patients were knowledgeable about heart failure. Knowledge about heart failure (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR)=3.39; 95% CI 2.42 to 4.74) and absence of comorbidity (AOR=2.69; 95% CI 1.35 to 5.37) were significantly associated with good self-care behaviour among heart failure patients in Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: The majority of heart failure patients in Ethiopia did not adhere to the recommended self-care behaviours. Nearly one-third of heart failure patients were not knowledgeable about heart failure. Knowledge about heart failure and the absence of comorbidities were significantly associated with good self-care behaviour. Therefore, efforts should be devoted to increasing knowledge and preventing comorbidities among heart failure patients. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42023394373.