Table 1.
Participant demographic information
| Demographic | All participants | Younger aged (≤44 years) (n = 6) | Middle aged (45-64 years) (n = 11) | Older aged (≥65 years) (n = 3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnosisa | ||||
| Coronary artery disease | 55% (n = 11) | 50% (n = 3) | 45.4% (n = 5) | 100% (n = 3) |
| Myocardial infarction | 30% (n = 6) | 33% (n = 2) | 27.2% (n = 3) | 100% (n = 3) |
| Spontaneous coronary artery dissection | 15% (n = 3) | 33% (n = 1) | ||
| Stroke | 5% (n = 1) | 9% (n = 1) | ||
| Valvular disease | 20% (n = 4) | 33% (n = 2) | 18% (n = 2) | |
| Atrial fibrillation | 5% (n = 1) | 9% (n = 1) | ||
| Current living situation | ||||
| Live alone | 10% (n = 2) | 0% | 9% (n = 1) | 33% (n = 1) |
| Live with significant other | 65% (n = 13) | 50% (n = 3) | 73% (n = 8) | 67% (n = 2) |
| Live with significant other and kids | 25% (n = 5) | 50% (n = 3) | 18% (n = 2) | 0% |
| Current province | ||||
| Nova Scotia | 25% (n = 5) | 50% (n = 3) | 9% (n = 1) | 33% (n = 1) |
| Ontario | 35% (n = 7) | 33% (n = 2) | 45% (n = 5) | 0% |
| Manitoba | 10% (n = 2) | 0% | 18% (n = 2) | 0% |
| Alberta | 5% (n = 1) | 0% | 9% (n = 1) | 0% |
| British Columbia | 25% (n = 5) | 17% (n = 1) | 18% (n = 2) | 67% (n = 2) |
| Current urban or rural | ||||
| dweller | 65% (n = 13) | 50% (n = 3) | 82% (n = 9) | 33% (n = 1) |
| Urban dweller | 35% (n = 8) | 50% (n = 3) | 18% (n = 2) | 67% (n = 3) |
| Rural dweller | ||||
| Highest level of education | ||||
| Elementary school | 5% (n = 1) | 0% | 9% (n = 1) | 0%33% (n = 1) |
| Some college/university | 20% (n = 5) | 33% (n = 2) | 18% (n = 2) | 33% (n = 1) |
| Completed post-secondary | 35% (n = 7) | 50% (n = 3) | 27% (n = 3) | 33% (n = 1) |
| school | 35% (n = 7) | 17% (n = 1) | 45% (n = 5) | |
| Masters, PhD | ||||
| Current employment status | ||||
| Working | 25% (n = 6) | 17% (n = 1) | 45% (n = 5) | 0% |
| Retired (withdrawal from the workforce) | 40% (n = 8) | 17% (n = 1) | 36% (n = 4) | 100% (n = 3) 0% |
| Unable to work due to | 15% (n = 3) | 33% (n = 2) | 9% (n = 1) | 0% |
| disability | 10% (n = 2) | 33% (n = 2) | 0% | 0% |
| Stay at home parent/caregiver | 10% (n = 1) | 0% | 9% (n = 1) | |
| Working and student |
Table 2.
Selected quotes by age group
| Outcome | Selected quotes | |
|---|---|---|
| Barriers | Preferences for CR | |
| Younger (≤44 years) | ‘I was less than half the age of everybody else he was there and so it was also a little awkward at first cause people were like oh are you here with someone are you here with your parent? Like no I’m just here with me’. | ‘Being with other women my age, having our voices heard from the staff who get it [work and family responsibilities competing with time for our own health] and who are women as well’. |
| ‘Everyone, when I show up, they all thought I was the instructor. I had to say no, I’m a patient. I was with a lot of women who were in their 60s who were in their 70s, I was definitely the youngest by a few decades’. | ‘I think that virtual [programming] has opened up a lot of options, you can now have access to a lot of pre-recorded sessions. Education on periods and medications or things that are pretty standard for women and maybe a time where you could have a professional to answer some of the questions would be really impactful’. | |
| Middle-aged (45–64 years) | ‘I was 55 and the average age of the people in my cohort was 70. So I just kind of felt like a fish out of water’. | ‘I think if there was an opportunity to just be with women, I think that would be comfortable. I think knowing that there’s all women during a similar life stage, there’s that commonality, you know, we’re the same’. |
| ‘Smaller groups based on the unique needs of the participants. We’ve got 50-year-old female with, vegetarian, good fitness level, we’re going to put her over here. Then you know male age 65 overweight smoker we’re going to put him over there and we’re going to customize the program based on, these people’. | ||
| Older-aged (≥65 years) | ‘No there weren’t barriers. I would say that weather and the time of day would be an impediment to some people, it wasn’t to me because I’m an early riser’. | ‘The exercise programs, if I could have somebody who knew what they were doing and how to account for your other health problems like arthritis, to find ways for you to get your physical strength back. That would have been a major thing that I would have wanted’. |
| ‘Obviously, you know, people who have families and have to find time to do it [Cardiac Rehabilitation]. My kids were older it wasn’t a problem for me’. | ‘Women only schedules. In in group therapy or something with just other women. It might work for some women to be more comfortable that way’. | |
| ‘Women only schedules. In in group therapy or something with just other women. It might work for some women to be more comfortable that way’. |