Health-Related Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Patients with Heart Failure Across Three Ejection Fraction Categories: A Two-Center Cross-Sectional Study.

Background

Heart failure (HF) substantially affects health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but evidence across left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) categories in Jordan remains limited.

Methods

This multicenter cross-sectional study included 516 adults with HF attending outpatient cardiac clinics in northern Jordan between May and November 2025. SF-36 Version 1.0 items were recoded to eight 0-100 domains, and unweighted SF-36 physical and mental four-domain composite scores were analyzed using expanded multivariable ordinary least-squares models with HC3 robust standard errors. A total of 476 participants had complete data for all model variables.

Results

The mean SF-36 physical and mental four-domain composite scores were 48.80 (SD 21.14) and 51.88 (SD 20.57), respectively. Both scores differed across EF categories before adjustment (physical p < 0.001; mental p < 0.001), but the adjusted EF omnibus tests were not significant (physical p = 0.111; mental p = 0.613). Lower physical scores were associated with NYHA class II and III, physical inactivity, sleeping difficulty, retirement, and higher anxiety and depression scores, whereas self-care efficacy was positively associated with physical HRQoL. Lower mental scores were associated with NYHA class II and III, physical inactivity, and higher anxiety and depression scores, while self-care efficacy was positively associated with mental HRQoL.

Conclusions

In this cross-sectional sample, functional limitation, anxiety and depressive symptoms, physical inactivity, and self-care efficacy were more consistently associated with HRQoL than EF category after adjustment. These findings support multidimensional assessment alongside cardiac measures.