Health beliefs and desire to improve cholesterol levels among patients with hyperlipidemia

Abstract Objective Because hyperlipidemia is asymptomatic, many veterans affairs (VA) patients may not perceive it seriously. We assessed key Health Belief model concepts to describe patients’ cholesterol-related health beliefs and examine associations between patient-level factors and desire to improve cholesterol control. Methods We used baseline data from an ongoing randomized clinical trial. Eligible patients were receiving care at the Durham VA and had CVD risk-total cholesterol levels >130 mg/dL and/or Results Approximately 64% ( n  = 155) of patients perceived high cholesterol as ‘very serious’. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, patients who perceived high cholesterol as ‘very serious’ (OR 2. 26, p  = 0.032) and/or with high self-efficacy (OR 4.70, p  Conclusion The factors most significantly associated with desire to improve cholesterol control were perceiving hyperlipidemia as ‘very serious and self-efficacy for cholesterol control. Practice implication Educating patients, with the goal of appropriately increasing their perceived risk of disease, is likely necessary to impact cholesterol control.