Association Between Socioeconomic Characteristics Among Individuals Who Completed Cardiac Rehabilitation in Low‐Resource Settings With Their Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life: Analysis From the ICRR

Background Cardiac rehabilitation supports recovery after cardiac events, but it is unclear whether outcomes differ by socioeconomic characteristics in low‐resource settings. This study aimed to identify whether pre‐program socioeconomic characteristics (financial strain, age, education, employment) were associated with cardiac rehabilitation completion, and–among completers–to examine associations with changes in depressive symptoms and quality of life from pre‐ to post‐program. Methods Individuals with pre‐program data (2021‐May 2024) in the ICRR (International Cardiac Rehab Registry), from 17 programs in low‐resource settings across 11 countries, were included. Outcomes were changes in Patient Health Questionnaire‐2 depressive symptoms and Cantril's Ladder quality of life scores. Among completers, associations were examined using robust linear mixed‐effects models, adjusting for characteristics, with a random intercept for site. Results Among 3520 individuals (mean age 59 years [SD=12], 79% men), 2190 (62%) completed cardiac rehabilitation. Completion was more common among those without financial strain (20% versus 10%, P 12 years of education (57% versus 44%, P