Result discussionThe overall aim of this thesis was to describe and evaluate self-care behaviour andto describe daily life experiences in patients with CHF, with special reference to fluidintake. In essence, when compared with a restricted fluid intake of 1.5L/day, a higherfluid intake showed no effects on quality of life, physical capacity, hospital admissions or signs and symptoms of CHF, with the important exceptions that thirst anddifficulties adhering to the fluid prescription were significantly decreased. The resultsregarding adherence, self-care behaviour and daily life experiences correspond wellwith results from other studies.One third of the patients in Study I weighed themselves every day and on averagepatients measured body weight three times a week. This correspond well to otherstudies 47, 99 and may be considered satisfactory. Some interventional studies have reported adherence to daily weighting to be 75% 100, 101. It is difficult to know why thesestudies were so successful. In the study from de Lusignan et al. 100 only 10 patientsparticipated in the interventional group and in the study by Strömberg et al. 101 the intervention was more intense and the measurements were different than in the studypresented in Study I. One study 102, very similar to Study I in terms of setting and design, reported that the daily weighing behaviour increased to 94% in the interventiongroup. However, age differed, which is important. The patients in the study by Caldwell et al. 102 were 10 years younger than the patients in Study I and this is important,since various degrees of cognitive deficits are common in patients with CHF and increase with age 46. In elderly patients it could be an advantage to have a written recordof body weight, both for the patient and for the healthcare professionals who are responsible for the care of the patient. However, in stable patients with CHF it may besufficient to measure weight three times a week and it is gratifying that the best results regarding weighing behaviour are from the most recent studies.