Abstract: Objective: To investigate the status quo and analyze influencing factors of self-management behaviors in elderly patients with Chronic Heart Failure (CHF). Methods: Random cluster sampling was used in 102 hospitals in five regions of East China, West China, South China, North China and Central China to recruit 6,124 elderly CHF patients to finish a survey on self-management behaviors. Results: The average score for self-management behaviors among elderly CHF patients was 49.00 (43.00, 54.00). The score rate, which was achieved by dividing the median score by the full score and multiplying 100%, was 61.25%. It was at the lower-middle level. Factors such as age, ethnicity and educational level affected patients' self-management behaviors (P<0.05). Conclusion: The self-management behaviors of elderly CHF patients is at the lower middle level. It is affected by age, ethnicity and educational level. Nursing staff should take the characteristics of patients into account when developing systematic and individualized self-management education programs for elderly CHF patients.

Key words: heart failure; elderly; self-management; influencing factors