Characteristics of included articles
| Study | Article aim | CVD | Country (income level) | Setting | Sample | Methodology | Framework details |
| Barello et al27 | Identify features and the levers of patient with HF engagement | HF | Italy (HIC) | University Hospital in Milan | 22 participants (13 patients, 5 physicians, 4 caregivers) | Qualitative, SSI Grounded theory. | Inductive, ‘Process of engagement in patients with HF’. |
| Bokhour et al28 | Explore patients’ ‘explanatory models’ and context, relate to self-management | HT | USA (HIC) | Medical centres | 48 African-American, white and Latino patients/veterans | Qualitative, SSI Grounded theory | Inductive, ‘The dynamic model of HT self-management behaviour’. |
| Byrne et al18 | Describe illness perceptions and beliefs about medication of patients | CHD | Ireland (HIC) | General practice outpatients | 1084 patients under the age of 80 | Quantitative, cross-sectional, postal questionnaires | Deductive, SRM modified to include treatment and medication beliefs. |
| Chen et al19 | Test relationship between illness perception to self-management | HT | Taiwan (HIC) | CVD clinics of teaching hospitals | 355 patients | Quantitative, cross-sectional, structured questionnaires | Inductive/deductive: ‘Model for adherence to therapeutic regimens’, modified CSM. |
| Dickson et al 31 | Examine contribution of attitudes, self-efficacy and cognition to management | HF | USA (HIC) | Outpatients of medical centre | 41 patients | Mixed, qualitative SSI, quantitative cross-sectional survey | Deductive, modified Decision-making model of HF management. |
| Fort et al 29 | Present patients’ perceptions of barriers and facilitators to management | HT and DB | Costa Rica/Mexico (UMIC) | Urban public health centres | 70 patients | Qualitative, focus group discussions Thematic analysis | Deductive, TM. |
| Horowitz et al30 | Elucidate patients' knowledge and beliefs, understand self-care routines | CHF | USA (HIC) | Urban tertiary care hospital | 19 former inpatients | Qualitative, SSI, Grounded theory | Inductive/deductive: models of CHF and CSM. |
| Kressin et al 20 | Explore links between race, beliefs about HT and adherence. | HT | USA (HIC) | Veteran's affairs hospital | 793 outpatients (460 African-American, 333 white) | Quantitative, cross-sectional structured questionnaires | Deductive, adapted HDM combined with several other scales. |
| Luder et al 21 | Describe features and beliefs of enrolees of employer-based DB and HT programme | HT and DB | USA (HIC) | Pharmacies | 154 enrolees of employer-led DB and HT coaching programme | Quantitative, cross-sectional using survey | Deductive, HBM, TPB and TRA. |
| Peleg et al 22 | Assess role of attitudes, norms and behavioural control on adherence | ACS | Israel (HIC) | Cardiac care units in urban hospitals | 106 married/cohabitating male patients | Quantitative, longitudinal surveys | Deductive, TPB and Attachment Theory. |
| Platt et al 23 | Examine adherence to medication, exercise and diet | CHD | Australia (HIC) | Outpatient clinics | 142 outpatients | Quantitative, cross-sectional using questionnaire | Deductive, CSM, TM and positive and negative affect. |
| Presseau et al 32 | Compare approaches for identifying determinants of adherence post-MI | MI | Canada (HIC) | Hospitals | 24 outpatients for qualitative, 201 for quantitative | Mixed, qualitative SSI, quantitative: structured surveys | Deductive, TDF and HAPA. |
| Quine et al 24 | Propose and test a model of adherence to antihypertensive medication | HT | UK (HIC) | Primary care | 934 outpatients at 1 of 3 practices | Quantitative, prospective longitudinal using two surveys | Inductive, a conceptual model of adherence to HT medication. |
| Sniehotta et al 25 | Test, compare, combine CSM and extended TPB | CHD | UK (HIC) | Hospitals, patient homes | 103 outpatients in phase III cardiac rehabilitation | Quantitative, prospective cohort design | Deductive, CSM and TPB. |
| Vellone et al 26 | Test situation-specific theory of HF self-care with modelling | HF | Italy (HIC) | Outpatient settings | 417 outpatients aged 18 years and older | Quantitative, secondary analysis of data from cross-sectional study | Deductive, situation-specific theory of HF. |
ACS, acute coronary syndrome; BP, blood pressure; CHD, coronary heart disease; CHF, congestive heart failure; CSM, common-sense self-regulation model; DB, diabetes; HAPA, health action process approach; HBM, health belief model; HDM, health decision model; HF, heart failure; HIC, high-income economy; HT, hypertension; LMIC, low-income to middle-income economy; MI, myocardial infarction; SRM, self-regulatory model; SSI, semi-structured interview; TDF, theoretical domains framework; TM, transtheoretical model; TPB, theory of planned behaviour; TRA, theory of reasoned action; UMIC, upper-income to middle-income economy.