Relative importance and interrelations between psychosocial factors and individualized quality of life of hemodialysis patients

David Tovbin, Yori Gidron, Tzipora Jean, Ricardo Granovsky, Alla Schnieder

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Since quality of life (QOL) of hemodialysis (HD) patients is low and frequently difficult to improve by medical therapy, it is important to identify psychosocial correlates and life-domains important for HD patients' QOL. Our hypothesis was that psychosocial factors reflecting appraisal, external and internal resources/impediments correlate with QOL and compensate for adverse effects of disease-related variables on QOL. Forty-eight chronic HD-patients identified and rank-ordered life-domains important for QOL and rated their level of satisfaction with those domains. This was performed using a slightly modified version of the Self-Evaluated Individualized QOL (SEiQOL) Scale. Psychosocial factors included perceived-control (PC), social-support and hostility. Demographic and disease-related factors included age, gender, cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, hematocrit, albumin and C-reactive protein. QOL was significantly correlated with PC (r = 0.65) and social-support (r = 0.38), and inversely correlated with hostility (r = -0.31), diabetes and hypoalbuminemia (all at least p < 0.05). PC mediated effects of certain variables (e.g., albumin, gender, hostility) and moderated effects of little social-support and hypoalbuminemia on QOL. Patients' most important QOL domains were health, with which satisfaction was lowest, followed by family, with which satisfaction was highest. Pending replication with larger samples, assessment and enhancement of PC may improve HD patients' QOL.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)709-717
Number of pages9
JournalQuality of Life Research
Volume12
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2003
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Hemodialysis
  • Mediation
  • Moderation
  • Perceived-control
  • Quality of life

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

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