Factors Predicting Quality of Life of Thai Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease Depending on Hemodialysis

Chonpimai, Geneva

Introduction: Quality of life is one of the indicators to identify whether a person could live in a society happily and be satisfied with life. In particularly, patients with End Stage Renal Disease depending on hemodialysis (ESRD). The illness has various impacts on the physical, psychological and social well- being. Those are affected on their quality of life. Thus, nurses should enhance the patients’ quality of life.

Purpose:The purposes of this research are to study the quality of life of patients with ESRD and to identify the factors in predicting the quality of life of patients with ESRD at a private dialysis center located in Bangkok, Thailand.

Sample: There were 180 patients from a private dialysis center, willing to participated in this study .

Study instruments: this study used a set of questionnaire consisting of 3 parts: 1) personal factors including, sex, age, marital status, educational level, duration of hemodialysis treatment, 2) Quality of life WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, and 3) Evaluation form of Barthal Activity of Daily Living (ADL).

Data analysis: Statistics used in this study were Sum, Mean, SD, Pearson correlation, and stepwise multiple regression.

Results:

1. The quality of life of patients with ESRD was moderate level (Mean = 91.68, SD = 11.54).

2. Age was negatively and significantly associated with quality of life of patients with ESRD at the 0.05 level (r = - 0.266).

3. Different income of patients could make different quality of life.

4. Other personal factors: sex, marital status, education and duration of hemodialysis treatment did not make a difference on the Quality of life .

5. Performance of Activities of Daily Living (ADL) was positively and significantly correlated with the quality of life of patients with ESRDat the 0.01 level(r =.418).

5. Factors predicting quality of life of patients with ESRD were ADL (R² = .175) , income more than 10,000 baht per month (R² = .062) and age (R²= .039), respectively. The overall percentage of prediction was 27.6. The study equation was as follow:

Quality of life = .944 activities of daily living + .194income +.008age.

Conclusion:The study findings indicate that patients with ESRD have moderate quality of life. Thus, nurses should promote patients’ quality of life by counselling with their family for both ADL and financial support.