Health‐Related Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients in Taiwan

Abstract

Background: Health‐related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important outcome of medical treatment effectiveness.Objectives: Thirty‐six item short‐Form (SF‐36) first has been used in hemodialysis (HD) patients in Taiwan.Method: HRQOL was measured by using SF‐36 in 497 HD patients in 5 hospitals.Results: Male sex, age less than 50 years, higher education level (EL), marriage, employed status (EPS), less comorbid medical condition (CMC), and non‐diabetic patients were all predicted a better physical component scale (PCS). Age less than 50 years, BMI greater than 18.5, HEL, EPS, and NDP were all predicted a higher mental component scale (MCS). Scales contributing to a summary measure of physical health, the PCS score, was significantly lower in women (35 ± 12.3) than in men (37.9 ± 12.3). There is no difference in MCS score between women and men. In multivariate analysis, age, CMC, diabetes, serum creatinine (SCr), and erythropoietin responsiveness were significant independent predictors of PCS. Diabetes, EL, SCr, and erythropoietic responsiveness were significant independent predictors of MCS. All of the individual scales, PCS and MCS scores were lower in the Taiwan HD patients than values for the US general population. Each of the individual scales and MCS scores were substantially lower in Taiwan HD group than in the US HD cohort. But the bodily pain of PCS was significantly higher in Taiwan HD group in spite of mean PCS scores for Taiwan HD group and US HD study participants were nearly equal at 36.3 and 36.1, respectively.Conclusion: Physical and mental aspects of quality of life are substantially reduced among Taiwan HD patients, but higher bodily pain tolerance. A number of demographic and clinical characteristics significantly impact on HRQOL in Taiwan HD patients. To our knowledge, this is the first time we demonstrate the HRQOL by using SF‐36 in Chinese HD patients.