Quality of Life of Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Comparative Study between Nondialysis and Dialysis Patients.

Abstract

Quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic diseases has become an important measure to evaluate patient outcomes. However, there is a lack of evidence regarding QOL and its determinants among patients at different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The aim of this study was to compare the QOL between nondialysis patients and those who commenced dialysis treatment and to determine the predictors of QOL. Sample of 436 CKD patients was recruited from three hospitals in this cross-sectional study. The Kidney Disease Quality of Life short version-36™ was used to assess QOL among CKD patients. Demographic and clinical characteristics were also collected. The descriptive statistics were conducted for the whole sample and then for each CKD group. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess associations between the sample characteristics and QOL. The overall mean of QOL was 58.08 ± 20.04. The QOL score was worse among the dialysis group than the non-dialysis (53.47 ± 18.66 vs. 72.28 ± 17.35). Results show significant differences between the two groups for each domain of QOL. The most affected domain was physical function. Dialysis treatment, older age, male gender, and lower education levels were independently associated with lower score of QOL. The model explained 29% of the variation in the total QOL score. QOL in CKD is low. The results underscore the significance of paying more attention to older patients who are on dialysis therapy and have a lower education level. Consideration of these factors will help clinicians to identify at an early stage those patients who are at risk of experiencing a lower QOL and assist in planning appropriate interventions.