This study aims to examine the relationships between illness perception, self-care behaviors, and clinical outcomes, which are objective indicators of self-care, and analyze the factors that affect self-care behaviors, in an attempt to provide foundat...
This study aims to examine the relationships between illness perception, self-care behaviors, and clinical outcomes, which are objective indicators of self-care, and analyze the factors that affect self-care behaviors, in an attempt to provide foundational data for developing intervention programs that could increase active self-care behaviors in hemodialysis patients.
A total of 134 hemodialysis patients admitted to the department of surgery at one university hospital in Seoul were enrolled in this study. Data were collected from January 25 to October 17, 2018, using a self-reported questionnaire and medical records. Information about patient’s general characteristics, disease-related characteristics, illness perception, self-care behaviors, and clinical outcomes were collected. The collected data were analyzed with real number, percentage, mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression using SPSS/WIN 23 software.
The study obtained the following results:
A. The mean illness perception score was 105.69(±12.3) out of 165, with the following scores for each of the domains: 18.19(±2.53) out of 30 for timeline chronic, 11.36(±3.62) out of 20 for timeline cyclic, 15.27(±2.95) out of 20 for consequence, 20.40(±3.66) out of 30 for personal control, 10.34(±2.76) out of 15 for treatment control, 12.57(±3.46) out of 25 for comprehension, and 17.55(±5.46) out of 25 for emotional representation.
B. The mean self-care behavior score was 64.14(±11.46) out of 80, with the following scores for each of the domains: 22.46(±4.47) out of 28 for problem-solving and communication, 10.49(±1.78) out of 12 for water and weight control, 16.24(±2.83) out of 20 for diet and hemodialysis, and 14.94(±6.26) out of 20 for self-advocacy and emotional control.
C. Illness perception significantly differed according to the duration of hemodialysis, where the mean illness perception score was significantly higher for patients who had received 26–30 years of hemodialysis than for those who had received 16–20 years and 21–25 years of hemodialysis( t=2.998, p=.014).
D. Self-care behavior significantly differed according to age (t=5.371, p=.006) and registration on kidney transplant waitlist (t=3.051, p=.003). In this regard, self-care behavior score was higher among patients between ages 40–59 years than among patients between ages 20–39 and 60–80 years. Self-care behavior score was also higher among patients registered on the kidney transplant waitlist than among those who were not on the waitlist.
E. An analysis of the correlations among illness perception, self-care behavior, and clinical outcomes showed that self-care behavior was positively correlated with treatment control (r=.179, p=.038) and negatively correlated with comprehension (r=-.255, p=.003). In terms of the subdomains of self-care behavior, “problem-solving and communication” was positively correlated with treatment control (r=.220, p=.011) and negatively correlated with comprehension (r=-.409, p=<.001).
Regarding the relationship between illness perception and clinical outcomes, illness perception was positively correlated with weight gain rate over one week of hemodialysis (r=.281, p=.001) and negatively correlated with albumin (r=-.193, p=.026). In terms of the subdomains of illness perception, treatment control and hematocrit were positively correlated (r=.180, p=.038), while comprehension and creatinine (r=-.237, p=.006), emotional representation and hemoglobin (r=-.214, p=.013), and emotional representation and hematocrit (r=-.192, p=.027) were negatively correlated.
With regards to the relationship with clinical outcomes, self-care behavior was negatively correlated with hematocrit (r=-.226, p=.009) and positively correlated with parathyroid hormone (r=.217, p=.012).
F. Seven variables influenced self-care behavior: registration on kidney transplant waitlist (β=-.193, p=.029), consequence (β=-.176, p=.046), treatment control (β=.199, p=.030), hematocrit (β=.423, p=<.001), hemoglobin (β=.273, p=.005), blood urea nitrogen (β=-.197, p=.037), and blood phosphorus (β=.180, p=.049). These variables explained 28.9% of the total variance.
Based on these results, this study confirmed that the problem-solving and communication domain of self-care behavior was correlated with treatment control and comprehension of illness perception. Furthermore, there was a correlation between treatment control and hematocrit, comprehension and creatinine, as well as between emotional representation and hemoglobin, hematocrit, and weight gain rate over one week of hemodialysis. Factors that influenced self-care behavior were registration on kidney transplant waitlist, treatment control, hematocrit, hemoglobin, blood urea nitrogen, and blood phosphorus. In addition, although self-care behavior was better than average, the scores for the problem-solving and communication domain and the self-advocacy and emotional control domain were lower than that for treatment-compliant behaviors (e.g., water and weight control, diet and hemodialysis), which requires strategic nursing interventions that can deal with patient’s illness perception and emotional aspects through consistent communication. This study provides useful data for developing strategies to improve self-care behavior.