title: Health-related quality of life of patients recieving hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis in São Paulo, Brazil: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) in São Paulo, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Inclusion criteria for this is a 1-year prospective study included being 18 years of age or older and clinically stable receiving chronic dialysis. Quality of life was measured using the SF-12 and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life questionnaires at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Patients who completed the surveys for all three periods were evaluated. Differences in quality of life scores were measured using univariate and multivariate regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred eighty-nine of 249 (76%) HD patients and 161 of 228 (71%) PD patients completed all three surveys. The PD group was older and a larger number had diabetes. PD patients consistently had higher scores than HD patients at all three measurement periods for patient satisfaction (P = 0.002, P = 0.005, and P = 0.005, respectively), encouragement/support from staff (P = 0.003, P = 0.017, and P = 0.029, respectively), and burden of kidney disease (P = 0.003, P = 0.017, and P = 0.057, respectively). The HD group had a greater percent of patients who clinically improved from baseline to 12 months compared to PD patients for sleep quality, social support, encouragement/support from staff, and overall health. Scores for other dimensions of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life and SF-12 questionnaires were not significantly different between the PD and HD groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results provide evidence that PD and HD patients have equivalent health-related quality of life in several domains, although the former performed better in some quality of life domains despite being older and having more comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Medicine Department, São Carlos, Brazil. mirhelen@ufscar.br
authors.forename: Mirhelen Mendes
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: de Abreu
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Ricardo C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Sesso
authors.forename: Marcos B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Ferraz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome