title: Illness perceptions in dialysis patients and their association with quality of life.
abstract: The present study explored illness perceptions of end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on both haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment, and their associations with quality of life. Leventhal's self-regulation model (SRM) was used as a theoretical framework. Illness perceptions and quality of life were assessed with the IPQ-R and the SF-36 in 91 HD and 42 PD patients participating in the NECOSAD-study. Compared to HD patients, PD patients experienced more personal control and had a better understanding of the illness. Illness perceptions explained from 17 to 51% of the variance in quality of life scores. Perception of more symptoms, more consequences and lower personal control were associated with lower well-being. The concept of illness perceptions is useful in understanding the impact of ESRD and of dialysis treatment on quality of life. Interventions aimed at providing more knowledge about ESRD and dialysis, and provision of skills to coping with the illness and its consequences may improve quality of life in dialysis patients.
authors.affiliation: a Unit of Psychology , Leiden University Medical Centre (LUMC) , 2300 , Leiden , RB , The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Timmers
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thong
authors.forename: Friedo W
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: Dekker
authors.forename: Elisabeth W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Boeschoten
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heijmans
authors.forename: Mieke
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rijken
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weinman
authors.forename: Ad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaptein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010530:Peritoneal Dialysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis
keywords: Illness perceptions; dialysis; haemodialysis; outcome; peritoneal dialysis; quality of life