title: DIFFERENCES IN ILLNESS REPRESENTATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on individual illness representations, including symptoms and causal attributions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-four patients responded to the Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) and a further seven patients undertook cognitive interviews regarding the IPQ-R. All respondents had CKD stage 2-5, not undergoing renal replacement therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Those in earlier CKD stages and those with fewer symptoms perceived a significantly different understanding of their condition than those in more advanced disease stages or with more symptoms. Behavioural and psychological attributions were commonly referred to as contributing causes to CKD. These attributions were associated to negative illness representations. An uncertainty assessing symptoms attributed to CKD was indicated, especially in earlier disease stages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Illness representations differ with CKD stages and symptom burden. The patients in earlier disease stages or with fewer symptoms did not hold as strong beliefs about their illness as being a threat as those in advanced stages or with more symptoms. Self-blame emerged as a common causal attribution. Patients did not always relate symptoms to CKD, therefore this study identifies a gap in patients' disease knowledge, especially in earlier stages of the condition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Agneta A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Pagels
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurobiology, Karolinska Institutet, Care Sciences and Society, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Birgitta Klang
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Söderquist
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heiwe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D059026:Diagnostic Self Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D055809:Illness Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Chronic kidney disease; Health behaviour; Illness perceptions/representations; Self-management