title: The Role of Personality and Social Support in Health-Related Quality of Life in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is commonly associated with various negative health outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of personality and social support on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic kidney disease. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is the quality of life studied in relation to health, and it provides important information of patients' coping with their health issues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants comprised of 200 patients experiencing various stages of chronic kidney disease. All participants completed the Short-Form 36 (SF-36), Big Five Inventory (BFI) and the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Social Support questionnaires.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants consisted of 108 males (54.0%) and 92 females (46.0%) with the mean age of 59.3 years (SD 14.5). Results showed that higher levels of extraversion and lower perceived affectionate social support were associated with higher physical HRQoL, whereas higher levels of neuroticism were associated with poorer mental HRQoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current study found that certain personality traits, namely extraversion and neuroticism, were found to be associated with HRQoL. In addition, affectionate social support was also associated with higher HRQoL. Therefore, special attention should be paid to the personality of CKD patients, as well as the type of social support that they have, in planning interventions to improve their health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Health Psychology Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Norhayati
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.affiliation: Health Psychology Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Sharlene S L
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Teo
authors.affiliation: Health Psychology Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Normah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Che Din
authors.affiliation: Nephrology and SLE Unit, Faculty of Medicine, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Abdul Halim
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Abdul Gafor
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Human Development, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, The National University of Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Rozmi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ismail
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008296:Malaysia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D011788:Quality of Life; D051436:Renal Insufficiency, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult