Anucha Taiwong
Mahidol University, Thailand.
Title: Relationship between Symptom Clusters and Quality Of Life among Patients With CKD
Biography
Biography: Anucha Taiwong
Abstract
This descriptive correlation research aimed to identify the relationship between unpleasant symptom clusters and quality of life among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The theory of Unpleasant Symptoms was used as the conceptual framework. The study participants consisted of 150 patients with stage 3 to 4 CKD who were treated at CKD clinic of one tertiary hospital in Thailand and were chosen purposively. Data collection was conducted during January, 2016 to March, 2016 by using 3 forms of patient general health information, the CKD unpleasant symptoms, and Quality of Life (SF-36). Descriptive statistics and factor analysis and correlation were used to analyze the data. Statistical significance was set at .05
The results revealed that patients with CKD stage 3-4 had 28 unpleasant symptoms. The most frequently perceived were 4 symptoms of limbs numbness, bone and joint pain, nocturia, and fatigue. The 28 unpleasant symptoms could be grouped into 8 clusters with 52.56% of explained variance. Among 8 symptom clusters, psychological and emotional cluster was found to have the greatest severity and the strongest negative correlation with all aspect of QOL. Negative correlations were also found between the remaining symptom clusters and physical component of QOL except the urinary tract cluster.
This study provides important information related to unpleasant symptom clusters that may deteriorate QOL of CKD patients. Nurses should address the finding in this study in planning to prevent or reduce QOL deterioration