Perceived Social Support and Emotional Regulation as Predictors of Health-Related Quality of Life among Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease

Abstract

Non-communicable diseases account for about 70% of deaths globally. Chronic Kidney Disease which eventually leads to End-stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a non-communicable disease that has received a lot of attention over the years. Developing ESRD comes with various ramifications that affect the health-related quality of life of patients. The purpose of this study was to examine factors such as perceived social support and emotional regulation as predictors of health-related quality of life among patients with end-stage renal disease. The study was a quantitative study that applied the cross-sectional design. The study included 144 end-stage renal disease patients from the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. Questionnaire was used to assess perceived social support, emotional regulation and health-related quality of life. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate multiple linear regression analysis. The findings revealed that most of the patients had moderate to high level of social support. The most common form of perceived social support was support from family and significant others. Also, above average health-related quality of life was found in both the physical and mental health domains of health-related quality of life. The findings also revealed that significant others and family were significant predictors of both physical and mental health aspects of health-related quality of life. Emotional regulation also significantly predicted both physical and mental health domains of health-related quality of life. It was concluded that patients ability to control their emotions, and support from family and significant others have the capacity to improve the quality of life of patients with end-stage renal disease. A holistic approach to treating patients with ESRD is recommended.