To measure the multi-profiled quality-of-life (QOL) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), compare them with those in normal population, and uncover the associated factors of QOL among those patients. The generic questionnaire- World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief edition, Taiwan version [(WHOQOL-BREF(TW))-which composed of 4 domains and global items, was used to measure 512 MHD patients in Taipei and Keelung area. The domains and items of WHOQOL-BREF(TW) were compared between MHD patients and normal population. The stepwise regression analyses were performed with each domain or global QOL as dependent variable and demographical and clinical variables as independent variables to explore the associated factors of QOL on those MHD patients. (1)The scores of global QOL, physical, psychological, and social-relationship domain among MHD patients were inferior to general population. The score of environmental domain was not significantly different from the general population. (2)Occasionally QOL were significantly different with leveling of the demographical variables. The different age groups showed significantly different scores of global QOL, physical, social relationship, and environmental domain (p<0.05). Every demographical variable except ”drinking” was shown to have significantly different score of social domain with different levels of this variable (p<0.05). (3) Different levels of albumin showed significantly different scores of physical domain (p<0.001), the same as those different levels of ferritin (p<0.01). Different levels of hematocrit showed significantly different scores of psychological domain (p<0.05). (4)Under the control of other variables, the stepwise regression analyses showed that area had significant impact (partial R^2 14-22%) on the four domains, the family income had significant impact (partial R^2 10%) on environmental domain, the erythropoietin injection amount per week had significant impact (partial R^2 5%) on psychological domain, and the smoking had significant impact (partial R^2 5%) on social-relationship domain. The QOL of HD patients were lower than those of general population in physical, psychological and social-relationship domains and their facet/items, but about the same as that in environment domain. The significantly associated factors of QOL domains in HD patients were diverse and different.
To measure the multi-profiled quality-of-life (QOL) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD), compare them with those in normal population, and uncover the associated factors of QOL among those patients. The generic questionnaire- World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief edition, Taiwan version [(WHOQOL-BREF(TW))-which composed of 4 domains and global items, was used to measure 512 MHD patients in Taipei and Keelung area. The domains and items of WHOQOL-BREF(TW) were compared between MHD patients and normal population. The stepwise regression analyses were performed with each domain or global QOL as dependent variable and demographical and clinical variables as independent variables to explore the associated factors of QOL on those MHD patients. (1)The scores of global QOL, physical, psychological, and social-relationship domain among MHD patients were inferior to general population. The score of environmental domain was not significantly different from the general population. (2)Occasionally QOL were significantly different with leveling of the demographical variables. The different age groups showed significantly different scores of global QOL, physical, social relationship, and environmental domain (p<0.05). Every demographical variable except ”drinking” was shown to have significantly different score of social domain with different levels of this variable (p<0.05). (3) Different levels of albumin showed significantly different scores of physical domain (p<0.001), the same as those different levels of ferritin (p<0.01). Different levels of hematocrit showed significantly different scores of psychological domain (p<0.05). (4)Under the control of other variables, the stepwise regression analyses showed that area had significant impact (partial R^2 14-22%) on the four domains, the family income had significant impact (partial R^2 10%) on environmental domain, the erythropoietin injection amount per week had significant impact (partial R^2 5%) on psychological domain, and the smoking had significant impact (partial R^2 5%) on social-relationship domain. The QOL of HD patients were lower than those of general population in physical, psychological and social-relationship domains and their facet/items, but about the same as that in environment domain. The significantly associated factors of QOL domains in HD patients were diverse and different.