A comparison of attributions, health beliefs, and negative emotions as predictors of fluid adherence in renal dialysis patients: A prospective analysis

Abstract

Excessive fluid intake in hemodialysis patients can lead to serious cardiovascular complications. However, previous studies have not investigated factors that affect fluid adherence over time. The influence of three sets of factors-attributions, health beliefs, and negative emotions-was examined to determine their influence on changes in fluid adherence over time. We assessed patient's fluid-intake changes across two time periods, as well as their absolute level. The results indicated that attributions, while predicting absolute fluid adherence, did not predict changes in fluid adherence. On the other hand, health beliefs predicted changes in fluid adherence but not absolute levels. Negative emotions predicted neither absolute nor changes in fluid adherence. It is suggested that attributions are more responsible for maintenance and control of stable fluid adherence levels, while health beliefs are more responsible for motivational factors related to changes in fluid adherence over time.