Exploring the Meaning in Life and the Influencing Factors among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis in Macau

Abstract

Introduction: The meaning in life (ML) is a significant predictor of the physical and mental health of patients with chronic diseases, and its construct is culturally specific.As a group between normal people and the patients with advanced cancer, patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) who are undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are often outside of research focus on ML. Objectives: This study was to investigate the status of ML of patients on HD in Macau of China and to analyze the influence of social-demographic characteristics and disease-related factors on their ML. The study findings would inform the development of evidence-based interventions in nursing care for this patient population. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional survey design. Eligible participants were recruited by convenient sampling from the largest HD center in Macau in January 2020. The participants’ social-demographic and disease-related characteristics were collected, and their ML status was assessed by the Meaning in Life Scale for Hemodialysis Patients (MLSHP). SPSS 22.0 software was used to analyze the data. Results: Questionnaires were distributed to 249 potential participants who were patients on HD, and 238 patients replied to the questionnaires effectively. The effective response rate was 95.58% (238/249). The average score of ML for the patients was 93.75 ± 10.00, which was 72% of the total score of 130 on the ML scale. Gender, religious belief, duration of dialysis treatment, and symptom-related distress had impacts on ML levels (p