Differences in Quality of Life Between Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis in Saudi Arabia: A...

The World Health Organization defines health as complete physical, mental, and social well-being. Chronic diseases impact health-related quality of life (QoL). Health services for ill populations, including end-stage renal disease (ESRD), focus on QoL issues and mental health promotion. Kidney transplantation is the optimal form, but most patients require dialysis, which can be hemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD). It is believed that choosing the proper modality will help in improving patient's QoL and satisfaction rate. To help patients select the mode of dialysis that best meets their needs while they have ESRD, this study intends to investigate differences in QoL between dialysis modalities.

It was a multicenter cross-sectional study conducted in Saudi Arabia, focusing on HD and PD patients in specific hospitals. Data was collected through a specially designed online questionnaire and analyzed with IBM SPSS 29 (IBM Corp. Released 2023. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 29.0.2.0 Armonk, NY: IBM Corp).

Our study, including 307 dialysis patients in Saudi Arabia, revealed a male predominance (56.0%), primarily aged 45-64 years (43.0%), with 91.5% Saudi nationals. Employment varied (27.4% professionals), and most earned 10,000-20,000 SAR monthly (50.5%). Positive life changes post-dialysis were reported by 98.7%, with 94.5% not requiring post-dialysis absence from work. Incenter HD patients constitute 45.3% while PD patients constitute 54.7% of the study sample. Physical well-being showed significant differences in nausea (p=0.035). Social and emotional well-being exhibited acceptance variations (p=0.012) and coping satisfaction (p=0.014). Linear regression indicated monthly income impact on HD QoL (B=-3.706, p=0.075), while age influenced PD QoL (B=0.113, p=0.927).

Our study underscores positive life changes and minimal work absence is prevalent among dialysis patients. PD exhibits higher nausea and lower family acceptance. HD participants report greater coping satisfaction. The study reveals nuanced differences in well-being dimensions, contributing insights for tailored interventions and patient-centered care in renal replacement therapies.