Comparison of Saudi Arabian hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients’ illness perceptions

The clinical outcome of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) may differ according to their beliefs concerning their illness and its treatment. Both the disease itself and negative perceptions of the illness may increase patients’ morbidity and mortality. This study aims to compare hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients’ illness perceptions and their related factors. This cross-sectional comparative study was conducted in five dialysis centers. After excluding patients with psychiatric comorbidities, 342 stable dialysis patients (HD, n = 267; PD, n = 75) completed a demographic questionnaire and the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). The data were analyzed using t-tests and ANOVAs. Out of the 342 patients, 53.8% were male and 46.2% were female. Their mean age was 46.1 ± 16.5 years. Compared to the HD patients, the PD patients perceived their illness to be significantly less chronic (p = .029) and more controllable, whether through personal or treatment control (p = .012, p = .017). Patients’ most common cause of attributions were stress, worry, or poor past medical care. PD showed an advantage over HD in terms of perceptions of ESRD chronicity and controllability. Intervention programs targeting illness perception are needed to support dialysis patients.