Relationships between social capital, patient empowerment, and self-management of patients undergoing hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Hemodialysis is the most common treatment of end-stage renal disease. However, it is associated with a range of symptoms affecting patients’ daily activities and quality of life. Effective self-management has proven crucial for the alleviation of symptoms. According to Social Cognitive Theory, social capital and patient empowerment may be important variables for predicting self-management. To date, few studies have explored the mechanisms underlying these results. The study aimed to verify whether patient empowerment mediated the effect of social capital on the self-management of hemodialysis patients. METHODS: The study was performed with 245 hemodialysis patients from January 2021 to April 2021 in Taiyuan, China. Demographic and clinical characteristics, social capital, patient empowerment, and self-management of patients undergoing hemodialysis were measured with a self-reported questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics, and bootstrapping tests were used to verify whether patient empowerment mediated the association of social capital with self-management in patients undergoing hemodialysis. RESULTS: Mediation analysis indicated that social capital and patient empowerment significantly predicted self-management. Patient empowerment partially mediated the relationship between social capital and self-management in hemodialysis patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that hemodialysis patients show relatively poor self-management and that patient empowerment mediates both social capital and self-management. Strategies to mobilize patients’ social networks and help them identify and utilize effective social resources may provide useful information regarding the implementation of optimal health management for their disease.