Illness Perception for Patients with Chronic Renal Failure

Abstract

Study objectives: This study aims to (1) find out the association between patients' age, years of getting the disease, and their illness perception (2) investigate the differences in illness perception between gender groups, level of education groups, monthly income groups, residence groups and satisfaction with health services groups.

Study Design: A descriptive correlational design was used in this study.

Study Sample: The study sample included a convenience sample of (158) patients with chronic kidney failure.

The study instrument consists of two parts; the first one focuses on participants’ socio demographic characteristics. The second part deals with participants’ illness perception by using the Illness Perception Questionnaire.

Study Results: The study results revealed that the majority of participants held moderate beliefs about the number of symptoms attributed to the illness, the chronicity of the condition, the negative consequences of the illness, and the cyclical nature of the condition. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant difference in the extent of the chronicity of the condition, the negative consequences of the illness, and the cyclical nature of the condition among the level of education groups, and there is a statistically significant difference in illness perception between gender groups.

Conclusions: The lower the level of education, the greater extent of the experienced the chronicity of the condition, the negative consequences of the illness, and the cyclical nature of the condition and the higher the level of the education, the sounder the illness perception. Additionally, furthermore, females have sounder illness perception than males.