Abstract

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) a raising global pandemic known to cause psychological dysfunction but not well studied. The purpose of this study was to measure the influence of illness perception and religious coping strategies on patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to identify direct or indirect predictors of religious coping on illness perception and HRQoL of ESRD patients. This study involved 274 patients with ESRD who were on chronic maintenance dialysis. Test instruments used included Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R) to measure patients’ perception towards the illness, Religious Coping Strategies questionnaire (RCS) to determine patients' nature of religious coping and Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire to measure their HRQoL. Results showed that almost all components of illness perception and religious coping strategies were significantly correlated with HRQoL in both aspects of physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS). In addition, the findings showed religious coping as a mediator between several illness perception components namely timeline, illness coherence, personal control, consequences and cyclical with PCS and MCS. Attention should be given especially to illness perception and positive religious coping variables in any intervention program to improve the HRQoL of ESRD patients.

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