Received Self-Care Support and Psychosocial Health Among Older Adults with Non-Dialysis-Dependent Chronic Kidney Disease.

Older age is linked with poorer self-care in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) setting. Informal health supporters (family members and friends) are critical sources of self-care support, but much remains unclear about the characteristics and implications of received support among this patient population. We examined how received self-care support (amount and type) related to positive (CKD management self-efficacy) and negative (depressive symptoms) psychosocial health correlates of self-care in 536 adults aged 65 years and older with non-dialysis-dependent CKD. Participants who received a greater amount of support reported less CKD management self-efficacy and more depressive symptoms. We did not observe associations between self-care support type and psychosocial health. Further research is needed to clarify our findings, especially studies that investigate causality and contextual influences.

Duke Scholars

Author Christopher Barrett Bowling Medicine, Geriatrics and Palliative Care

Author Jane Frances Pendergast Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Division of Biostatistics