Sense of coherence and life satisfaction: patient and spousal adaptation to home dialysis.

OBJECTIVE

This research examined the adaptation of 24 male patients and their spouses to end-stage renal disease and home/self-care dialysis. The research was conceptualized within the T-Double ABCX Model. Selected predictors included sense of coherence (SOC) (the degree to which one feels confident that life's challenges will be comprehensible, manageable, and worthy of a commitment of self), age, and socioeconomic status (SES).

SETTING

Eleven of the 22 dialysis centers in the province of Ontario, Canada were invited to participate. Of these 11, seven agreed to participate.

SAMPLE

Twenty-eight couples who were using home PD.

DESIGN

A descriptive, correlational research design was used with data collected by mailed survey.

METHOD

Adaptation, the health outcome of interest, was measured using perceived satisfaction with life (SWL).

RESULTS

There was a large, positive relationship between patients' and spouses' SOC and adaptation. However, further analyses challenged the construct validity of the SOC instrument. A small, positive relationship was found between age and adaptation.

CONCLUSION

Further research regarding the SOC is required prior to use in nursing practice.