The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Chronic kidney disease frequently progresses to end-stage renal disease, requiring dialysis, which imposes significant physical, psychological, and social burdens. Age is a key factor influencing symptom experience and quality of life in dialysis patient...

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Main Authors: Leszek Sułkowski, Andrzej Matyja, Maciej Matyja
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Medicina
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1295
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author Leszek Sułkowski
Andrzej Matyja
Maciej Matyja
author_facet Leszek Sułkowski
Andrzej Matyja
Maciej Matyja
author_sort Leszek Sułkowski
collection DOAJ
description <i>Background and Objectives:</i> Chronic kidney disease frequently progresses to end-stage renal disease, requiring dialysis, which imposes significant physical, psychological, and social burdens. Age is a key factor influencing symptom experience and quality of life in dialysis patients, yet findings on its impact remain mixed. This study aimed to examine how age relates to a broad range of health domains—including fatigue, pain, cognition, mental health, sexual satisfaction, bowel control, visual impairment, social support, and quality of life—among hemodialysis patients. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> A cross-sectional study was conducted at a single dialysis center in Poland, involving 79 adult patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Standardized, validated psychometric instruments were used, including the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ), Pain Effects Scale (PES), Mental Health Inventory (MHI), Modified Social Support Survey (MSSS), Sexual Satisfaction Scale (SSS), Bowel Control Scale (BWCS), Impact of Visual Impairment Scale (IVIS), and WHOQOL-BREF for quality of life. Spearman’s or Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to evaluate relationships between age and scale scores. Full and abbreviated versions of scales were also compared. <i>Results:</i> Age showed moderate positive correlations with fatigue (ρ = 0.44–0.53), cognitive deficits (ρ = 0.37–0.45), pain (r = 0.41), bowel control issues (ρ = 0.32), and visual impairment (ρ = 0.37), all statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.01). No significant associations were observed between age and mental health (MHI), perceived social support (MSSS), or quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF). Abbreviated versions of the scales showed strong correlations with their full versions (ρ > 0.9). <i>Conclusions:</i> While age is linked to increased symptom burden in select domains such as cognition, fatigue, and pain, it does not significantly affect mental health, perceived social support, or overall quality of life in hemodialysis patients. These findings support the use of age-sensitive, multidimensional assessments to inform individualized care strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-7a831e76020c4e2e8ebda52fd78b96242025-08-20T03:36:14ZengMDPI AGMedicina1010-660X1648-91442025-07-01617129510.3390/medicina61071295The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional StudyLeszek Sułkowski0Andrzej Matyja1Maciej Matyja2Department of General Surgery, Regional Specialist Hospital, 42-218 Częstochowa, Poland2nd Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Kraków, Poland2nd Department of General Surgery, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 30-688 Kraków, Poland<i>Background and Objectives:</i> Chronic kidney disease frequently progresses to end-stage renal disease, requiring dialysis, which imposes significant physical, psychological, and social burdens. Age is a key factor influencing symptom experience and quality of life in dialysis patients, yet findings on its impact remain mixed. This study aimed to examine how age relates to a broad range of health domains—including fatigue, pain, cognition, mental health, sexual satisfaction, bowel control, visual impairment, social support, and quality of life—among hemodialysis patients. <i>Materials and Methods:</i> A cross-sectional study was conducted at a single dialysis center in Poland, involving 79 adult patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis. Standardized, validated psychometric instruments were used, including the Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS), Perceived Deficits Questionnaire (PDQ), Pain Effects Scale (PES), Mental Health Inventory (MHI), Modified Social Support Survey (MSSS), Sexual Satisfaction Scale (SSS), Bowel Control Scale (BWCS), Impact of Visual Impairment Scale (IVIS), and WHOQOL-BREF for quality of life. Spearman’s or Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to evaluate relationships between age and scale scores. Full and abbreviated versions of scales were also compared. <i>Results:</i> Age showed moderate positive correlations with fatigue (ρ = 0.44–0.53), cognitive deficits (ρ = 0.37–0.45), pain (r = 0.41), bowel control issues (ρ = 0.32), and visual impairment (ρ = 0.37), all statistically significant (<i>p</i> < 0.01). No significant associations were observed between age and mental health (MHI), perceived social support (MSSS), or quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF). Abbreviated versions of the scales showed strong correlations with their full versions (ρ > 0.9). <i>Conclusions:</i> While age is linked to increased symptom burden in select domains such as cognition, fatigue, and pain, it does not significantly affect mental health, perceived social support, or overall quality of life in hemodialysis patients. These findings support the use of age-sensitive, multidimensional assessments to inform individualized care strategies.https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1295agingchronic kidney disease (CKD)cognitive impairmentcross-sectional studyfatiguehemodialysis
spellingShingle Leszek Sułkowski
Andrzej Matyja
Maciej Matyja
The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Medicina
aging
chronic kidney disease (CKD)
cognitive impairment
cross-sectional study
fatigue
hemodialysis
title The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_full The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_fullStr The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_short The Role of Age in Shaping Cognitive, Physical, and Psychosocial Outcomes in Hemodialysis Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
title_sort role of age in shaping cognitive physical and psychosocial outcomes in hemodialysis patients a cross sectional study
topic aging
chronic kidney disease (CKD)
cognitive impairment
cross-sectional study
fatigue
hemodialysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/61/7/1295
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