Open AccessThe Associations between the Family Education and Mortality of Patients on Peritoneal Dialysis
Author(s) -
Zhikai Yang,
Qingfeng Han,
Tao Zhu,
Ye-Ping Ren,
Jianghua Chen,
Hongxia Zhao,
Menghua Chen,
Jie Dong,
Yue Wang,
Chuan Ming Hao,
Rui Zhang,
Xiao-Hui Zhang,
Mei Wang,
Na Tian,
Haiyan Wang
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0095894
Subject(s) - medicine , hazard ratio , socioeconomic status , peritoneal dialysis , peritonitis , proportional hazards model , spouse , confidence interval , demography , population , environmental health , sociology , anthropology
Aims To investigate whether education level of family members predicts all-cause and cardiovascular death and initial-episode peritonitis in patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). Methods A total of 2264 patients on chronic PD were collected from seven centers affiliated with the Socioeconomic Status on the Outcome of Peritoneal Dialysis (SSOP) Study. All demographic, socioeconomic and laboratory data of patients and the education level of all family members were recorded at baseline. Multivariate Cox regression was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and initial-episode peritonitis with adjustments for recognized traditional factors. Results There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between patients with (n = 1752) and without (n = 512) complete education information. According to the highest education level of patients' family, included 1752 patients were divided into four groups, i.e. elementary or lower (15%), middle (27%), high (24%) and more than high school (34%). The family highest education (using elementary school or lower group as reference, hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval of middle school group, high school group and more than high school group was 0.68[0.48–0.96], 0.64[0.45–0.91], 0.66[0.48–0.91], respectively) rather than their average education level or patients' or spouse's education was significantly associated with the higher mortality. Neither patients' nor family education level did correlate to the risk for cardiovascular death or initial-episode peritonitis. Conclusions Family members' education level was found to be a novel predictor of PD outcome. Family, as the main source of health care providers, should be paid more attention in our practice.