The Mediating Role of Benefit Finding in the Relationship Between Family Care and Self-Management Behaviors in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of benefit finding on the relationship between family care and self-management behaviors in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to inform improvements in patients' self-management behaviors. This survey was conducted from November 2023 to February 2024 with a cross-sectional design and convenience sampling among patients with chronic kidney disease in a tertiary care hospital in Chengdu City. Participants were prompted to complete a demographic questionnaire, the Family APGAR Index (APGAR), the Benefit Finding Scale (BFS), and the Chronic Disease Self-management Behavior Measuring Scale (CDSMBMS). The analysis of the data was carried out using SPSS 29.0 and AMOS Statistics 28.0. A total of 529 patients were enrolled in this research, with a majority of females (53.1%). The mean total score of CDSMBMS was 19.19 ± 7.54. Family care and benefit finding were significantly positively associated with self-management behaviors (all p < 0.01). In addition, benefit finding fully mediated the association between family care and self-management behaviors (β = 0.258, p = 0.000, 95% CI = 0.184–0.342). Our findings indicate that benefit finding plays a full mediator in the relationship between family care and self-management behaviors among patients with CKD. Thus, healthcare professionals should develop evidence-based interventions in future studies to enhance family care and benefit finding to promote self-management behaviors in people with CKD.