Coping strategies used by patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis in Taiwan

Abstract

Coping has been implicated in health outcomes through a process of adaptation. The purpose of this study was to describe the coping strategies used by 37 patients undergoing Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis treatment in Taiwan. The Jalowiec Coping Scale was used to measure the use and effect of patients' coping styles. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Seven commonly used coping strategies and three never used coping strategies were reported. Subjects also reported six not helpful coping strategies. Results of t-tests indicated that there was a significant difference (p < .05) between those with a supportive person and those without. Several significant correlations (p < .05) were found between coping styles and demographic factors. Finally, the results of 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed a significant difference (p < .05) in the main effect of support, gender, and interaction in total effect of the Jalowiec Coping Scale.