This study examined, within a theoretical framework derived from Orem Self-Care Deficit theory, the relationships among self-care agency, quality of life and the basic conditioning factors of age, marital status, income, educational level, duration of treatment and infection rate in end stage renal disease patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The purposive sample consisted of 57 patients who underwent CAPD for at least 1 month at the Renal Clinic and Medicine Ward of Songklanagarind Hospital. The self-care agency assessments were obtained by using the appraisal of selfcare agency scales developed Evers et al. Quality of life was measured with the quality of life index developed by Padilla & Grant and later translated and modified by Hanucharurnkul.
The results of this study showed that the subjects reported a high mean score concerning self-care agency and a medium mean score concerning quality of life. The patients reported better quality of life after undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis than before CAPD. Self-care agency was positively correlated with quality of life (r = .38, p < .01). The selected basic conditioning factors of duration of treatment had a significantly positive correlation with self-care agency (r = .27, p < .05), whereas age had a significantly negative correlation with quality of life (r = -.25, p < .05). Marital status and infection rate had a significantly positive correlation with quality of life (r = 28, p < .05).