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The following is a summary of “Self-efficacy, social support and oral health-related quality of life in patients with kidney transplantation and under hemodialysis,” published in the December 2024 issue of Nephrology by Ernst et al. 

Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study to compare self-efficacy, social support, oral hygiene-related self-efficacy (OHRSE), and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) between chronic hemodialysis (HD), kidney transplant (KTx) patients, and a healthy comparison group (HC).  

They recruited patients with HD during outpatient therapy, patients who underwent KTx during maintenance appointments, and HC during dental check-ups. Self-efficacy, OHRSE, social support (F-SozU-K14), and OHRQo (OHIP-G5) were assessed using validated questionnaires administered by 1 experienced dentist. 

The results showed that 44 HD, 40 KTx, and 45 patients with HC were included, with comparable age and gender distribution (P > 0.05). Patients with HD had a higher OHIP-G5 (1.5 [IQR: 0–3]) than KTx (0 [0–0.5]; P < 0.01), and KTx had a higher score than HC (0 [0–3]; P < 0.01). Patients with HD showed lower OHRSE, tooth-brushing, interdental-cleaning, and dental-visit self-efficacy than HC (P < 0.01), and lower scores than KTx (P < 0.01). KTx had lower interdental-cleaning self-efficacy (P < 0.01) and sum score (P = 0.02) than HC. General self-efficacy was similar across all groups (P = 0.19). F-SozU-K14 scores were higher in KTx (65.40 ± 5.33) than HD (60.95 ± 9.28) and HC (61.71 ± 9.24; P = 0.03). A significant association between F-SozU-K14 and OHIP-G5 was found only in the KTx group (P = 0.05). 

Investigators found that patients with HD had lower OHRSE and slightly reduced OHRQoL compared to patients with KTx. They suggested that dental care for patients with HD should focus more on improving OHRSE and OHRQoL. 

Source: bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-024-03889-0