Religious/spiritual coping in people with chronic kidney disease: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is considered a public health problem due to its high morbidity and mortality rates. Objective: To assess religious/spiritual coping in people with chronic kidney disease as a strategy for coping with the disease. Materials and Methods: This quantitative exploratory resea rch was conducted out in a hemodialysis clinic. The sample consisted of 100 people with chronic kidney disease, undergoing hemodialysis treatment. The study used a socioeconomic demographic questionnaire and the Religious/Spiritual Coping Scale. Results: Altogether, 100 people participated in the study, with a mean age of 55.6 years and predominantly male (58%). Among religious/ spiritual coping variables (positive, negative, total), the mean value of total religious -spiritual coping was the highest. The means of positive and negative coping indicate that the former is more used. Patients whose religion was Candombl & eacute; had higher positive coping, whereas Evangelical patients had higher negative coping, and Spiritists had higher total coping. Discussion: Religious/spiritual coping in the study population was high, demonstrating its importance for coping with chronic kidney disease. Conclusion: The kidney patients who participated in this study were quite adept at using religious/spiritual coping expressively and positively, pointing out the importance of this practice in coping with kidney disease.