Relationship between Family Functioning and Self-Care in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis Treatment

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease is a growing public health problem with a high mortality rate. Patients undergoing hemodialysis face physical, emotional, and social challenges, highlighting the importance of understanding how family functionality influences their self-care agency. Objective: To describe and correlate family functionality and self-care among hemodialysis patients at a secondary-level hospital. Materials and Methods: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational research. The study population consisted of 60 users, i.e., all patients treated at the hemodialysis service of the Isidro Ayora General Hospital in Loja, Ecuador. To analyze family and self-care functionality, the Family APGAR and the ASA Self-Care Agency Assessment scales were used. Spearman’s Rho was used to determine the relationship between the two variables. Results: 58 % of participants had normal family functioning, while 42 % had dysfunction (30 % mild, 7 % moderate, and 5 % severe). In terms of self-care, 67 % showed a high level, 32 % a medium level, and 1 % a low level. There is a strong positive relationship between family functioning and self-care (r = 0.743, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Self-care is related to functional family environments, so it is necessary to develop nursing interventions focused on education and strengthening family support networks. The cross-sectional design of the study was a limitation in establishing causality and changes over time, an aspect that should be considered in future research.