Self-perceptions of aging and associated factors among older patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis: a latent profile analysis

Background Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) were significantly associated with adverse health outcomes in older adults. However, whether SPA among older patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) exhibits distinct latent profiles and what variables are associated with these subgroups remain to be clarified. Objective This study aimed to identify the latent profiles of SPA and examine their related factors among older MHD patients. Methods A secondary analysis was carried out on a cross-sectional study. A convenience sampling method was employed to recruit older MHD patients from four hemodialysis centers in Sichuan Province, China. Data were collected using a demographic information form, the Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ), the Social Frailty Scale (SFS), and the 5-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5). Latent profile analysis was employed to identify distinct subgroups of SPA, and binary logistic regression was adopted to explore factors associated with subgroup membership. Results A total of 381 older MHD patients were included in this study. Two latent profiles were identified and were designated as the “positive self-perceptions of aging group (36.5%)” and “negative self-perceptions of aging group (63.5%).” Age ≤ 70 years was negatively associated with the negative self-perceptions of aging group (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.34–0.93, p = 0.024), while depression (OR = 1.96, 95% CI: 1.15–3.32, p = 0.013) and social frailty (OR = 3.21, 95% CI: 2.00–5.15, p < 0.001) were positively associated with that group. Conclusion A multi-level support system involving healthcare providers, family members, and community resources should be established to address the psychological needs of older MHD patients and mitigate negative perceptions of aging.