Objectives: As professional medical caregivers, nurses have extensive medical knowledge and information
than general population. However, they may use their professional knowledge and networks to seek prompt
health services. In this study, we aimed to determine susceptibility of nurses with diabetes to developing
end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis compared to diabetes patients in the general population.
Methods: This retrospective longitudinal study extracted data of nurses with newly diagnosed diabetes and
general patients with diabetes from the National Health Insurance Database between 1998 and 2006 and
follow-up to December 2009, satisfied the participant inclusion criteria was 518,058. Nurses and general
population were matched with propensity score method in a 1:10 ratio. Basic characteristics and health status
were similar between groups. Cox proportional hazards model was used to compare relative risks and
dialysis factors between groups.
Results: Nurses were younger than general population with diabetes (42.01 years vs. 59.29 years) and had
lower risk of dialysis (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.16-0.81). Nurses with Diabetes
Complications Severity Index (DCSI)≧3 had dialysis risk up to 83.53 times higher than that of the
reference group (DCSI < 3). DCSI was the only variable determined to be a related factor affecting dialysis
risk in nurses with diabetes.
Conclusions: Nurses with diabetes have lower risk of dialysis. This suggests that nurses may have more
knowledge regarding chronic disease control and change their lifestyles than general diabetes patients. Results
of this study may serve as a reference for developing health education.
