The intervention study was conducted from 2015 to 2016, and the statistical analyses reflect this specific intervention phase. A total of 120 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. Baseline assessments included physical indicators (such as body mass index, waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure) and clinical biomarkers (BUN, creatinine, HbA1C, and Modification of Diet in Renal Disease \[MDRD\]).
The Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) model was utilized to determine whether outcome variables (healthy lifestyle, stage of change, and quality of life) differed across time between the experimental and control groups. To control for potential confounding effects, specific variables, including the comorbidity index and helping relationships from significant others, were pre-specified to be included as covariates for adjustment in the GEE model.
