Nutrition and lifestyle knowledge, compliance and practices among Lebanese hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Background: CKD is a prevalent non-communicable disease in the world and the Arab region including Lebanon and it can be advanced to ESRD which necessitates either dialysis or kidney transplant. Nutrition plays an essential role in the maintenance and stability of the hemodialysis treatment indicating the importance of compliance to the renal diet. Several factors can affect the compliance level of HD patients and one important factor is Knowledge. Purpose: This study aims to investigate Lebanese HD patients’ knowledge and compliance to dietary guidelines, fluid intake, and attending HD sessions. Methodology: A pilot study conducted on HD patients at the Lebanese American University Medical Center was performed. Three main questionnaires were utilized to collect data which are: End-Stage Renal Disease Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ), Renal Adherence Attitudes Questionnaire (RAAQ), and a questionnaire to gather general info about the patients. Medical files were used to collect data such as gender, age, the number of dialysis sessions attended, medications, and presence of comorbidities. Results: A total of 35 participants were included in the study, with a mean age of 68.71 years. The average score of correct answers to the Knowledge Questionnaire was 6.343. Moreover, the level of compliance was high among the participants. The majority of participants (91.43%) scored between 800-1000, meaning they have a good compliance rate. A significant negative correlation between compliance and intradialytic weight gain was found. Another significant correlation was found between having normal phosphorus values and being a good compliant to the renal diet. Conclusion: There is a relatively high level of compliance among the studied sample and adequate knowledge scores. This study is probably the first one conducted in Lebanon on this topic; therefore, other studies should be carried out to further examine the situation of HD patients in Lebanon.