ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the retention effects of an individualized dietary education program for hemodialysis patients on diet knowledge, diet self-care compliance, and physiological indices, thus to find the most effective time period for re-education. Method: This study utilized one-group repeated pretest-posttest design. The participants were 52 hemodialysis patients in C hospital, Gyeonggi-Do. Data were collected at 4 and 12 weeks after the education from January through April 2016. RESULTS: There was significant increases in diet knowledge even 12 weeks after the education (p=.007). Diet self-care compliance showed a significant increase at 4 weeks (p=.001), but a decrease at 12 weeks after the education. The level of blood natrium was significantly decreased between 4 and 12 weeks after the education (p=.006). The weight was significantly decreased at 12 weeks after the education. CONCLUSION: It has been identified that re-education for hemodialysis patients should be implemented between 4 and 12 weeks after education in order to maintain patients' diet self-care compliance, an ultimate aim of diet education. By helping them with their self-care compliance, the patients would maintain their physical and psychological function optimally, thus contributing to a better quality of life among hemodialysis patients.