ABSTRACT
Background Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are global health concerns, with ESRD requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT). Hemodialysis is a prevalent modality for RRT. However, access to hemodialysis is challenging for rural patients due to geographical barriers and limited nephrology services. This research aims to identify factors influencing adherence to hemodialysis sessions among rural ESRD patients, addressing travel, healthcare infrastructure, and socioeconomic factors. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study of 154 participants was conducted from July 06 to September 10, 2023 at Al-Jaber Dialysis Center in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. It included adult CKD patients on hemodialysis who were interviewed to assess factors influencing hemodialysis adherence using a structured questionnaire. Results Our study assessed hemodialysis adherence in 154 patients in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Gender distribution was nearly equal (male = 54.5%), with the majority aged 41-60, married, and residing in downtown areas. Hypertension (43.9%) and diabetes (32.3%) were the prevalent comorbidities. Most patients received thrice-weekly dialysis (96.15%), with family cars as the primary transportation mode (55.2%). Hypertension (43.3%) and diabetic nephropathy (40.9%) were the leading causes of CKD. Approximately 26% missed dialysis, with health issues and transportation difficulties being common reasons. Notably, adherence correlated with female gender, lower education, and family car transportation mode. Social support significantly influenced adherence, highlighting its importance in maintaining hemodialysis adherence. Conclusion Our study identified various sociodemographic and dialysis-related factors influencing adherence among hemodialysis patients in the Al-Ahsa region, Saudi Arabia. Notably, factors such as gender, education level, and transportation means significantly influenced adherence. Adequate family and social support were associated with better adherence. These findings highlight the importance of tailored interventions addressing these factors to enhance hemodialysis adherence and ultimately improve patient outcomes in this population.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Nutrition threatens the quality of life (QOL) in end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients on haemodialysis (HD). The aim of the study is to assess which nutritional parameters associate with the health-related QOL category score using Arabic translated, adapted, and validated version of the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short-Form 36 (KDQOL-36). METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional study with a total of 60 ESKD patients in one haemodialysis centre in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The health-related QOL of the five components of the KDQOL-36 are as follows: physical component score (PCS), mental component score (MCS), the burden of kidney disease (BKD), symptoms and problems of kidney disease (SPKD), and effects kidney disease (EKD) which were grouped into three categories (good, average and poor) based on the score. RESULTS: Of the 60 HD patients, 43 (71.7%) were between 19 and 59 years old and 41 patients (68.3%) were males. This study revealed that high haemoglobin impact PCS, MCS, SPKD, and EKD in favour of poor health-related QOL, but normal haemoglobin impacts BKD in favour of good QOL. In addition, patients who had a normal serum albumin level had good scores for MCS, BKD, SPKD, and EKD. Also, there was a significant association between Kt/V value with EKD (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: According to the findings of this study, patients with HD have poor health-related QOL outcomes than those with good nutritional status. This finding demonstrates the critical need for further articles to study this particular group of population.
