Effectiveness of an Educational Intervention on Patients' Knowledge of Dietary Management during Maintenance Hemodialysis

Abstract

Background: Dietary management is a crucial aspect to take into account for patients with end-stage renal disease who are on maintenance haemodialysis. Additionally, Nutrition education and services can contribute to slowing or postponing the advancement of chronic kidney disease and assisting in the management of haemodialysis patients. Objectives: The current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on haemodialysis patients' knowledge about dietary management. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted at the haemodialysis unit of Al Zahraa Teaching Hospital in Wasit Governorate, Iraq, from October 15th, 2023, to April 15th, 2024. A non-probability (purposive) sample comprises 70 patients undergoing maintenance haemodialysis who were divided randomly into a study group and a control group. The study instrument was a questionnaire that consisted of demographic data, clinical information, and the Scale for Dietary Knowledge in Haemodialysis Patients (SDKHP) to evaluate patients' knowledge about dietary management. The descriptive data were analysed by frequency, mean, and percentage. Inferential data were analysed by the Mann-Whitney U test, the Wilcoxon signed rank test, and the Kruskal-Wahllis test. Results: The findings of the study demonstrated that patients have poor knowledge about dietary management in the pretest for the study and control groups at the mean score (0.33±0.31, 0.31±0.30). While there was an improvement in knowledge of study groups at the post-test (0.81±0.17), with a highly significant difference between the pre- and post-test at a p-value ≤ 0.000. Conclusion: It is concluded that the application of an educational intervention through lecture, discussion, and booklet administration significantly enhanced the maintenance of haemodialysis patients' knowledge of dietary management. Recommendation: It is recommended to provide flyers, audiovisuals, posters, and booklets related to dietary management to the patient's undergoing haemodialysis and their caregivers.