Effects of Dietary Counseling Strategies to Improve Nutritional Status of Hemodialysis Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Objective:  Malnutrition is a major concern for CKD patients. Patients on dialysis with severe malnutrition have a higher risk of mortality. The objective of this study was to explore the impact of two different nutritional strategies for improving nutritional status and dietary knowledge of hemodialysis patients.

Methodology: This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Shifa International Hospital Islamabad from Jan 2022 to July 2022. A total of 54 participants were enrolled and divided into two groups and received counseling for 2 months fortnightly. Measurement was taken on three occasions, namely, at baseline, after 2 months, and after 4 months.

Results: Moreover, this study has established there was an improvement in nutritional knowledge post-intervention, with 67% of Group A and 66% of Group B showing a good understanding of dietary restrictions. There was a rise in albumin and reduction in the levels of potassium in the two groups after counseling.

Conclusion: Dietary counseling therefore enhanced nutritional knowledge and improved nutritional status in hemodialysis patients. These findings underscore the importance of nutrition education in the management of CKD and have implications for the development of tailored nutrition counseling programs.

Keywords: Hemodialysis, Nutritional Knowledge, Restrictions