Abstract
Objective: To assess the effects of a group nutrition education program (GNEP) on nutrition knowledge, nutrition status, and quality of life in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Design: A 5-month study of patients on HD receiving group nutrition education compared to a control group of HD patients receiving individualized monthly nutrition counseling. Pre-study and post-study, participants completed a questionnaire that assessed nutrition knowledge and solicited demographic data and the Medical Outcomes Trust Short Form 36 Quality of Life Health Survey (SF-36). Laboratory test results for albumin, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium levels were recorded pre-study and post-study along with dry weight and fluid gains. Setting: Two free-standing dialysis centers that treated approximately 40 to 75 patients daily. Patients: Eighty-seven chronic HD patients (group education: n = 53, control: n = 34) who had been on dialysis an average of 23 months. Interventions: The GNEP teaching and support program consisted of five monthly 45-minute sessions conducted with nine groups of 7 to 10 HD patients seated in the same area while undergoing their HD treatment. A standardized format was used for each session. Main Outcome Measured: Changes in pre-study and post-study nutrition knowledge, nutrition status as indicated by laboratory values, and quality of life as assessed through the SF-36. Results: Patients in both groups had significantly improved albumin levels from pre-study to post-study. Nutrition knowledge scores improved in the GNEP cohort, but not at a statistically significant level. The GNEP had significantly improved composite scores on the SF-36 from pre-assessment to post-assessment. There were no significant differences between the control and GNEP cohort in any of the parameters measured. Conclusions: Group education may be an effective as well as efficient method for providing nutrition education to HD patients.
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