Libyan Journal of Medicine (Dec 2024)

Factors influencing fatigue among patients undergoing hemodialysis: a multi-center cross-sectional study

  • Bushra Alshammari,
  • Sameer A. Alkubati,
  • Awatif Alrasheeday,
  • Eddieson Pasay-An,
  • J. Silvia Edison,
  • Norah Madkhali,
  • Ahmed K. Al-Sadi,
  • Maha Salem Altamimi,
  • Sahar Obeid Alshammari,
  • Areej A. Alshammari,
  • Farhan Alshammari

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/19932820.2023.2301142
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19, no. 1

Abstract

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ABSTRACTFatigue has been reported to be the most common symptom experienced by patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) therapy. Fatigue can lead to a reduction in their ability to engage in both routine and self-care activities, which can negatively affect their self-confidence and quality of life. This study aimed to determine the level of fatigue and the factors that affecting its level among patients receiving uHD. Methods: A cross-sectional design was utilized to explore the level of fatigue among patients receiving maintenance HD using the Mul-tidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) scale. Data were collected from four dialysis centers in two Saudi Arabia cities, Hail and Al-Qassim, between January 2022 and October 2022. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 236 patients. Older patients, male patients, and retired pa-tients reported significantly higher levels of fatigue (p < 0.001). In contrast, marital status, educational level, and financial status did not significantly affect the level of fatigue among patients (p = 0.193, 0.285, and 0.126, respectively). Patients who had seven or more dependents reported more fatigue than those who had lower levels of fatigue or who did not have dependents (p = 0.004). In addition, patients who had a regular exercise regimen reported significantly lower fatigue than those who did not have an exercise regimen (p = 0.011). Multiple linear regression demonstrated that employment status (student), comorbidity condition (one chronic disease), dialysis duration, satisfaction with dialysis time, and dialysis time were found to affect the fatigue scores (R2 = 0.302, p ˂ 0.001). Conclusion: The findings of this study gives a broader understanding of factors influencing fatigue among patients with HD that will help to develop strategies of more focused interventions to reduce fatigue among patients with HD.

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