Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding malnutrition amongst patients with chronic kidney disease in China: A qualitative study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be complicated by malnutrition, which has adverse implications on patients’ health outcomes and quality of life. CKD patients from different sociocultural contexts may have varying perceptions of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of malnutrition. However, information on the perception of malnutrition in patients with CKD is limited. This study aimed to explore and describe the knowledge, attitude, and practice of patients with CKD disease regarding malnutrition. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative-descriptive design was used. Thirteen participants were selected through a purposive sampling technique among malnourished CKD patients from a hospital in Xi’an Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine between November 2022 and January 2023. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews until data saturation. All participants were informed about the study. Data obtained were analyzed by content analysis. RESULTS: Three main categories and seven subcategories were extracted from the data analysis: 1) knowledge (basic knowledge acquisition and understanding, knowledge misconceptions, and confusion, nutrition knowledge, and culture collision); 2) attitude (negative attitudes and adverse situations, positive attitude and self-awareness); 3) practice (disadvantageous and passive practice, favorable practice). CONCLUSION: This study provided insight into the knowledge, attitude, and practice of malnutrition in patients with CKD. Our findings can serve as important baseline data for the development of future interventions that can help reduce the risk of malnutrition, slow disease progression, and improve the quality of life in patients with CKD.

Keywords

• attitude
• chronic kidney disease
• knowledge
• malnutrition
• practice
• qualitative study