The effect of education of health promotion behaviors on quality of life in hemodialysis patients

Background: Today more than ever, the importance of health promoting behaviors is considered. Maintaining the function, independence and increasing the quality of life of chronic patients such as hemodialysis patients is influenced by health promoting behaviors. The current study was conducted to determine the effect of education of health promoting behaviors on the quality of life in hemodialysis patients.

Methods: In the current quasi-experimental study, 70 hospitalized patients were selected through convenient sampling in hemodialysis wards of two Therapeutic-Educational Centers in Hamadan in 2014. Then, the subjects were randomly allocated into two intervention and control groups of 35 persons. In intervention group, 6 educational sessions were held during the hemodialysis. Quality of life of patients in two groups was measured through Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index-dialysis version before and three months after the intervention. Data were analyzed in SPSS 16, and using chi-square test, independent T-test and paired-T test.

Results: In intervention group, the mean score of quality of life after intervention was changed from 18.85±5.4 to 20.11±5.46 (p<0.001) and in control group from 19.41±4.67 to 18.39±4.10 (p=0.08). After intervention, quality of life of patients in intervention group was increased in health and functioning domain (18.6±5.7) (p<0.001) and was increased in psychological/spiritual domain to 19.3±7.02 (p=0.041).

Conclusion: Education of health-promoting behaviors improved the quality of life of hemodialysis patients. Therefore, according to chronic nature of disease, the education of these behaviors can be effective in improving the quality of life.