AUTHOR=Sharif Nia Hamid , Kohestani Daniyal , Froelicher Erika Sivarajan , Ibrahim Fatima Muhammad , Ibrahim Maryam Mohammad , Bayat Shahparast Fatemeh , Goudarzian Amir Hossein 

TITLE=The Relationship Between Self-Care Behavior and Concerns About Body Image in Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis in Iran

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.825415

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.825415

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background & Aim: Hemodialysis treatment saves the life of people with end-stage renal disease, but does not prevent the suffering of the disease, such as impaired self-care behavior, anxiety, hopelessness, and so on. Many studies have been performed on self-care behaviors as well as body image in different patients, but so far no research has been done to investigate the relationship between self-care behavior and body image concern in hemodialysis patients. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the relationship between self-care behavior and body image concern in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Materials & Methods: The present study is a descriptive-correlation study conducted in 2018.The sample consisted of 280 patients with chronic renal failure who underwent hemodialysis at the Shahrvand Dialysis Center in Sari. Data collection tools were demographic information form and questionnaire. Analysis was performed using SPSS v26, descriptive and analytical statistics.

Results: The results showed that there was a significant inverse relationship between self-care behavior and body image concern (B=-.162, β=-.140, p=.020). Variables of age (B=-.164, β=-.163, p=.07), gender (B=4.169, β=.154, p=.011) and self-care behavior (B =-.162, β=-.140, p=.020) have the ability to predict body image concern in patients undergoing hemodialysis. These variables explain 7.5% of predictors.

Conclusion: By increasing the awareness of nurses in recognizing the factors affecting the mental image of patients undergoing hemodialysis, the concerns of patients can be reduced to some extent. This in turn can lead to improved self-care behaviors and thereby reducing multiple refer patients to medical centers and ultimately lead to lower costs.