The Relationship between Hemodialysis Patients’ Fluid Compliance and Related Factors, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.

Introduction and Background: Adherence of hemodialysis (HD) patients to medical instructions is considered crucial for a longer life expectancy and better quality of life. There is solid evidence that nonadherence (NA) of HD patients’ correlates with morbidity and mortality. Despite severe consequences, noncompliance with their medical regimen is the norm for HD patients rather than the exception. NA factors have become one of the top priorities for doctors, healthcare policymakers, and payers alike. Understanding the risk factors for NA is necessary for identifying patients at risk of NA. Factors associated with NA to fluid restriction among HD patients have been explored in many studies; however, most of these were conducted in Western countries and have produced inconsistent results. Regardless the importance of this topic there is remarkable paucity in the studies which identify factors associated with NA to fluid restriction in Saudi Arabia. HD patients are well suited for studying those factors, because they have a number of features that characterizes their lifestyle and put them at an increased risk of NA to fluid restriction including prolonged, intensive treatment and their medical regimens are clear cut and easily determined with objective measures. Objective(s): To determine factors related to NA to fluid restriction among HD patients in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: a cross sectional design in which a sample of 361 HD patients were randomly selected from HD centers in three governmental hospitals in Makkah, individuals were assessed for adherence using the ESRD-AQ questionnaire in addition to clinical examination and laboratory investigation, these methods were used to determine factors related to their NA to fluid restriction. Results: Younger (< 30 years), unmarried, non-Saudis, those with chronic diseases other than hypertension (HTN) & Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and those with long dialysis duration (60+months) were found more likely to be NA to fluid restriction p<0.05. Conclusion: Patients who had factors associated with NA to fluid restriction deserve special attention and support to improve their adherence behavior.