Jordanian Dialysis Patients' Perceived Exercise Benefits and Barriers: A correlation study

PURPOSE: To investigate Jordanian end-stage renal disease (ESRD)patients' perceived exercise benefits and barriers, and their correlation with patients' demographic variables and dialysis measures. METHODS: A descriptive correlational study was conducted using cross-sectional survey, using a convenience sample of 190 ESRD dialyzed patients who were recruited from eight hospitals in Jordan. FINDINGS: Participants significantly perceived exercise benefits (M= 2.88/4, SD± .67) higher than barriers (M= 2.66, SD± .62). The most frequent perceived exercise benefits were preventing muscular atrophy and improving mood, whereas tiredness and lower-extremity fatigue were the most frequent exercise barriers. Finally, acceptable values of Cronbach's Alpha were revealed for perceived exercise subscale, barriers subscale, and total scale (α= .88, .81, and .70, respectively). CONCLUSION: Participants focused more on exercise benefits than barriers, and on direct exercise benefits and barriers than the indirect. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results of this study have important implications for the efforts that aim at improving ESRD patients' exercise behaviors.