Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 15, 2025

Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
Relationship between frailty, social support and family functionality of hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional
Diana Gabriela Mendes Dos Santos1, Joice Marques Pallone2, Carlene Souza Silva Manzini3
1MD. Master's Student, Department of Nursing, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), São Carlos (SP), Brazil.
Background:
The population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more predisposed to early development of frailty. Although the concept of frailty is well established from a physical point of view, it is not an exclusively physical syndrome. It can be characterized as an interaction of physical, psychological and social factors.
Objective:
To ascertain the relationship between frailty, social support and family functionality among CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis.
Design And Setting:
Correlational, cross-sectional and quantitative study conducted at a service in the interior of the state of São Paulo.
Methods:
This study included 80 patients with CKD who were on hemodialysis. The participants were interviewed individually, with application of the following instruments: sociodemographic and economic characterization, Tilburg Frailty Indicator, Medical Outcomes Study and Family APGAR. Females and white ethnicity predominated among the participants, and their mean age was 59.63 ± 15.14 years.
Results:
There was high prevalence of frailty (93.8%). Although there was a difference in scores for the dimensions of social support between the frail group and the non-frail group, only family functionality reached a statistically relevant difference. There was a significant correlation between physical frailty, social support and family functionality.
Conclusions:
Presence of frailty is related to the social support and family functionality of patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis.
Related Concept Videos
Hemodialysis III: Nursing Management
Dialysis
Acute kidney injury develops suddenly and can be caused by pre-renal causes (e.g., hypovolemia, shock), intrinsic renal causes (e.g., acute tubular necrosis), or post-renal causes (e.g., urinary obstruction). In contrast, chronic renal failure progresses gradually over time and is often...
Nephrotic Syndrome III : Nursing Management
Hemodialysis I: Introduction
Peritoneal Dialysis III: Nursing Management
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

