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Published on: May 31, 2022
Physical and psychosocial burden experienced by women on maintenance hemodialysis
Sheeba George1, M Nalini2, Sarosh Kumar3
1Govt Nursing College, Kannur, Kerala, India.
Insights
Women on hemodialysis (HD) face significant physical and psychological challenges, impacting their quality of life. This study reveals their struggles with suffering, restricted lives, and social detachment, emphasizing the need for better care.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Women's Health
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence is rising globally, increasing the need for kidney failure treatments like hemodialysis (HD).
- Hemodialysis improves patient health but presents substantial physical and psychological burdens.
- Women undergoing HD experience intensified symptoms, necessitating focused research on their unique health challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the multifaceted health problems experienced by women undergoing maintenance hemodialysis.
- To provide empirical evidence on the specific health concerns affecting female HD patients.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive qualitative design was employed.
- In-depth, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 12 female HD patients in Kerala, India.
- Thematic analysis, following Braun and Clarke's six-step approach, was used to analyze interview data.
Main Results:
- Six major themes emerged: physical suffering, mental agony, restricted life, sexual inactivity, social life breakdown, and financial hardship.
- Twenty subthemes further detailed the complex health issues faced by these women.
- Findings indicate significant impacts across physical, psychological, social, and financial domains.
Conclusions:
- Women on maintenance HD encounter profound health-related issues affecting all life dimensions.
- Patients are characterized as physically vulnerable, psychologically distressed, and socially isolated.
- The study underscores the critical need for comprehensive evaluations and sustained supportive, educational care for female HD patients.
Background:
The global prevalence of chronic kidney disease is growing at an alarming rate, and the number of patients progressing to kidney failure is increasing. A substantial number of patients are undergoing hemodialysis (HD), which improves health and lengthens life. However, it imposes multiple physical and psychological demands on the patients. With the intensity of symptoms being greater among women, a greater focus is needed to obtain empirical evidence regarding the health problems of females receiving HD.
Materials And Methods:
A descriptive qualitative design was used to explore the health problems of women undergoing maintenance HD. The sampling technique used was maximum variation purposive sampling. The data were collected through in-depth face-to-face interviews with 12 female patients attending the dialysis unit of a tertiary care hospital in northern Kerala, South India, using a semi-structured interview guide. The interview was audiotaped, and the participant content was later converted verbatim into English. The content was imported to NVivo and coded. Thematic analysis was performed using Braun and Clarke's six-step approach.
Result:
During data analysis, six major themes and 20 subthemes emerged. The themes include (1) physical suffering, (2) mental agony, (3) restricted life, (4) sexual inactivity, (5) breakdown of social life, and (6) financial hardship.
Conclusion:
Females undergoing maintenance hemodialysis experience significant health-related issues in all major dimensions of health. They are physically vulnerable, psychologically defeated, and socially detached. The study highlights the need for detailed evaluation and consistently supportive and educational care.
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