Nutritional knowledge and related factors among hemodialysis patients: A systematic review

This systematic review aimed to examine the nutritional knowledge and related factors among hemodialysis patients. An exhaustive and methodical exploration was conducted across various global electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science, as well as Persian electronic databases like Iranmedex and the Scientific Information Database. This search utilized keywords derived from Medical Subject Headings, specifically “knowledge”, “hemodialysis”, and “nutrition”, spanning from the inception of these databases until March 25, 2024. The quality of the studies incorporated into this systematic review was assessed utilizing the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS tool). In total, 721 hemodialysis patients in eight cross-sectional studies. Among the participants, 61.70% were male. The participants had a mean age of 55.03 (standard deviation [SD]=14.06) years. The studies incorporated in this systematic review were conducted in various countries: United Kingdom (n=2), India (n=2), Italy (n=1), Iran (n=1), Greece (n=1), and a joint study from Turkey and Finland (n=1). The nutritional knowledge among hemodialysis patients was 47.79 out of 100. This score indicates a suboptimal level of knowledge in this area. Factors including education level, attitude, practice, family income per month, and diet counseling were related to the nutritional knowledge of hemodialysis patients. Consequently, by focusing more on factors associated with nutritional knowledge such as the level of education, attitude, practice, monthly family income, and dietary counseling, policymakers and healthcare administrators can enhance the nutritional understanding of patients undergoing hemodialysis.