The Effect of Home-Based Walking on Symptoms and Health Profile of Hemodialysis Patients

Summary

This study aims to evaluate the effect of 8 weeks of home-based moderate-speed walking on hemodialysis symptoms and health profile while patients are receiving hemodialysis treatment.

Due to permanent deterioration in kidney function, patients need hemodialysis treatment, which is the most commonly used treatment method among renal replacement therapies. Hemodialysis treatment causes a series of physical and psychological problems. Problems such as hypotension, headache, nausea, muscle cramps, itching and pain are physical problems, while depression, anxiety, cognitive disorders and stress are psychological problems. In addition, it has been reported that long-term hemodialysis treatment and all the resulting problems increase the tendency to a sedentary lifestyle in this patient group, leading to a decrease in physical function and activity, and indirectly to a low quality of life and low survival rates. For this reason, hemodialysis patients have difficulty meeting their daily activities and needs, and their dependency and healthcare burden increase. Adopting a sedentary lifestyle by these patients prevents them from managing both the physical and psychological problems of hemodialysis and their conditions such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus, and causes the disease to progress. Physical exercises, which are considered among the useful therapeutic suggestions in addition to pharmacological treatments in the management of the negative situations that arise, are considered as an easy, useful and effective intervention method. Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) recommends 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical exercise at least 5 days a week. Additionally, it should not be overlooked that whether patients have places to do physical activity and what their facilities are are a detail that should be questioned by health professionals. Patients without suitable accommodations should be encouraged to engage in physical activity, especially in indoor spaces like home. Home-based walking exercise is known to be easy, inexpensive, and safe, and is also advantageous when the weather is not favorable. When we examined the studies in which home-based walking exercise was performed, it was determined that its effect on functional capacity was generally investigated, but its effect on the health outcomes and symptoms of patients receiving hemodialysis treatment was not evaluated. There was no evidence that home-based walking exercise had any effect on symptoms in patients receiving HD treatment. Therefore, it was planned to conduct a study to evaluate whether home-based walking exercise has an effect on patient health outcomes.

Conditions

• Muscle Cramp
• Hemodialysis
• Vibration
• Stretching

Interventions

OTHER

Group A (Home-based walking)

Verbal and written consent was obtained from patients who met the sampling criteria. At the first meeting, the Dialysis Symptom Index and Nottingham Health Profile will be assessed. Information was given about the pedometer tracking form and things to consider for walking exercises at home. Patients were asked to choose comfortable, lightweight athletic shoes that would hug their feet. The patient will be asked to walk on flat ground at home and wear cotton, non-sweaty clothes. It is necessary to walk forward at a moderate intensity 5 days a week. It will be explained that 6,000 steps should be taken in the first week and increased by 10% the following week. During the hemodialysis session, the tracking form will be checked with the pedometer application on the patient's smartphone. This group of patients will be asked to answer again in the 1st and 2nd months to see the change in the Dialysis Symptom Index and Nottingham Health Profile.

OTHER

Group B (Usual hemodialysis care )

Before starting the study, verbal and written consent will be obtained from patients who meet the sampling criteria. Patient identification forms will be completed. At the initial visit, patients' Dialysis Symptom Index and Nottingham Health Profile will be assessed, and this assessment will be recorded as week 0. Patients will be instructed to record their step count on the pedometer section of their smartphone at the end of each day. During each hemodialysis session, researchers will check the follow-up form using the pedometer application on the patient's smartphone and discuss daily care practices. This group of patients will be asked to answer again in the 1st and 2nd months to see the change in the Dialysis Symptom Index and Nottingham Health Profile.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Figen Akay

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-15

Primary Completion

2026-05-31

Completion

2026-06-30

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations