Perceptions on Adherence to Dietary Prescriptions for Adults with Chronic Kidney Disease on Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study

Diet is one of the modifiable lifestyle factors in management of kidney disease. We explored perceptions on adherence to dietary prescriptions for adults with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. This was a qualitative descriptive study. Participants were purposively selected at renal clinics/dialysis units at national referral hospitals in Kenya. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, note-taking and voice-recording. The data were managed and analyzed thematically in NVIV0-12 computer software. Study participants were 52 patients and 40 family caregivers (42 males and 50 females) aged 20 to 69 years. Six sub-themes emerged in this study: &ldquo
perceived health benefits&rdquo
&ldquo
ease in implementing prescribed diets&rdquo
cost of prescribed renal diets&rdquo
nutrition information and messages&rdquo
transition to new diets&rdquo
and &ldquo
fear of complications/severity of disease&rdquo
Both patients and caregivers acknowledged the health benefits of adherence to diet prescriptions. However, there are mixed messages to the patients and caregivers who have challenges with management and acceptability of the prescriptions. Most of them make un-informed dietary decisions that lead to consumption of unhealthy foods with negative outcomes such as metabolic waste accumulation in the patients&rsquo
bodies negating the effects of dialysis and undermining the efforts of healthcare system in management of patients with chronic kidney disease.