Effectiveness of Intradialytic Leg Exercise on Fatigue and Activities of Daily Living Among Hemodialysis Patients: A Quasi-Experimental Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53926/YNJR/0023Keywords:
Intradialytic exercise, hemodialysis, fatigue, activities of daily living, chronic kidney disease, FACIT-F scale, KATZ index, nursing interventionAbstract
Background: Fatigue is among the most prevalent and debilitating symptoms experienced by patients undergoing hemodialysis, significantly compromising their activities of daily living (ADL) and overall quality of life. Intradialytic exercise has been proposed as a safe, cost-effective non-pharmacological intervention; however, evidence regarding the simultaneous impact on both fatigue and ADL in the Indian clinical context remains limited.
Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of intradialytic leg exercise on fatigue and ADL among hemodialysis patients and to determine the correlation between fatigue and ADL after the intervention.
Methods: A quasi-experimental, non-randomized control group design was employed. Fifty-four adult hemodialysis patients from selected hospital, Lucknow, India, were allocated to experimental (n = 27) and control (n = 27) groups via purposive sampling. The intervention consisted of structured intradialytic leg exercises (stretching, flexion, extension, and rotation) performed during the first hour of each dialysis session for 30 minutes, twice weekly over two weeks. Fatigue was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Fatigue (FACIT-F) Scale (Version 4), and ADL was measured using the KATZ Index of Independence. Paired and unpaired t-tests and Pearson’s correlation coefficient were applied for statistical analysis.
Results: Following the intervention, the experimental group demonstrated a significant improvement in fatigue levels, with the mean FACIT-F score increasing from 31.85 (SD = 6.96) pre-intervention to 44.70 (SD = 9.04) post-intervention (mean difference = 12.74; t = 16.02; p < 0.05). The mean ADL score also improved from 3.66 to 4.11 in the experimental group, although the difference was not statistically significant. A strong positive correlation was observed between post-test fatigue and ADL scores in both the experimental (r = 0.82, p < 0.001) and control (r = 0.92, p < 0.001) groups.
Conclusion: A two-week intradialytic leg exercise programme significantly reduced fatigue among hemodialysis patients without adverse events, underscoring its value as a structured nursing intervention. The strong correlation between fatigue and ADL highlights the necessity of addressing fatigue to preserve functional independence in this population.
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