The Relationship between the Severity of Constipation and the Quality of Life of Hemodialysis Patients in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province: A Cross-Sectional Study

Patients undergoing hemodialysis have various digestive problems such as constipation, which affects their quality of life. This study was conducted with the aim of determining the relationship between the severity of constipation and the quality of life of hemodialysis patients in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 hemodialysis patients as a census in four teaching hospitals affiliated to Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences in 2021. The research tools included the demographic and clinical characteristics form and laboratory variables, the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) and the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS).

The mean total quality of life of the patients was 38.93±31.213. The relationship between the four subscales of quality of life and the severity of constipation revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation between the quality of life and its subscales with the severity of constipation (p<0.001). There was also a statistically significant relationship between the quality of life and the variable of education and employment status (p<0.001). In addition, there was a statistically significant relationship between the subscale of concern and worry with weight (p=0.028) and between the subscale of satisfaction with hematocrit (p=0.043).

Based on the results of the present study, there is a significant relationship between the quality of life and the severity of constipation and the variables of education and employment status. Also, a significant relationship was observed between the subscale of concern and worry with weight and between the subscales of satisfaction with hematocrit.