The relationship between adherence to treatment regimen and prayer in hemodialysis patients

Background and aimAdherence is important for the health and well-being of patients on long-term hemodialysis therapy. Many factors such as spirituality and prayer have been hypothesized to have an effect on adherence in these patients. Therefore the aim of this study was to determine relationship between adherence and prayer in hemodialysis patients.Materials and methodsA descriptive - correlational, cross-sectional design was used in this study. Two hundred patients with renal failure on hemodialysis, being treated at educational centers of Iran University of medical sciences, participated in the study. The subjects were selected by census method. Data were collected using the Adapted Prayer Scale (APS) based on Poloma and Pendleton’s (1991) prayer scale, a demographic form and reviewing medical charts. Validity of the questionnaire was determined by content validity method and reliability of this instrument was demonstrated by a Cronbach’s alpha (r = 0.80). The data were analyzed by SPSS-14.Findings Overall patients had dietary and medication adherence (> 50%). But less than half had compliance to fluid restriction (44%). Many of them used prayer (62%). There were relationship between blood urea nitrogen and intra-dialytic weight gain with prayer p<0.05). But, prayer was not correlated with potassium and phosphorus (p>0.05).ConclusionThis study indicated the association between dietary and fluid adherence with prayer. Therefore nurses and health worker for should encourage patients to practice prayer to improve adherence and quality of life.