Abstract
Background and Objectives: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis (HD) are at high risk for malnutrition. This study aimed to 1) Investigate the prevalence of malnutrition among CKD patients undergoing maintenance HD; 2) Assess level of knowledge and appetite among patients; 3) Identify potential predictors of malnutrition. Methods and Study Design: This cross-sectional study included 71 CKD patients on HD who were recruited from two principal outpatient dialysis centers located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire which included sociodemographic and health characteristics, nutritional status (assessed using the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment [PG-SGA]), biochemical data, nutritional knowledge, and appetite status (assessed using Council of Nutrition Appetite Questionnaire [CNAQ]). Results: Forty-four percent of patients included in this study were malnourished, and over half of the patients had limited nutritional knowledge and appetite. Hemoglobin level and the CNAQ score were found to be independently negatively associated with the PG-SGA score (B: -1.03 [95% confidence interval (CI): -1.99, 0.08] and B: -0.37 [95% CI: -0.64, -0.11], respectively). Conclusions: Renal healthcare professionals should assess the nutritional status of HD patients and identify barriers to adequate nutrition. Patients with poor appetite should specifically be targeted for nutrition-focused evaluation and management.