Relationship between fatigue symptoms and subjective and objective indicators in hemodialysis patients

The purpose of the study was to investigate the major factors affecting fatigue symptoms and to examine the relationships between fatigue symptoms and subjective and objective indicators in patients on hemodialysis (HD).

Patients on HD who met the inclusion criteria were chosen from two grade A tertiary general hospitals by convenience sampling and cross-sectional survey methods.

A total of 511 patients were included in the study. The morbidity rate of fatigue in patients on HD was 61.6%, and the median fatigue level was 3.91. Fatigue and subjective indicators showed a mild-moderate relationship (0.3 < all |r| < 0.6, all P < 0.001), whereas a weak correlation was found between fatigue and objective indicators (all |r| < 0.2, all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that subjective indicators, including employment, exercise time, appetite, the vitality of 36-item Short Form Health Survey, perceived social support, intrafamilial support, cramping, headache, chest tightness, and whole-body pain, as well objective indicator, such as serum intact parathyroid hormone levels, were the influence factors of fatigue in patients on HD.

The prevalence of fatigue symptoms was high and the level of fatigue was moderate in patients on HD. Subjective and objective indicators can both affect fatigue symptoms in patients on HD.