Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Dietary and Physical Activity Behaviors among Hemodialysis Patients Visiting Army Hospitals

Dietary behaviors and physical activity are critical in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and reducing mortality among hemodialysis patients. The predictive ability of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in relation to dietary (sodium and potassium) and physical activity behaviors was assessed among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis at hospitals affiliated with the Iranian Army.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 62 ESRD patients who were undergoing hemodialysis. TPB questionnaires were completed via a face-to-face interview by trained researchers a week prior to the behavior assessment. Self-reported behaviors were then assessed during the weekend. Moreover, dietary sodium and potassium intakes were evaluated using 24-hour dietary recall and further analyzed with Nutritionist 4 software. Hierarchical Multiple Regression (HMR) analyses were performed using SPSS (version 18: IBM corporation).
Findings showed that the TPB explains 26.5% (22.6% adjusted), (P≤0.01), 25.7% (18.1% adjusted), (P≤0.01) and 33.6% (30.0% adjusted), (P≤0.01) of the changes in self-reported sodium restriction, potassium restriction and physical activity performance, respectively. Furthermore, TPB predicted 28.5% (21.8% adjusted), (P≤0.01) and 25.6% (19.3% adjusted), (P≤0.01) of the variances in the dietary intakes of sodium and potassium.
The present study reveals valuable findings in support of applying TPB in hemodialysis patients and paves the way for effective future educational interventions.