Pilot Intervention for Mindful Drinking and Eating for Patients on Hemodialysis with Fluid Restrictions: Lessons Learned.

Patients requiring hemodialysis would benefit from evidence-based strategies that improve adherence to fluid restrictions while concurrently improving quality of life (QOL). This pilot study examined the effect of a four-week mindful drinking and eating intervention on interdialytic weight gain and QOL in patients on hemodialysis. Using paired t tests, no significant differences from pre- to post-test were found in interdialytic weight gain, a measure of fluid restriction adherence, or QOL in either the intervention (n = 18) or wait list control (n = 19) group. However, there was positive qualitative feedback from participants in exit interviews, and there were other indications of feasibility (low drop out, engagement in at-home practice according to weekly checklists). Lessons learned from this pilot study about conducting research regarding fluid restrictions for patients on hemodialysis are presented.

Quality of Life after Dietary Self-Management Intervention for Persons with Early Stage CKD.

Dietary recommendations that potentially delay the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) can be perceived as restrictive and unpalatable, negatively impacting quality of life (QOL). This pilot study examined the effect of a six-week small group intervention, "Self-Management of Dietary Intake Using Mindful Eating," on QOL, health literacy, and dietary self-efficacy among persons with CKD Stages 1-3. Improvements (n=19) were found from pre-test to post-test in total scores for Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form-36 (p=0.003), health literacy (p=0.001), and self-efficacy (p=0.003). The intervention had promising results for improving both diet management and QOL, which supports further testing in randomized control trials.

Self-management of dietary intake using mindful eating to improve dietary intake for individuals with early stage chronic kidney disease.

Using mindful eating to improve specific dietary recommendations has not been adequately studied. This feasibility study examined an intervention, self-management of dietary intake using mindful eating, with 19 participants that had mild to moderate chronic kidney disease, using a prospective, single group, pretest-posttest design. The intervention had six weekly classes focused on self-management using mindful eating, goal-setting, problem-solving, and food label reading. Weight, body mass index (BMI), 3-day 24-h dietary recalls and fasting blood samples were measured. Participants improved significantly in mean weight (203.21 ± 42.98 vs 199.91 ± 40.36 lbs; P = 0.03) and BMI (32.02 ± 5.22 vs 31.57 ± 5.27 kg/m2; P = 0.04), but not in dietary intake nor blood measures with the exception of cis-beta-carotene levels (0.020 + 0.012 vs 0.026 + 0.012 mcg/mL; P = 0.008), which correlates to fruit and vegetable servings. These promising results warrant further testing of the intervention in randomized control trials.