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. 2021 Oct 20;139(6):570-575.
doi: 10.1590/1516-3180.2021.0089.R1.0904221. eCollection 2021.

Relationship between frailty, social support and family functionality of hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study

Diana Gabriela Mendes Dos Santos  1 , Joice Marques Pallone  2 , Carlene Souza Silva Manzini  3 , Marisa Silvana Zazzetta  4 , Fabiana de Souza Orlandi  5
Affiliations

Relationship between frailty, social support and family functionality of hemodialysis patients: a cross-sectional study

Diana Gabriela Mendes Dos Santos et al. Sao Paulo Med J. .

Abstract

Background: The population with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is more predisposed to early development of frailty. Although the concept of frailty is well established from a physical point of view, it is not an exclusively physical syndrome. It can be characterized as an interaction of physical, psychological and social factors.

Objective: To ascertain the relationship between frailty, social support and family functionality among CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Design and setting: Correlational, cross-sectional and quantitative study conducted at a service in the interior of the state of São Paulo.

Methods: This study included 80 patients with CKD who were on hemodialysis. The participants were interviewed individually, with application of the following instruments: sociodemographic and economic characterization, Tilburg Frailty Indicator, Medical Outcomes Study and Family APGAR. Females and white ethnicity predominated among the participants, and their mean age was 59.63 ± 15.14 years.

Results: There was high prevalence of frailty (93.8%). Although there was a difference in scores for the dimensions of social support between the frail group and the non-frail group, only family functionality reached a statistically relevant difference. There was a significant correlation between physical frailty, social support and family functionality.

Conclusions: Presence of frailty is related to the social support and family functionality of patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None

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