# Assessing the Impact of Potential Confounders on Health-Related Quality of Life and Physical Activity in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Treated with Dialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study

## TL;DR

This study found that patients on dialysis for chronic kidney disease have lower physical activity and quality of life, with factors like age and comorbidities playing a role.

## Contribution

The study identifies underexplored sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing physical activity and quality of life in dialysis patients.

## Key findings

- 59.2% of dialysis patients had low physical activity levels, significantly lower than healthy controls.
- Physical activity and quality of life were significantly associated with age, comorbidities, and dialysis duration.
- Promoting physical activity could improve outcomes for patients with chronic kidney disease.

## Abstract

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) G5 treated with dialysis (G5D) often experience reduced physical activity levels and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which are associated with poor clinical outcomes. Understanding the factors that influence these outcomes is crucial for improving patient care. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of physical activity and HRQoL and investigate the influence of potential confounding factors on these outcomes in patients with CKD G5D. Methods: One hundred and twenty-five patients with CKD G5D and 129 healthy controls completed a template with their general demographic and clinical information, followed by the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Moreover, for patients with CKD G5D, the kidney disease-targeted version (KDQOL-SF36) was employed, whereas the healthy controls completed the standard SF-36. Results: A total of 59.2% of patients with CKD G5D demonstrated low physical activity levels, with a mean IPAQ score of 1163.38 MET-min/week, which was significantly lower than that of healthy controls (p = 0.002). Spearman’s rho correlation analysis revealed significant associations between KDQOL subscales and variables including sex, age, Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), hemodialysis (HD) vintage, educational level, employment status, and IPAQ activity category (p-values < 0.05). In the regression analyses, physical component summary (PCS) scores were significantly predicted by sex (β = 0.180, p = 0.036), CCI (β = 0.239, p = 0.045), and IPAQ total score (β = 0.316, p < 0.001). IPAQ scores were predicted by age (β = –0.303, p = 0.003), HD vintage (β = 0.275, p = 0.012), and PCS (β = 0.343, p = 0.002). Conclusions: The findings demonstrated a statistically significant association between physical activity and HRQoL, underscoring the importance of promoting physical activity among patients with CKD G5D. Additionally, several underexplored sociodemographic and clinical confounders were identified as significant correlates of these outcome measures.