The Demand for Snack Products and Nutritional Status of End-Stage Chronic Kidney Disease Patients on Hemodialysis

Abstract

Hemodialysis is one cause of malnutrition, especially for those with end-stage chronic kidney diseases. However, due to dietary restrictions, patients become bored and refuse to eat. Therefore, providing nutritional supplements between meals or snacks is important in reducing the problem of malnutrition. This research aims to investigate the demand for snack products and the nutritional status of end-stage chronic kidney disease patients receiving hemodialysis treatment. The sample consists of two groups: a sample group of 12 patients who participated in focus group discussions. The data was created as a questionnaire on the demand for snack products, and 60 patients inquired about product needs and assessed their nutritional status using the Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) and the Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS). Body composition was measured, and laboratory results were collected from the medical records of the 60 patients. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and differences were compared using the chi-square. The results of the snack product demand questionnaire revealed that most patients (68.30%) had a demand for snack products. Patients also prioritized product accessibility and ease of purchase, followed by snacks that come in small, multiple pieces, such as fruits or cookies, and are reasonably priced. The nutritional status study found that most patients had moderate to severe malnutrition when assessed using both nutritional assessment tools (55% SGA B and 56.67% MIS B and C). In conclusion, this patient group experiences malnutrition and requires snack products that are easily accessible and affordable, which may help reduce the problem of malnutrition in these patients.