Effect of individual health education on hyperphosphatemia in the Hakkas residential area

Abstract

The Hakka are a sub-ethnicity with unique diet customs in South China. This study investigated hyperphosphatemia in hemodialysis patients in relation to the current Hakka dietary customs and explored health education patterns for hyperphosphatemia control. Two continuous cross-sectional surveys were conducted among the local patients on dialysis. After the first survey, the patients with hyperphosphatemia were semi-randomized into regular (group 1) and individual (group 2) education groups. Regular health education was conducted for both groups. In group 2, the awareness of health knowledge and dietary customs was investigated using a self-designed questionnaire. Based on the questionnaire, individual dietary guidance was given. The second survey was performed after 3 months. In the first survey, a high-phosphorus diet was found in all 46 patients with 43 (93.5%) diagnosed with hyperphosphatemia. In group 1 and group 2, 15 patients and 25 patients completed the two surveys, respectively. In group 1, no patient changed their dietary habits; however, in group 2, some patients did. The level of serum inorganic phosphorus in group 1 increased significantly. In group 2, the data remained stable; the awareness rate of chronic kidney disease–mineral and bone disorder (CKD–MBD) increased, and six patients with good compliance showed decreased serum inorganic phosphorus (p = 0.046). High-phosphorus dietary customs and low CKD–MBD knowledge awareness are important reasons for the difficulty in hyperphosphatemia control of patients on dialysis in the Hakka region. Individual health education led by medical staff might be helpful in hyperphosphatemia control, but the pattern still needs further exploration.

• Hyperphosphatemia
• hemodialysis
• individual health education
• dietary control
• hakka

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the colleagues at the Second Division of Internal Medicine, Wuhua People’s Hospital for their assistance during this work.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. This work was supported by the National Clinical Key Specialty Construction Preparatory Projects; National Key Technology R&D Program (2011BAI10B08).