As the survival rate of hemodialysis patients has markedly improved, those who are engaged in work also increased. For such patients, the opportunity of eating their meals outside their homes has also increased. This habit is causing problems in their receiving hemodialysis and maintaining health, leading to their loss of confidence in selfmanagement. The author investigated the dietary habits of hemodialysis patients to assess the effect of nutritional counseling given to them. The investigation conducted between April, 1982 and March, 1983 (before giving nutritional counseling) was compared with that conducted between November, 1983 and August, 1984 (after nutritional counseling) to reveal some improvements in the atittude of patients. The results are outlined as follows;
1) The investigation revealed that 42.8% of “those who did not eat out” increased to 66.7% after the nutritional counseling, showing an decreased tendency in the frequency of taking meals outside their homes. The main reasons given for eating out before the counseling were “one of the pleasures (52.8%)” and “troublesome to prepare lunch (33.3%)”, while those after the counseling were “compelled to eat out because of the work (71.4%)” and “one of the pleasures (23.8%)”.
Noodles, raw vegetables and rice bowls were foods which they avoided before they received the nutritional counseling, while soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and other seasonings were avoided after the counseling.
2) They listed “saltiness, sourness and sweet tastes” as the tastes to which they were sensitive in meals they took outside their homes. They also preferred these tastes. “No response” to this guestion was as high as 66.6%.
3) As for alcohol ingestion, about 52.4% responded that they “did not drink” before the counseling, but this value increased to about 71.4% after the counseling. The major reason for their drinking was social and due to business both before and after the counseling.
4) The points which they noted in eating out before and after the nutritional counseling were “salt” and “protein” intakes. After the counseling, there were more patients who were aware of their total daily intake. The primary motive for choosing particular dishes was “to suit one's taste” before the counseling, while it changed to “nutritional values” after the counseling.
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