Body-Image Disturbance: A Comparative Study among Haemodialysis and Kidney Transplant Patients

Abstract

Introduction: As a chronic disease, End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) changes the patients' body and affects their body image negatively. Although the changes in body image are expected in all types of renal replacement therapies, different renal replacement therapy methods could represent different levels of impact on body image. Aim: Present study was conducted to examine and compare the level of body-image disturbance between haemodialysis and kidney transplant patients. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in two teaching hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Using convenient sampling, 84 patients (42 patients under haemodialysis and 42 patients with transplant) were invited to participate in the study. A self-designed questionnaire was developed to examine the level of body-image disturbance. Results: Out of 42 haemodialysis patients, 64.3, 19 and 16.7 of patients reported low, moderate and high level of body-image disturbance respectively. The mean score of bodyimage disturbance was 21.1 +/- 18.3(rang=1-71) in haemodialysis patients. Of 42 transplant patients, 69, 26.2 and 4.8 reported low, moderate and high level of body-image disturbance respectively. The mean score of body-image disturbance was 17.1 +/- 13.3 (rang=1-48). According to the results of independent t-test, difference between mean score of body-image disturbance in two groups was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings of the present study showed that both haemodialysis and renal transplant patients experienced some levels of body-image disturbance. This problem was more prevalent among haemodialysis patients in compared to kidney transplant ones. We recommend more studies may be conducted in this regard.