Health and Medical Psychology Health and Medical Humanities

Hemodialysis Patients’ Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Arteriovenous Fistula Care in Baghdad

https://doi.org/10.61838/ijbmc.v12i8.1201
Hemodialysis Arteriovenous Fistula Knowledge Attitudes Iraq

Authors

  • Saad Abdul-Ridh Jissir Lecturer, Adult Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Bayan, Baghdad, Iraq.
  • Raheem Atiyah Badr
    raheem.atyia@Albayan.edu.iq
    Lecturer, Adult Nursing Department, College of Nursing, University of Al-Bayan, Baghdad, Iraq.
Vol. 12 No. 8 (2025): November
Quantitative Study(ies)

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Objective: This study aimed to assess hemodialysis patients’ knowledge and attitudes regarding arteriovenous fistula (AVF) and to examine their associations with selected sociodemographic and clinical characteristics in Baghdad, Iraq.

Methods and Materials: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used with a purposive sample of 150 patients undergoing hemodialysis in three teaching hospitals in Baghdad (Al-Kindi, Baghdad Teaching/Medical City, and Al-Karama). Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire that included demographic and clinical variables, 10 items on AVF knowledge, and 10 items on AVF-related attitudes. Knowledge and attitude scores were categorised as low/poor, fair/moderate, or good/high. Data were analysed using SPSS version 21, with descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation; p-values ≤ 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Findings: 34.7% of patients had poor knowledge, 45.3% had fair knowledge, and 20.0% had good knowledge of AVF, with most individual items rated at a fair level. In contrast, 60.0% of patients showed low attitudes, 33.3% moderate attitudes, and only 6.7% high attitudes toward AVF care. Knowledge scores differed significantly between hospitals, with patients at Baghdad Teaching Hospital demonstrating higher knowledge than those at Al-Kindi and Al-Karama. Knowledge was significantly associated with age, marital status, and duration of kidney disease, whereas no significant associations were found between attitudes and socio-demographic or clinical variables. Knowledge and attitudes were not significantly correlated.

Conclusion: Hemodialysis patients in Baghdad demonstrate fair knowledge but predominantly low attitudes regarding AVF care, highlighting the need for nurse-led educational interventions.