Investigating the Effects of Lifestyle Changes on Sexual Function of Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis Procedures

Hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure experience a variety of sexual disorders that result in self-dissatisfaction, undermining self-care, and decrease in quality of life. The present study aimed at investigating the effects of lifestyle changes on the sexual function of patients undergoing hemodialysis. In a mono group quasi-experimental study, 37 subjects (21 males and 16 females) were selected among available patients using convenience sampling. The population included all the patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment in the year 2015. The tools of research included a demographic questionnaire, questionnaires assessing female sexual function and standard questionnaires for male patients. All the questionnaires were completed by the researcher. The subjects were individually instructed to introduce changes to their lifestyles for three days including their eating habits, exercising, and quitting smoking. The participants were asked to implement these changes for a period of 8 weeks at the end of which they would have to complete sexual function questionnaires again. The data obtained were analyzed by paired-t test, frequency percentage, and mean using SPSS (ver.21). The results indicate that average sexual function of women before and after intervention were 46.12 and 58.62, respectively. The same variable for men was 45.88 and 65.11 for before and after the intervention, respectively. Paired t-test was performed for comparison of pre- and postintervention sexual function in women with significance levels of P < 0.001 and P < 0.005, respectively. Improvements in certain aspects of lifestyle may significantly improve sexual function in patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment without excessive usage of resources. Therefore, introducing specific improvements in the lifestyles of patients undergoing hemodialysis is of considerable importance.