Caring for a patient undergoing hemodialysis is highly stressful and can negatively affect a caregiver's physical and psychological well-being. This study was conducted to examine the effect of educational support concerning caregiver burden and given to the caregivers of hemodialysis patients. This experimental study was performed with 122 caregivers. Patients' data were collected by means of Personal Information Form and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale (ZCBS). Characteristics of caregivers of hemodialysis patients were analyzed descriptively in terms of frequencies and percentages for categorical data, means, and standard deviations. Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskall-Wallis test, and percentages were used in the data analysis. The mean ZCBS score was 52.1 ± 8.6 (range, 0-88). Among the caregivers, the mean score of the ZCBS was significantly higher in women, single, young, family relatives as "daughter/sister/brother/daughter-in-law and town/district, high educational level (P < 0.05). Moreover, the mean score of the ZCBS was significantly higher in caregivers who have health problems/diseases. In addition, this study explored the educational needs of home-based such as nutrition (35.2%), dialysis (27.8%), fistula care (20.4%), catheter care (18.8%), the information about chronic kidney disease (18.0%), blood pressure (17.2%), weight control (17.2%), hygiene (3.1%), and travel/exercise (6.5%). The post-educational mean scores (55.0 ± 7.6) of caregiver burden were observed to be lower than the pre-educational scores (43.9 ± 5.2), and the difference was found to be statistically significant. The home-based educational program demonstrated a decrease in the burden of hemodialysis caregivers.

The objective of this study was to examine potential trigger factors in migraine patients. A total of 126 migraine patients were interviewed about possible trigger factors for migraine. The most common trigger factors were emotional stress (79%), sleep disturbance (64%) and dietary factors (44%). Sleep and stress were significant trigger factors in patients with migraine with aura, whereas environmental factors were important trigger factors in patients with migraine without aura. Stress, sleep and environmental factors were important trigger factors in women and differed significantly from men. Trigger factors are frequent in migraine patients, and avoidance of such factors may result in a better control of the disorder.

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BackgroundHemodialysis therapy requires patients to undergo major lifestyle changes. Patients with increased perceived social support and decreased anxiety are more likely to enhance self‐care.Patients and MethodsA descriptive‐correlational study design was used to analyze the baseline data of a group of hemodialysis patients (n=140). Three instruments were used: the Exercise of Self‐Care Agency Scale (ESCA), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM‐A), and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were completed.ResultsSocial support and anxiety are significant predictors of self‐care after controlling for the effect of time on dialysis. Results indicated that patients who perceived higher levels of social support and lower levels of anxiety were more likely to have a higher level of self‐care.ConclusionsInterventions to increase hemodialysis patients' perceived social support and decreased anxiety may contribute to an enhanced self‐care ability and positive health outcome, and may subsequently improve self‐care and the psychosocial adjustment to hemodialysis.

Hemodialysis application affects patients' self-care ability and self-efficacy levels. There is a positive correlation between self-care ability and self-efficacy. In view of this study's results, it is recommended to organize education programmes to increase self-care ability and self-efficacy levels of HD patients and prepare comprehensive plans including patients' families.

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AIM: Levels of fatigue as experienced by people undergoing hemodialysis (HD) were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue (VAS-F).METHOD: The VAS-F was completed by 138 people with ESRD who were patients of HD units in Sivas, Turkey. Demographic and renal health history data were also collected with a structured questionnaire. The statistical analyses used in order to evaluate the data include: student's t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson correlation test, and logistic regression analysis.RESULTS: The level of fatigue experienced by people with HD in our study was high, and their energy level was low. Univariate analysis showed that levels of fatigue differed by gender, age, education, employment, and presence of anemia. However, logistic regression analysis, age, and duration of dialysis were found to be the independent predictors of fatigue. CONCLUSIONS:The results of the study indicated that high levels of fatigue are experienced. In order to improve patient care and promote patient's quality of life, nephrology professionals should understand the comprehensive assessment of fatigue and work with patients to initiate a range of strategies and interventions to address it.

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