Table 1. Characteristics of the Study Group Patients a.
| Parameter | HD Patients (n = 100) |
|---|---|
| Gender | |
| Male | 40 |
| Female | 60 |
| Age, y b | 68.68 ± 11.27 |
| Dialysis age, mo b | 51.77 ± 22.1 |
| Educational attainment c | |
| None (illiterate) | 4 |
| Primary school | 36 |
| First degree of secondary school | 22 |
| Secondary degree of secondary school | 26 |
| Graduated at university | 12 |
| Marital status c | |
| Married/cohabiting | 65 |
| Widow/widower | 19 |
| Single/never married | 12 |
| Separated/divorced | 14 |
| Family conditions c | |
| Living in charity | 3 |
| Living alone | 11 |
| Living in family | 82 |
| Living with a caregiver | 4 |
| Low-class | 40 |
| Socio-economic status c | |
| Upper-class | 10 |
| Middle-class | 50 |
| Relational autonomy c | |
| Self-sufficient | 80 |
| Dependent | 20 |
| Consumption of pre-cooked food c | |
| Often (4 - 6 times a week) | 50 |
| Rarely (1 - 3 times a week) | 37 |
| Always (7 - 10 times a week) | 6 |
| Never | 7 |
| Phosphate binder’s use c | |
| Sevelamer | 64 |
| Calcium carbonate | 18 |
| Aluminum hydroxide | 13 |
| Lanthanum carbonate | 5 |
a Abbreviation: HD, hemodialysis.
b The values are presented as mean ± SD.
c The values are presented as %.