Effects of a customized diet education program using a mobile instant messenger for people undergoing peritoneal dialysis: A feasibility test.

Purpose: The study was conducted to develop a customized diet education program using mobile instant messenger for people undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). Our goal was to examine the program's effects on diet-related self-efficacy, dietary self-care compliance, and physiological indices (hemoglobin, albumin, potassium, and phosphorus).

Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study with a non-equivalent control group pre-post-test design. We applied the Cox interaction model of client health behaviors. Overall, 43 patients (21 in the experimental group and 22 in the control group) attending the renal clinic and undergoing PD at three hospitals were included. The experimental group underwent a customized diet education program using a mobile instant messenger for five weeks. Patients in the control group received routine care. This study was conducted in the following order: pre-test, treatment, post-test 1 (immediately after), and post-test 2 (four weeks after).

Results: This study showed significant differences in dietary self-care compliance (F = 15.29, p < .001) and hemoglobin level (F = 7.55, p = .001) in interactions between times and groups.

Conclusions: The diet education program is an effective strategies to preventing complications and helping PD patients perform dietary self-care compliance through systematic and continuous interactions with educational nurse who is an expert in PD management of people undergoing PD.