Psychological distress between chronic hemodialysis patients with and without low back pain.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare psychological distress between patients on chronic hemodialysis with and without chronic low back pain (CLBP).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 72 patients on chronic hemodialysis, aged 72.9 ± 10.8 years, were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Psychological distress using the K6, questionnaire for CLBP, and physical activity using the tri-accelerometer were evaluated.

RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients (40.3 %) were having CLBP. The K6 scores were 4.0 ± 4.6 and physical activity (n = 55) was 1.0 ± 1.0 METs h/day. K6 scores in patients on chronic hemodialysis with CLBP were significantly higher than those in patients on chronic hemodialysis without CLBP even after adjusting for sex, age, duration of hemodialysis and physical activity.

CONCLUSION: These results suggest that higher psychological distress was a fundamental feature in patients on chronic hemodialysis with CLBP.