Journals / Izmir Democracy University Health Sciences Journal / 2026 / Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1

The relationship between body awareness and quality of life, anxiety level and pain in hemodialysis patients

Hemodiyaliz hastalarında vücut farkındalığı ile yaşam kalitesi, kaygı düzeyi ve ağrı arasındaki ilişki

Merve Fırat(Kırşehir Ahi Evran Üniversitesi)0000-0001-8296-3158
Aydın Güçlü(KIRŞEHİR AHİ EVRAN ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0002-7853-2141
Pages
69–78
Publication Date
2026-05-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Body awareness, defined as the perceived ability to respond to bodily sensations, has been linked to pain perception, emotional regulation, and overall functioning.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Hemodialysis (HD) patients often experience high symptom burden, impaired quality of life, and psychological distress.
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Key Findings & Data:Twenty-one clinically stable patients with HD (mean age 66.0±7.95 years; 85.7% male) were included.
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Conclusion & Impact:Body awareness, defined as the perceived ability to respond to bodily sensations, has been linked to pain perception, emotional regulation, and overall functioning.
🔬Design:Survey & Empirical Study
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Hemodiyaliz · vücut farkındalığı · yaşam kalitesi

Abstract

Hemodialysis (HD) patients often experience high symptom burden, impaired quality of life, and psychological distress. Body awareness, defined as the perceived ability to respond to bodily sensations, has been linked to pain perception, emotional regulation, and overall functioning. However, its role in HD populations remains unclear. The present study investigated the associations of body awareness with quality of life, anxiety, and pain in patients receiving maintenance HD. Twenty-one clinically stable patients with HD (mean age 66.0±7.95 years; 85.7% male) were included. Body awareness, quality of life, anxiety, and pain were assessed using the Turkish versions of the Body Awareness Questionnaire (BAQ), the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ), respectively. A higher BAQ score was significantly related to a better quality of life in terms of energy (r=-0.443, p=0.044), pain (r=-0.452, p=0.040), emotional reactions (r=-0.506, p=0.019), and sleep (r=-0.487, p=0.025). BAQ scores were also negatively correlated with anxiety levels (r=-0.581, p=0.006) and musculoskeletal pain and disability over the past 12 months (r=-0.821, p <0.001; r=-0.604, p=0.004) and 7 days (r=-0.755, p<0.001). This study is the first to demonstrate that higher body awareness is linked to improved quality of life, lower anxiety and pain burden in HD patients. Body awareness may represent a clinically relevant, modifiable factor in this population. Integrating body awareness assessments and interventions into routine care may enhance physical and psychological outcomes for patients undergoing maintenance HD.

Özet

Hemodiyaliz (HD) hastaları sıklıkla yüksek semptom yükü, bozulmuş yaşam kalitesi ve psikolojik sıkıntı yaşamaktadır. Vücut farkındalığı, bedensel duyumlara yanıt verme yeteneği olarak tanımlanmakta olup, ağrı algısı, duygusal düzenleme ve genel işlevsellik ile ilişkilendirilmiştir. Ancak, HD popülasyonundaki rolü henüz net değildir. Bu çalışma, hemodiyaliz tedavisi gören hastalarda vücut farkındalığının yaşam kalitesi, anksiyete ve ağrı ile ilişkilerini araştırmıştır. Çalışmaya, klinik olarak stabil 21 HD hastası (ortalama yaş 66,0±7,95 yıl; %85,7 erkek) dahil edildi. Vücut farkındalığı, yaşam kalitesi, anksiyete ve ağrı, sırasıyla Vücut Farkındalığı Anketi (VFA), Nottingham Sağlık Profili (NSP), Beck Anksiyete Envanteri (BAE) ve İskandinav Kas İskelet Sistemi Anketi'nin (İKİS) Türkçe versiyonları kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Daha yüksek VFA puanı, enerji (r=-0,443, p=0,044), ağrı (r=-0,452, p=0,040), duygusal tepkiler (r=-0,506, p=0,019) ve uyku (r=-0,487, p=0,025) açısından daha iyi bir yaşam kalitesiyle anlamlı derecede ilişkiliydi. BAQ skorları ayrıca anksiyete düzeyleri (r=-0,581, p=0,006) ve son 12 ay (r=-0,821, p<0,001; r=-0,604, p=0,004) ve son 7 gün (r=-0,755, p<0,001) içindeki kas-iskelet sistemi ağrısı ve engellilik ile negatif yönde ilişkiliydi. Bu çalışma, HD hastalarında daha yüksek vücut farkındalığının yaşam kalitesinin iyileşmesi, anksiyetenin ve ağrı yükünün azalmasıyla ilişkili olduğunu gösteren ilk çalışmadır. Vücut farkındalığı, bu popülasyonda klinik açıdan önemli ve değiştirilebilir bir faktör olabilir. Vücut farkındalığı değerlendirmelerini ve müdahalelerini rutin bakıma entegre edilmesi, idame HD tedavisi alan hastalarda fiziksel ve psikolojik sonuçları iyileştirebilir.

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Cite This Article

Fırat, M., Güçlü, A. (2026). The relationship between body awareness and quality of life, anxiety level and pain in hemodialysis patients. Izmir Democracy University Health Sciences Journal, Cilt: 9 Sayı: 1, 69–78. https://doi.org/10.52538/iduhes.1901517

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