Intradialytic Versus Home-Based Exercise in Female Hemodialysis Patients

July 16, 2026 updated by: Hebatuallah Abdelhaleem Elhabiby, Tanta University

Comparing the Effect of Intradialytic and Home-Based Exercise on Health Outcomes, Quality of Life, Self-Esteem, and Sexual Function in Female Hemodialysis Patients

This randomized controlled trial compared intradialytic exercise with home-based exercise in married female patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis. Ninety participants were randomly assigned in equal numbers to an intradialytic exercise group, a home-based exercise group, or a control group. Both exercise programs continued for 12 weeks.

The study evaluated whether exercise performed during dialysis or at home could improve quality of life, self-esteem, sexual function, and selected clinical and laboratory outcomes. Quality of life was assessed using the 36-Item Short Form Survey, self-esteem using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and sexual function using the Female Sexual Function Index. Laboratory assessments included calcium, phosphorus, intact parathyroid hormone, albumin, C-reactive protein, hemoglobin, sodium, and potassium.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

90

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Egypt
    • Gharbia Governorate
      • Tanta, Gharbia Governorate, Egypt, 31511
        • Tanta university hospitals

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Female patients older than 18 years.
  • Clinically stable.
  • Receiving regular maintenance hemodialysis three times per week for at least three months.
  • Able to perform mild- to moderate-intensity exercise.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Physical limitations preventing exercise.
  • Acute illness.
  • Unstable cardiovascular disease.
  • Severe orthopedic or neurological disorders.
  • Cognitive impairment affecting cooperation.
  • Dialysis instability.
  • Severe chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder.
  • Significant anemia.
  • Retinal hemorrhage.
  • History of hyperthyroidism.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intradialytic Exercise
Participants performed low- to moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercises during the first two hours of hemodialysis, three times per week for 12 weeks. Each session included a 5-minute warm-up, followed by aerobic and resistance exercises. The conditioning phase started at 10 minutes and gradually increased to 30 minutes according to tolerance, followed by 5 minutes of relaxation and breathing exercises. Exercise intensity was maintained at 60%-70% of maximal heart rate and monitored using the Borg scale. Sessions were supervised by a trained dialysis nurse.
Behavioral: Intradialytic Exercise
A supervised low- to moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance exercise program performed during the first two hours of hemodialysis, three times per week for 12 weeks.
Experimental: Home-Based Exercise
Participants performed a structured home-based exercise program for 30 minutes per day, at least three to five times per week, for 12 weeks. The program included walking, bodyweight resistance exercises, and flexibility routines. Participants received instructions on safe exercise performance and were advised to adjust the exercise intensity according to tolerance.
Behavioral: Home-Based Exercise
A structured home-based exercise program consisting of walking, bodyweight resistance exercises, and flexibility routines for 30 minutes per day, at least three to five times per week for 12 weeks.
No Intervention: Control
Participants continued their usual hemodialysis care without a structured exercise program during the 12-week study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Health-Related Quality of Life
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Health-Related Quality of Life was assessed by the 36-Item Short Form Survey. The 36-Item Short Form Survey consists of 36 items covering eight health domains: physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health, bodily pain, general health perceptions, energy/fatigue, social functioning, role limitations due to emotional problems, and emotional well-being. Each domain is scored from 0 to 100, with 0 representing the lowest possible health status and 100 representing the highest possible health status. Higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life. The validated Arabic version was used.
Baseline and 12 weeks
Self-Esteem
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Self-Esteem was assessed by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale consists of 10 items assessing global self-esteem, including five positively worded and five negatively worded statements. Higher total scores indicate higher self-esteem.
Baseline and 12 weeks
Female sexual function
Time Frame: Baseline and 12 weeks
Change in Female Sexual Function was assessed by the Female Sexual Function Index. The Female Sexual Function Index consists of 19 items covering six domains of female sexual function: desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction, and pain. The total score ranges from 2 to 36, with higher scores indicating better sexual function. The validated Arabic version was used.
Baseline and 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Tanta University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

March 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 1, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 16, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 21, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 16, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 36264PR1100/2/25

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

De-identified individual participant data underlying the results reported in the publication will be made available to other researchers upon reasonable request.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

Beginning immediately after publication of the study results and continuing for 2 years.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

De-identified individual participant data will be available to researchers who submit a methodologically sound proposal. Requests should be directed to the corresponding author at hebaelhabiby@gmail.com. Requests will be reviewed by the study investigators, and approved data will be provided for the purposes specified in the proposal, subject to an appropriate data use agreement.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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