Abstract: Objective To explore the volume management behavior in patients with maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) and its influencing factors.  Methods  A total of 89 patients undergoing MHD treatment in Huzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Zhejiang University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2021 to June 2022 were selected by cluster sampling method. General information questionnaire, volume management behavior scale, and general self-efficacy scale were used for the investigation of volume management behavior and its influencing factors.  Results  The 89 MHD patients had a total score of 17.24±2.85 for volume management behavior, including diet management dimension score of 5.12±1.88 and comorbidity monitoring dimension score of 12.12±2.67. Univariate regression showed that dialysis age, educational level, average monthly income per family member, and self-efficacy were related to volume management behavior (t=3.048, 3.643, 4.222 and 3.340 respectively; P=0.003, 0.001, 0.000 and 0.001 respectively), but comorbidities, age, health insurance, gender, job and marital status were unrelated to volume management behavior in MHD patients (t/F=0.973, 1.555, 0.002, 1.111, 0.707 and 0.802 respectively; P=0.333, 0.124, 0.998, 0.333, 0.482 and 0.425 respectively). Multivariate linear regression found that lower literacy, longer dialysis age, lower self-efficacy and lower average monthly income per family member were the independent risk factors for volume management behavior in MHD patients (β=0.126, -2.660, 0.130 and 0.241 respectively; P=0.011, <0.001, =0.014 and <0.001 respectively).  Conclusion   The ability of volume management behavior is insufficient in MHD patients. This behavior is affected by dialysis age, educational level, average monthly income per family member, self-efficacy and the others.

Key words: Maintenance hemodialysis, Dialysis age, Volume management behavior, Education level, Self-efficacy