title: Effect of body mass index and albumin on mortality rates for adult African-American hemodialysis patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this retrospective descriptive study was to investigate if body mass index (BMI) and serum albumin (SA) impacted mortality rates in adult African-American patients on hemodialysis (HD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Records of 204 patients on HD (N = 204) from a clinic in the metropolitan Detroit area were examined for the period January 1, 2007-December 31, 2012 to determine the relationship of BMI and SA on mortality rates in this population. Logistics regression was utilized to analyze the association of several risk factors (BMI and SA) on survival (mortality rates).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Research findings from this study demonstrated that both undernourishment (being underweight; BMI < 23 kg/m(2) ) and hypoalbuminemia (<3.2g/dL) were strong predictors of death in patients on HD. However, obesity provided a survival advantage for adult African-American patients on HD (p = .030). Patients with higher SA levels also survived longer (p < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Advanced practice nurses (APNs) working with adult African-American patients on HD could work on developing targeted nutritional interventions to maintain higher SAs and BMIs while awaiting the results of further research in this area.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Feingold
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Penprase
authors.affiliation: Great Lakes Dialysis LLC, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: Boniface
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tubie
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D015415:Biomarkers; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000401:mortality* / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012709:Serum Albumin
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012709:Serum Albumin
keywords: African-American adult; albumin; body mass index; hemodialysis; mortality