The master’s thesis focused on assessing dietary intake, nutritional status, body composition, and lifestyle in 20 patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD). As this was a cross-sectional study, an additional group of 23 kidney transplant recipients and 10 healthy individuals was included for comparison. The study was conducted at the Department of Peritoneal Dialysis, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, between May and July 2024, and was approved by the National Medical Ethics Committee (KME: 0120-193/2024-2711-3). The primary objective was to determine whether PD patients meet the recommended protein intake and adhere to the principles of the Mediterranean diet (MD), assessed using the 14-item Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Data were collected using a 24-hour dietary recall, a food frequency and lifestyle questionnaire, anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis of body composition, handgrip strength testing, the five-repetition sit-to-stand test, biochemical blood analysis, and monitoring with Garmin Vivoactive 4 smartwatches. The results showed that PD patients had inadequate protein intake compared to current recommendations of 1.0–1.3 g/kg body weight/day (0.7 ± 0.4 g/kg/day) and demonstrated low adherence to the MD; high adherence is defined as a MEDAS score ≥ 9 (6.1 ± 2.0). Compared to healthy individuals, PD patients exhibited a lower fat-free mass index (p = 0.043), higher fat mass index (p = 0.644), greater waist circumference (p = 0.007), higher ABSI (p = 0.002), and lower cellular integrity (p = 0.009). The findings also indicate a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, insufficient physical activity, and sleep disturbances among PD patients. These results highlight the crucial role of dietitians in the management of PD patients, as individualized nutritional counselling, regular monitoring, and appropriate adjustment of energy and protein intake may improve clinical outcomes, reduce complications, and enhance quality of life.
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