Quality of Life of End Stage Renal Disease Patients Undergoing Dialysis in Southern Part of Kerala, India: Financial Stability and Inter-dialysis Weight Gain as Key Determinants
Kasi Visweswaran, Muhammed Shaffi, Philip Mathew, Minu Abraham, Jinbert Lordson, Premini Rajeev, Reena Thomas, Rajeev Aravindakshan, G Jayadevan, Kesavan Rajasekharan Nayar, M Ayyappan Pillai
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Quality of Life (QoL) reflects the quality and outcome of healthcare along with key indicators of performance such as mortality and morbidity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to measure the QoL among patients with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) on maintenance hemodialysis and to understand various correlates of QoL. METHODS: A total of 95 ESRD patients from three dialysis centres in Southern districts of Kerala were interviewed. QoL was measured using vernacular version of World Health Organization Quality Of Life - Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. RESULTS: < 0.03). Occupation, income and Socio-economic Status (SES) influenced overall HRQoL while better income and higher SES predicted better scores in psychological and environmental domains. CONCLUSION: Patients with better control over inter-dialysis weight gain (≤1600 g) had significantly higher scores. This study highlights the importance of using QoL tools in assessing the QoL of patients and the factors contributing to it.