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

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 The mean age of the patients was 56.2 ± 13 years and 73.7% were males. Mean converted scores for overall QoL was 42.37 ± 21.3 and Health-related QoL (HRQoL) was 43.3 ± 18.3, indicating poor QoL. Males had significantly higher physical domain scores (p < 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.