Socioeconomic Links to Health-Related Quality of Life, Anxiety, and Depression in Kidney Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Introduction. The impact of socioeconomic status on the chance of being a candidate of kidney transplantation and its effect on graft survival has been documented. Our aim was to investigate the association of socioeconomic status with kidney allograft recipients’ health-related quality of life and level of anxiety and depression.

Materials and Methods. Two hundred and forty-two kidney transplant recipients were categorized according to their monthly family income into low-income, moderate-income, and high-income groups. These groups were compared in terms of health-related quality of life (short form-36) and level of anxiety and depression symptoms (hospital anxiety depression scale).

Results. There was a trend of higher HRQOL scores in association with a higher income, which was significant for the total HRQOL score and its subdomains of physical function and role limitation due to physical and emotional problems. A slight increase in anxiety symptom scores was also seen in kidney recipients with lower incomes; however, the depression symptom scores were not significantly different between the income groups. Logistic regression analysis showed that the impact of income on the total HRQL and anxiety symptoms scores remained significant after controlling the effect of age, sex, and time interval from transplantation.

Conclusions. A significant proportion of our kidney allograft recipients had a low income and had a poorer health-related quality of life and a greater load of anxiety according to their perception of their status, compared to those with higher incomes. Special consideration to kidney transplant recipients with a lower income may improve their wellbeing.