Quality of Life of Chronic Kidney Disease Patients Attending Dialysis Unit in a Tertiary Care Centre in Purba Bardhaman District of West Bengal: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a growing global health issue, with a profound impact on patients’ quality of life (QoL). Haemodialysis, a common treatment for end-stage renal disease, often affects multiple dimensions of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). This study aims to assess the HRQOL of CKD patients undergoing haemodialysis at a tertiary care centre in Purba Bardhaman district, West Bengal. Methods: This institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st March to 30th May 2024, in the dialysis unit of Burdwan Medical College. A total of 144 CKD patients, aged 18 years and above, receiving haemodialysis for at least 3 months, was included using a simple random sampling method. Data were collected through interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire for socio-demographic details and the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL™-36) tool. HRQOL was categorized into good, moderate and poor across five domains: Physical Component Summary (PCS), Mental Component Summary (MCS), Burden of Kidney Disease (BKD), Symptom and Problem of Kidney Disease (SPKD), and Effect of Kidney Disease (EKD). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23, and Chi-Square tests were employed to identify significant factors associated with QoL outcomes. Results: The mean age of the study population was 48.36 ± 8.63 years, with 41.66% in the 40-49 years age groups. Most patients were male (66.67%), Hindu (77.08%), and from rural areas (50%). Hypertension only (77.8%) and diabetes only (60.4%) were common comorbidities, and 18.1% had all three major comorbidities. A majority (72.9%) underwent haemodialysis twice weekly, and 59.7% had been receiving treatment for more than a year. The mean overall HRQOL score was 97.19 ± 19.06, with PCS, MCS, BKD, SPKD, and EKD subscale means of 18.46 ± 2.95, 13.67 ± 3.43, 13.31 ± 2.60, 28.54 ± 7.90, and 21.21 ± 5.04, respectively. Good HRQOL was observed in 26.38% of patients overall. In individual domains, 38.89% had good QoL in PCS, 31.25% in MCS, 27.78% in EKD and BKD, and 27.08% in SPKD. Significant predictors of QoL included age and education for PCS, and gender, residence, education, employment, and haemodialysis duration for MCS. Factors such as age, residence, socioeconomic status, comorbidities, and frequency of dialysis significantly influenced the BKD domain. Conclusion: The study highlights the multidimensional impact of CKD and haemodialysis on HRQOL. A significant proportion of patients experienced moderate to poor quality of life, particularly in the mental and physical health domains. Socio-demographic and clinical factors, including age, gender, education, employment, and dialysis frequency, were important determinants of HRQOL. Targeted interventions focusing on these factors may improve the overall well-being of CKD patients undergoing haemodialysis.