title: THE IMPACT OF SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS ON QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN GREECE.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quality of Life (QoL) is often poor in people undergoing dialysis and this sometimes contributes to the high rate of morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study is to assess the QoL of patients on haemodialysis in Greece and discuss the socio-demographic factors that affect QoL in this period of financial crisis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with CKD not on dialysis, plus those undergoing Haemodialysis (HD) and Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) were invited to complete the SF-36 questionnaire electronically, supervised by a trained nurse. Patients were asked about their marital status, education level and monthly household income. Additionally, patients were requested to comment on their subjective financial difficulties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 172 patients were enrolled in the study, 39 of them were undergoing PD, 90 on HD and 43 had CKD. Among those with CKD, on HD and PD, 9.3%, 17.8% and 23.1%, respectively, had 'some/a lot' difficulties in copying with financial problems. The physical component summary score was significant lower in HD, while the summary score of the mental component showed no differences between the groups. In multiple linear regression analysis, age and dialysis had significantly negative correlations with physical functioning scores. Those who were divorced or widowed tended to perform worse in physical scores compared with those who were married. Mental scores were affected only by coping with financial difficulties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general terms, people with CKD patients present with a poor QoL. Apart from the burden of the renal disease per se, social and economic factors (divorce, financial difficulties) seem to aggravate their status, especially in this period of financial crisis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.|Psychonephrology Unit, Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Margarita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikonomou
authors.affiliation: Psychonephrology Unit, Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skapinakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.|Psychonephrology Unit, Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Balafa
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, "Papageorgiou" General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eleftheroudi
authors.affiliation: Psychonephrology Unit, Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.|Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Damigos
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.|Psychonephrology Unit, Department of Nephrology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Kostas C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Siamopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: CKD; Haemodialysis; Peritoneal Dialysis; SF-36