ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The relationship between socioeconomic status and clinical outcome in health and disease is complex and multifactorial. An association between low socioeconomic status and shorter patient survival in renal replacement therapy, dialysis, and transplantation, has been reported, implicating individual and environmental factors. We sought to analyze the socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients in preparation for living kidney transplantation. METHODS: We evaluated 60 patients with CKD-V, on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis and who were being prepared in our public service between July 2008 and January 2010. Socioeconomic data were collected from the records. RESULTS: The mean age was 44.8 ± 13.3 years and 51% were male. Sixty-three percent were married, most of them with children, with a family size of 3.5 ± 1.45 members. They were taken a mean of 5.8 ± 2.8 drugs; only half of them were dispensed by public health insurance. Almost all--93%--did not work regularly, and the majority reported some limitation in daily activities. The mean monthly income was US $1,535.70 and 76.2% reported a monthly income ≤ US $1,810.60. The mean of school years was 7.91 ± 4.19. CONCLUSION: Low-income patients are gaining access to preparing for renal transplantation; we believe that is inherent to the universal structure of Brazil's public health system. Besides the low income, this population showed a considerable educational level, suggesting this characteristic made the patient more active to search the living transplant as an alternative for their CKD treatment. Knowledge about social status is essential for design strategies in minimizing its potential undesirable effects after transplantation.
