Premature retirement and its associated factors among end stage renal disease patients receiving dialysis treatment in Kuantan, Pahang

Introduction: Little is known on the extent of economic burden suffered among the end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients receiving haemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) treatment due to premature retirement. This study intended to examine the extent of premature retirement in these patients from the societal perspective and its associated factors. Methodology: A multicentre, cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2019 and February 2020 in Kuantan, Pahang. The number of potential years of life-lost among working-age ESRD patients was multiplied with the gross national income for the year 2020 to estimate productivity losses due to premature retirement, and were inferred to the national level. Factors associated with premature retirement was determined using multiple logistic regression analyses. Results: The premature retirement rate among ESRD patients receiving dialysis treatment was 27.6% (n=128). The lost in earnings in patients who premature retired in Kuantan were MYR 84.2 million and an estimated of MYR9 billion at the national level. The estimated productivity loss inferred to the national level was approximately MYR 9 billion. Factors that were significantly associated with premature retirement included HD treatment, self-employment, blue-collar worker and working in the sales and service sector (p