Abstract

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents a major non-communicable disease and is associated with substantial global health and economic burden. Anemia is a frequent and unavoidable complication observed in patients with CKD. The present study aimed to examine the psychological impact of treatment burden among anemic patients undergoing hemodialysis, in relation to gender, age, duration of illness, and associated co-morbid conditions. A total of 50 anemic patients receiving hemodialysis, aged between 30 and 70 years, were enrolled based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria from various hospitals located in and around district Ropar, Punjab. Treatment burden was evaluated using the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ). Health-related quality of life was assessed using the validated KDQOL-36™ questionnaire. The findings indicated a high prevalence of anemia, which progressively increased with declining renal function and was more pronounced among dialysis patients. Most participants reported low to moderate levels of treatment burden, with higher burden observed in patients undergoing dialysis. A strong inverse correlation was identified between treatment burden and health-related quality of life. The study concludes that treatment burden among CKD patients should be reduced through effective and comprehensive CKD management strategies.