Economic Burden of Diabetic Nephropathy in the Southwest of Iran

Saeed Bagheri  Faradonbeh; Fatemeh  Hayati; Homeira  Rashidi; Amin  Torabipour; Somayeh  Loveimi

doi:10.18502/htaa.v9i4.20667

Saeed Bagheri Faradonbeh Assistant Professor of Health Economics, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Fatemeh Hayati Assistant Professor of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Chronic Renal Failure Research Center, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Science, Ahvaz, Iran.
Homeira Rashidi Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Diabetes Research Center, Health Research Institute Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Amin Torabipour Professor of Healthcare Services Management, Department of Healthcare Services Management, School of Health, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Somayeh Loveimi MSc Student in Healthcare Services Management, Department of Healthcare Services Management, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/htaa.v9i4.20667

Keywords: Economic burden; Diabetic nephropathy; Type 2 diabetes; Iran

Abstract

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a common complication of diabetes that, given the increasing prevalence of diabetes, imposes a serious economic burden on healthcare systems and societies. Therefore, this retrospective cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the economic burden of DN and identify factors influencing its cost in Iran.

Methods: Overall, 192 patients with DN were selected from Imam Khomeini and Golestan Hospitals in Ahvaz and then categorized into mild, moderate, and severe stages based on their glomerular filtration rate. Direct medical costs were obtained from hospital billing records, while non-medical and indirect costs were recorded through interviews with patients and their caregivers. Finally, the obtained data were analyzed by Microsoft Excel 2019 and Stata 16 using logistic regression models.

Results: The total cost of managing patients with DN was estimated at 839,083.88 PPP (current international dollars). Moreover, direct costs accounted for 88.2% of the total cost, of which 83.9% were medical, while 16.1% were non-medical. The logistic regression analysis demonstrated that education (odds ratio: 3.655, P = 0.044) and disability (odds ratio: 0.722, P < 0.001) were significantly associated with diabetes-related costs.

Conclusions: It was revealed that DN imposes a substantial economic burden on adults with type 2 diabetes. Thus, effective diabetes control and complication prevention strategies can help reduce these costs and alleviate the economic strain on both patients and the healthcare system.