Socio-economic determinants of Chronic Kidney Diseases of uncertain etiology (CKDu) in the Uva Province, Sri Lanka: a cross-sectional study

CKDu is one of the most serious health problems in Sri Lanka. The country's Uva Province (UP) faces an increasing number of CKDu patients. Therefore, this study develops a statistical model to identify the socio-economic determinants of CKDu in UP, Sri Lanka. This cross-sectional study draws on a questionnaire survey conducted with 229 farmers, of which 24% were CKDu patients, to ascertain the socio-economic predictors that contribute to CKDu. The relationship between socio-economic risk factors and CKDu was delineated using a logistic regression model and by analyzing odds ratios. The highest risk of CKDu was observed among participants who consume agrochemical-applied foods (OR 7.9657, 95% CI =2.2205, 28.5755) and potentially contaminated drinking water (OR 3.3693, 95% CI =1.5540, 7.3053). Furthermore, age (OR 1.1097 95% CI = 1.0542, 1.1680), gender (OR 4.4980, 95% CI = 1.1406, 17.7382), and education level (OR 21.1018, 95% CI =1.7753, 250.8250) were also identified as significant risk factors.