Factors Influencing Presenteeism in Middle-aged and Older Workers with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Single-center Cross-sectional Study

Objectives: Managing presenteeism among patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is important for balancing disease management and employment. This study aimed to investigate presenteeism, exercise self-efficacy (SE), and physical function indices in workers with CKD and to examine the factors that influence presenteeism in this patient group.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 36 workers with stage 3-5 pre-dialysis CKD. Presenteeism was quantified using the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun). Other factors to be evaluated included exercise SE, physical function, anemia, and renal function. Exercise SE was assessed using Oka's scale. Physical function was measured through grip strength, the 10-m walk test, the short physical performance battery, the 6-min walk test, and skeletal muscle mass index. The χ² and independent t-tests were used to compare patient characteristics between those with and without presenteeism. The WFun score was used as the dependent variable in the multiple regression analysis.

Results: Fourteen (38.9%) patients exhibited presenteeism. Comparisons between the two groups demonstrated significant differences in creatinine (Cr), exercise SE, and WFun and in the prevalences of CKD stage 3 and CKD stage 5 (P < 0.05). The WFun score was significantly correlated with Cr (r = 0.36) and exercise SE (r = -0.41) in a single correlation analysis. Multiple regression analysis showed that WFun was significantly related only to exercise SE (β = -0.34).

Conclusions: Presenteeism was significantly correlated with exercise SE in working patients with predialysis CKD. Our findings provide evidence to support the development of interventions for the prevention of presenteeism in predialysis CKD patients.