Socioeconomic inequality: Accessibility and outcomes after renal transplantation in New Zealand

BACKGROUND Socioeconomic deprivation (SED) is a risk factor for worse outcomes after renal transplantation (RTx). This study aimed to evaluate access to RTx in different SED strata of the New Zealand population. We also assessed patient survival, acute cellular allograft rejection (AR) and allograft loss. METHODS This was an Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplantation and Organ Donation Registries-based retrospective cohort study. Patients who underwent RTx in New Zealand from 2008 to 2018 were identified. Patients younger than 16 years of age and those who left the country after RTx were excluded. RESULTS In the higher SED stratum of New Zealanders, the rate of RTx was 53% greater than in the lower SED stratum (odds ratio = 1.53; 95% confidence interval: 1.33-1.76; p < 0.00005). RESULTS One hundred and thirteen (23%) patients from the lower SED group and 51 (14.8%) patients from the higher SED group underwent living unrelated RTx, p = 0.0033. In 233 (67.5%) patients from the higher SED group and 265 (53.9%) patients from the lower SED group, transplanted kidneys were from deceased donors RTx, p = 0.0001. The incidence of allograft loss and patient survival were similar in these groups. CONCLUSION Our data demonstrated a lower overall survival in the more socioeconomically deprived patients than in the lower SED group however this was not statistically significant after adjustment for covariates. A larger study is required to determine whether SED is associated with reduced survival.