Longitudinal trends in renal function among first time sugarcane harvesters in Guatemala.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is an epidemic concentrated in agricultural communities in Central and South America, including young, male sugarcane harvesters. The purpose of this analysis is to understand early changes in kidney function among a cohort of first-time sugarcane harvesters and to determine risk factors for kidney function decline.

Methods: Joint latent class mixed models were used to model sub-population kidney function trajectory over the course of 4 years (2012-2016).