Risk factors for chronic kidney disease in Urban Uyo, South-South, Nigeria.

Abstract

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing the world over, and it is now regarded as a public health problem. The prevalence of CKD in Nigeria remained largely unknown with hospital-based data of 2-8%. However, emerging community studies show a prevalence of 10-26.8%. This study was conducted during the 2013 world kidney day activities in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, State of Nigeria, with an estimated population of 554,906 people. Sensitizations of members of the public were ensured through the media. Trained nurses of the dialysis unit were recruited for the exercise. A well-structured questionnaire was used to collect demographic data and medical history. Subjects also had measurements of their blood pressure, random blood sugar, urinalysis, serum creatinine, and anthropometric data. Five hundred and two adults (70.6% females and 29.4% males) aged 18-78 years participated in the study. A family history of CKD was found in 4.3% of the study participants. The risk factors for CKD investigated in this population included hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, proteinuria, and hematuria. The prevalence of hypertension in this sample was 30.16% [95% confidence interval (CI) 26.14-34.18%]. Only 12.58% (95% CI 9.54-15.61%) were aware of their hypertension status. There was an increasing trend in the proportion of individuals with hypertension in each higher 10 years age group (P = 0.03). The independent predictors of hypertension in this cohort were age and body mass index. The proportion of those with diabetes mellitus in the study population was 5.8% (95% CI 3.7-7.8%). Obesity was found in 31.8% individuals' proteinuria in 23.5% and hematuria in 3.0%. There is a high prevalence of risk factors for CKD in our population. Therefore, screening for early detection should be encouraged.