Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) ranks fourth among the top mortality causes in Saudi Arabia, and is attributed to the increasing incidence of noncommunicable diseases. This study aimed to assess the knowledge about CKD among the noncare staff of the University of Jeddah and to analyze the demographic and health-related factors associated with the levels of knowledge.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 109 attendees of an awareness campaign about CKD at the University of Jeddah. A 24- item validated questionnaire was used to explore different dimensions of knowledge about CKD, enabling the calculation of a knowledge score. Sociodemographic data and relevant medical history were collected and analyzed.
Results: Majority of the study population were male (73.4%) and highly educated (87.5%). Correctness rates ranged from 8.3% to 86 depending on the item; notably, only 19.3% of the participants recognized the association between monitoring blood pressure and CKD prevention. The mean ± standard deviation of knowledge score was 14.33 ± 3.06 out of 24, and was significantly higher in the older age group (p = 0.003), ever married participants (p = 0.042), those residing outside Jeddah (p = 0.045), and those having a kidney disease (p = 0.023) as compared to their counterparts. However, only belonging to the resident city was independently associated with the knowledge score.
Conclusion: The low level of knowledge about CKD among this highly educated sample of the population emphasizes the urgent need for raising awareness about CKD among the general population, and more specifically among high-risk subgroups.
Key words: chronic kidney disease, awareness, knowledge, risk factors
|
