Sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing serum potassium concentration: A retrospective cohort study

Self-care is crucial for maintaining the health and quality of life of individuals undergoing physical examinations, especially those with abnormal test results because they are at a higher risk of experiencing worse outcomes. However, there is currently a lack of comprehensive literature on the impact of sociodemographic and clinical factors on self-care practices related to serum potassium concentration among individuals undergoing physical examinations. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the sociodemographic and clinical factors influencing serum potassium concentration.

Data from 43,151 individuals who underwent physical examinations were retrospectively collected in January, April, July, and October of 2019-2021. The serum potassium concentrations of these individuals were compared based on sex, age, and residential area. Additionally, the whole cohort and a subset of 6698 individuals with available occupational information were included to analyze the sociodemographic factors associated with serum potassium concentration using logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, a propensity score matching approach was employed to match 642 individuals with abnormal serum potassium concentrations to 642 with normal serum potassium concentrations. Pearson's correlation analysis was subsequently used to investigate the clinical factors contributing to abnormalities in serum potassium concentration.

High temperatures; older age; male sex; living in the southern part of the city; and chemical, communication system, and transportation occupations were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing abnormal serum potassium concentrations. Individuals with abnormal serum potassium concentrations had a higher prevalence of underlying diseases. Compared with the hypokalemia group, the hyperkalemia group exhibited a higher incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In the hyperkalemia group, serum potassium concentration positively correlated with serum creatinine concentration and negatively correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In contrast, in the hypokalemia group, serum potassium concentration negatively correlated with creatinine concentrations, blood glucose concentration, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and positively correlated with eGFR.

Sociodemographic and clinical factors can affect blood potassium concentration. During daily self-care, it is essential for individuals with abnormal potassium concentrations to avoid exposure to relevant sociodemographic risk factors and seek medical attention as soon as possible to screen for diseases, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.