Chronic kidney disease awareness: a cross-sectional study in primary care settings in Türkiye

Raising awareness of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is essential for early detection and prevention, since the condition remains largely underdiagnosed, particularly in primary care settings. The present study aimed to evaluate awareness levels regarding the causes and symptoms of CKD among individuals receiving primary care.

This cross-sectional study included 457 participants recruited from two primary care centers in Türkiye using systematic random sampling. The data were collected via face-to-face interviews using a pre-tested questionnaire between April and June 2023. Awareness levels were classified using Bloom's cutoff points-high awareness (≥ 80%), moderate awareness (60-79%), and low awareness (< 60%).

The mean age of the participants was 42.3 ± 14.9 years. The study population consisted of 55.4% women, 51.2% of the participants were aged 18-39, 74.6% were married, and 53.4% held at least a university bachelor's degree. As for CKD awareness, 64.1% were aware that CKD can be caused by pain medication, 56% that it can be caused by hypertension, and 48.8% that it can result from diabetes. Additionally, 58.6% were aware that swelling of the feet and ankles can represent a symptom of CKD. Awareness of the causes and symptoms of CKD was low in 78.6% of our participants (n = 359), moderate in 17.5% (n = 80) and high in 3.9% (n = 18). Individuals who recalled having been informed about these causes and symptoms by their primary care physicians exhibited higher awareness. No significant differences in awareness were observed across different sociodemographic groups. A positive correlation was observed between awareness of the causes of CKD and awareness of its symptoms.

Awareness of CKD causes and symptoms among the participants was limited, nearly half being unaware of key risk factors such as painkiller use, obesity, hypertension, smoking, diabetes, and herbal product use. Increased education, particularly by primary care physicians, may improve awareness and early detection rates.