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Screening proteinuria and hematuria in Malaysian children
D Zainal1, A Baba, B E Mustaffa
1Department of Medicine, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kelantan, Malaysia.
Insights
This study screened Malaysian primary school children for proteinuria and hematuria, finding a low prevalence of these urinary abnormalities, crucial for preventing chronic kidney disease.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Nephrology
- Public Health
Background:
- Screening for proteinuria and hematuria is vital for early detection and prevention of chronic kidney disease.
- No prior studies have established the prevalence of these urinary abnormalities in Malaysian primary school children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of proteinuria and hematuria among primary school children in Kelantan, Malaysia.
- To provide baseline data for future renal disease prevention strategies in this population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional screening study involving 45,149 primary school children (23,289 boys, 21,860 girls) across three districts in Kelantan.
- Urinary screening for proteinuria and hematuria was conducted, with data analyzed after the third screening.
- Prevalence rates were calculated for boys and girls separately, identifying common abnormalities.
Main Results:
- The overall prevalence of abnormal urinary sediments was 0.17% (0.07% in boys, 0.10% in girls).
- Proteinuria was the most common abnormality (0.12%), followed by hematuria (0.03%) and combined proteinuria/hematuria (0.02%).
- Hematuria was more prevalent in girls, while proteinuria showed similar prevalence in both sexes; most abnormalities were mild.
Conclusions:
- The prevalence of asymptomatic proteinuria and hematuria in Malaysian primary school children is lower than previously reported.
- These findings suggest a low burden of significant urinary abnormalities in this population, but continued monitoring is recommended.
- The study provides essential data for public health initiatives aimed at preventing chronic renal disease in children.
Abstract:
Screening for proteinuria and hematuria is important in the prevention of chronic renal disease. In Malaysia to date no such attempt has been made to establish the prevalence of proteinuria and hematuria. A total of 45,149 primary school children from three districts in Kelantan were screened for proteinuria and hematuria. They were 23,289 boys and 21,860 girls. The prevalence of abnormal urinary sediments after third screening was 0.17% ie 0.07% were in boys and 0.10% were in girls. The commonest abnormality was proteinuria (0.12%), followed by hematuria (0.03%) and combination of proteinuria and hematuria (0.02%). Hematuria was more commonly seen in girls compared to boys while proteinuria was seen in almost equal proportion in boys and girls. Despite screening large number of children the prevalence of asymptomatic proteinuria and hematuria was far lower than in an earlier reported study. Furthermore the majority had mild abnormalities.