Attitudes and Behaviors of African Americans Regarding Early Detection of Kidney Disease
Received 29 June 2007; accepted 12 December 2007. published online 07 March 2008.
Refers to article:
Challenges for Public Campaigns to Improve the Health of Persons at High Risk of Developing CKD
L. Ebony Boulware
American Journal of Kidney Diseases
April 2008 (Vol. 51, Issue 4, Pages 535-538) Full Text |
Full-Text PDF (93 KB)
Background
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an African American public health crisis. To inform interventions, the National Kidney Disease Education Program surveyed African Americans about their attitudes and behaviors regarding early detection of kidney disease and screening.
Study Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting & Participants
2,017 African Americans from 7 states (Georgia, Maryland, Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana, Missouri, and Tennessee) selected by using a random-digit dialing telephone survey (response rate, 42.4%).
Predictors
Demographic, risk, knowledge, and behavior variables.
Outcomes & Measurements
Perception of CKD as a top health concern, perceived risk of getting kidney disease, and accurate knowledge about CKD and its prevention.
Results
Only 23.5% of African Americans were screened for kidney disease in the last year. Although almost half (43.7%) of African Americans had a CKD risk factor, only 2.8% reported that CKD was a top health concern. Almost half knew the correct definition of kidney disease (48.6%), but few knew a test to diagnose CKD (23.7%) or that African Americans were at greater risk of developing CKD (18.1%). African Americans who had diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 3.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.17 to 4.76), hypertension (OR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.28 to 2.44), at least a bachelor’s degree (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.17 to 2.66), who had spoken with a medical professional (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.19 to 2.85) or their family (OR, 1.61; 95% CI, 1.11 to 2.38) about kidney disease, who knew that a family history of kidney disease is a risk factor (OR, 2.32; 95% CI, 1.08 to 5.0), and who had been tested for CKD in the last year (OR, 1.45; 95% CI, 1.03 to 2.0) were more likely to correctly perceive themselves at increased risk.
Limitations
Respondents were primarily African American women from urban areas.
Conclusions
Most African Americans have poor knowledge about CKD, do not perceive it as an important health problem, and are not getting screened. To increase early detection of kidney disease through screenings, educational efforts linking kidney disease prevention to other diseases that are health priorities for African Americans are necessary.
4The National Kidney Disease Education Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
5Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
Address correspondence to Amy D. Waterman, PhD, Division of General Medical Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 8005, 660 S Euclid, St Louis, MO 63110.
ABSTRACT