Knowledge about Chronic Kidney Disease among Patients with Diabetes and Hypertension in a Hospital

Abstract

Background: Patients with diabetes and hypertension have a high risk of early progression to chronic kidney disease which results poor patient outcomes and high treatment costs. Patients’ awareness on complications of diabetes and hypertension enables them adopt healthy life style and good treatment adherence thus prevent the chronic kidney disease. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of chronic kidney disease and find the association of knowledge and sociodemographic variables among patients with diabetes and hypertension.

Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in Outpatient Department of a community hospital, Kapilvastu, among 95 patients with diabetes and hypertension. Purposive sampling technique was used to select the patients. Data was collected through face-to-face interviews with a structured interview questionnaire. Collected data was entered in SPSS and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The study result found that 43.2% of respondents had a high level of knowledge 40.0% had moderate level of knowledge, and 16.8% had a low level of knowledge regarding chronic kidney disease.

Conclusions: Based on the findings of the study, more than half of the respondents have a moderate to low level of knowledge on prevention of chronic kidney disease. Awareness-raising programs need to be conducted regularly to delay the progression and prevention of chronic kidney disease for patients who have diabetes and hypertension.