KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS, CAUSES AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE IN CHILDREN

Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health problem. its an overwhelming illness in children with many complications and increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the knowledge of pediatric CKD, its risk factors, manifestation, and treatment in the general population in Saudi Arabia. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, awareness of CKD in children was assessed in 415 participants using a validated survey, between May and October 2017 in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through an online form that was randomly distributed. Results: data showed that; 76.1% had knowledge about the disease; 64.6%, causes; 51.3%, symptoms and signs, and 80.2%, treatment. Both males and females showed knowledge with no statistically significant difference. Older people in the sample demonstrated significantly higher level of knowledge about the disease than younger people (p<0.015). The mean score differences between those who knew about CKD versus those who did not (p<0.001) were also statistically significant. Thus, not all participants had sufficient knowledge about CKD in children. Conclusions: our study showed that not all participants have sufficient knowledge about CKD in children. Therefore, Educational programs, public national campaigns targeting young audience and screening programs for children at risk of developing CKD are highly recommended.