Knowledge and Risk Perceptions of Chronic Kidney Disease Risk Factors among Women of Childbearing Age in Lagos State, Nigeria: From a Health Demography Approach

BACKGROUND: Kidney disease (KD), also known as chronic kidney disease (CKD), is a long-term underrecognized public health concern and one of the eight leading causes of death in women. Despite that, little is known about women's knowledge, perceived risk, and perceptions of CKD risk factors. In this study, we assessed knowledge, perceived risk, and perceptions of CKD risk factors among women of childbearing age in Lagos State, Nigeria. METHODS: Administering a pretested and structured questionnaire among 825 women aged 15–49 years, we conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study to evaluate knowledge, self-reported CKD risk factors, and risk perception among women of childbearing age in urban and semiurban communities in Lagos State, Nigeria. We used descriptive (mean, frequencies, and percentages) and bivariate statistics (chi-square) to assess sociodemographic factors influencing knowledge and perceptions of CKD risk factors. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were further employed to assess risk perceptions of CKD factors associated with knowledge. RESULTS: Five hundred and forty (65.5%) out of 825 women reported being knowledgeable of CKD risk factors with majority of the younger adult women (15–29 years) having good knowledge than other age cohorts, with a mean age of 33.5 ± 11.5 years. The women's knowledge of CKD was found to be significantly associated with independent and dependent risk factors (p < 0.05). The major self-reported independent CKD risk factors were misuse of analgesics (NSAIDs) (OR = 1.20; p < 0.05), herbal drinks (OR = 2.30; p < 0.05), and herbal supplements (OR = 1.37; p < 0.05), while self-reported dependent CKD risk factors were hypertension (OR = 2.14; p < 0.05), family history of KD ailments (OR = 1.30; p < 0.05), and high cholesterol (OR = 1.44; p < 0.05). Similarly, majority of the women had low perceived CKD risk (54.8%), while women with CKD risk factors (independent and dependent) view themselves at decreased perceived risk for the disease compared to those who are not associated with CKD risk factors (p < 0.05). Also, findings revealed that women had poor perception of risk factors associated with CKD. The multivariate analysis of perceived risk showed that demographic factors (younger aged adults, high education, and high income), independent risk factors of CKD (misuse of NASAIDs and excessive use of herbal drink and herbal supplement), and dependent risk factors (hypertension and family history of KD ailments) were significantly associated with knowledge of CKD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study reveals high knowledge of CKD risk factors but low perceived risk and poor perception of the link between CKD risk factors and its ailments. Given this, there is a call for urgent measures to create sensitization and provide public CKD behavioural health interventions as well as easy communication strategies for women to secure better access to awareness intervention programmes and healthcare services.