Knowledge, attitude, and perception regarding chronic kidney disease among caregivers of hemodialysis patients in Puducherry: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Context: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has emerged as one of the most prominent causes of death and suffering in the 21st century. Aims: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude, and perception regarding CKD among caregivers of patients with kidney disease. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted at our institute with a well-equipped dialysis center. Subjects and Methods: The study was conducted for 3 months from August to October 2023. This study population mainly consists of caregivers of CKD patients based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A simple random sampling method has been used with an estimated sample size of 375. Statistical Analysis Used: Continuous variables were presented in the form of frequency and proportion. The Chi-square test was used for determining association. Results: Out of the 375 participants, 59.2% had good knowledge about CKD and 40.8% had poor knowledge. 57.1% had good attitude and 161 had poor attitude. 52.3% had good perception and 179 had poor perception. The study showed a significant association between age and knowledge (P < 0.001). A significant association between occupation and knowledge (P = 0.000) toward the risk of CKD was observed. The socioeconomic status of the caregivers had good association with knowledge and attitude (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Through this research, the knowledge of kidney disease can be improved among the general population in the view of reducing morbidity and mortality.

Keywords

• caregivers
• chronic kidney disease
• hemodialysis