Prevalence of indicators of renal and urinary disorders among select nomad tribal populations

Abstract

Background: The prevalence and incidence of renal kidney disease in developing countries are at the increase. The lack of knowledge becomes an stumbling block to the adoption of preventive measures which may be of great help to the asymptomatic subjects .Urinalysis, a simple and inexpensive test, remains a basis in the evaluation of the kidney functioning and may easily be employed for screening population for renal abnormalities. Objectives: Urinalysis was done to evaluate the indicators of renal and urinary abnormalities among select Nomad Tribal Populations of Rajasthan, India. Methods: 1142 persons (526 males and 616 females) aged >18 years were examined from a cluster of three districts i.e. Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Churu. The urine examination emphasized the collection of mid-stream clean catch urine for chemical analysis by urine Xpress dipstick method. Results: Apparently healthy subjects were screened for urinalysis. Renal and urinary abnormalities were detected in 3054 subjects. The most common form of urinary abnormality was hematuria (38.1 %.) This was found in 435 subjects. Other renal abnormalities were leucocyturia (34.2%) and proteinuria (25.7%).Conclusion: This was the first urinalysis screening study on these populations that define the asymptomatic individuals for various risks for renal diseases. A confirmatory test is further required for proper diagnosis of the renal diseases.