AFRICAN AMERICANS ’ KNOWLEDGE AND BEHAVIOR REGARDING EARLY DETECTION OF KIDNEY DISEASE

Background: Kidney disease is an African American public health crisis. The National Kidney Disease Education Program conducted the first survey of African Americans about their knowledge and behaviors related to kidney disease to inform interventions that can address this phenomenon. Methods: Using random-digit dialing, 2,039 African Americans were surveyed from seven states (GA, MD, OH, MS, LA, MO, TN). Results: Even though almost half (43.7%) of the African Americans surveyed had a risk factor for kidney disease, only 2.8 % reported that kidney disease was a top health concern for them. Less than half of surveyed respondents knew the correct definition of kidney disease (48.6%), knew a test to diagnose kidney disease (39.5%), or knew that African Americans were at higher risk for kidney disease (18.1%). Less than 15% mentioned that kidney disease could be a negative consequence of unmanaged diabetes (13.6%), hypertension (12.1%), or a family history of kidney disease (2.4%). African Americans who were objectively at risk for kidney disease did not always perceive themselves to be at higher risk: 75 % of African Americans with risk factors for kidney disease did not perceive themselves to be at higher risk. Conclusion: This study indicates that kidney disease is not currentl