Prevalence of proteinuria on urine dipstick in pupils: case of secondary schools in the City of Goma, North Kivu Province

Abstract

Introduction : Proteinuria can reveal the presence of renal disease, particularly in young people, and may alert the caregiver to the presence of CKD even before the GFR falls. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of proteinuria in students.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study from November to December 2023. It included all pupils with grades from the 1st form to 4th form; between 15 and 20 years of age; enrolled during the the 2022-2023 school year in the five secondary schools we researched in the city of Goma and who had given their consent. The proteinuria was detected by urine dipstick.

Results : Among the 310 pupils surveyed (127 males and 183 females, mean age 17±0.34 years), the prevalence of proteinuria was 3.23% ; 9.4% of participants consumed alcohol (p=0.001), and 1.6% smoke (p=0.001). Mean weight 33± 0.775; the most represented siblings are the 4th form and above (43.2%) ; BMI of 21 ± 0.817; 0.3% obese ; 1% with a history of hypertension (p=0.0002); no pupils  with a history of diabetes (p=0,000) and 0.3% with history of CKD (p=0, 0001).

Conclusion : Proteinuria is frequent among secondary school pupils in Goma, with a prevalence with a prevalence of 3.23%. Better prevention of associated factors will help reduce the occurrence of kidney disease in the long term.