New Delhi: The prevalence of impaired kidney function (IKF) among Indian kids and adolescents, at 4.9 percent, could be multiple times higher than the global average, the first nationwide estimate of the condition based on the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) has suggested. This prevalence rate translates to about 49,000 per million kids and teenagers living with compromised kidney function in the country.
The analysis carried out by researchers at the International Institute for Population Sciences (Mumbai) , The George Institute of Public Health (Delhi) and some other institutes has come out in the journal Springer Nature this week. It showed that rural residence, non-reserved social caste, less educated mothers, children with severe stunting or being overweight or obese, and residence in Southern India among others were the predictors of IKF, which when persistent for three months or more is called chronic kidney disease (CKD), a pressing public health concern. “The prevalence of IKF among children and adolescents in India is high compared to available global estimates,” the researchers have noted.
In the absence of repeated eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)-based estimates, these nationally representative estimates are intriguing and call for further assessment of socio-demographic disparities, genetics, and risk behaviors to have better clinical insights and public health preparedness, they also cautioned. Dr Vivekanand Jha, executive director.
