Perception of Dietary Influences on Renal Stone Formation Among the General Population

Abstract

Introduction Urolithiasis is a common disorder worldwide with an increasing prevalence and high recurrence rate. This makes preventive measures like dietary modification an essential part of patient care. This study focuses on gauging the perception of dietary habits favoring kidney stone formation. Materials and methods A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. For nine food items and 14 beverages, respondents chose one of four options with regards to their relationship with stone formation, i.e. “increasing”, “decreasing”, “no effect”, and “do not know”. Responses were matched against evidence from the literature to generate correct and incorrect responses, thereby gauging perception for individual items. Results Seven hundred and three participants including 69 (9.6%) with a prior history of kidney stones, were recruited for the study. Participants with a personal history of kidney stone disease were older (odds ratio {OR}: 1.042 CI 1.020-1.064) with a significantly higher family history of stones (OR: 2.151 CI: 1.472-3.144). The majority were managed medically (87%) but never received dietary counseling (57%). Water, soft drinks, and tomatoes were the only three items out of 23 that were correctly identified by >50% of the participants with regards to their effect on stone formation. Responses did not differ significantly between those with stone disease and those without. Conclusion There is a lack of awareness among the general population, including individuals with a prior history of kidney stones regarding dietary prevention of kidney stone disease. This demonstrates a lack of existing dietary counseling thus necessitating the need for incorporating it at a mass level.

Risk Factors of Kidney Stones in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study

“…The study indicates a higher prevalence of kidney stones among males (53.3%) compared to females (45.7%). This is consistent with findings from studies conducted in other regions of Pakistan, including Rawalpindi (56.65%), Lahore (54%), and Karachi (62.3%) [ 14 - 16 ]. Kidney stones were notably more prevalent (49.1%) among individuals aged 31 to 45 years, followed by the age group of 18 to 30 years (36.4%).…”

“…Kidney stones were notably more prevalent (49.1%) among individuals aged 31 to 45 years, followed by the age group of 18 to 30 years (36.4%). Similarly, studies in Karachi and Multan also reported a high incidence of kidney stones among participants aged 30 to 49 years, at frequencies of 61.1% and 53.6%, respectively [ 16 , 17 ]. However, studies conducted in Lahore and Rawalpindi indicated that kidney stones were more prevalent (47.55%) among those aged 30 years or below, at rates of 47.55% and 54%, respectively, followed by the age group of 31 to 45 years (28.68%) and 31 to 40 years (34%), respectively [ 14 , 15 ].…”

A chemical odyssey: Exploring renal stone diversity by age and sex in Punjab, Pakistan

“…Numerous epidemiological studies have documented variations in the incidence of renal calculosis geographically. These studies provide a piece of substantiating evidence for the proposition that individuals residing in warmer climates exhibit a greater lifetime prevalence of urolithiasis, attributable to the effects of dehydration [3] . Our country, Pakistan resides in the Afro-Asian stone-forming belt with a prevalence of renal stones at approximately 16% [4] .…”