Urine Color Analysis of Hydration Status in Employees Working in Bandung, Indonesia

Abstract

Background: Dehydration can be compensated for by the body. However, if it occurs persistently, it can cause concentration problems, thermoregulation disorders, kidney damage, and other life-threatening disorders such as cardiovascular disorders. Urine color is a simple indicator to assess a person’s hydration status. The purpose of this study was to explore the hydration status of employees working in Bandung, Indonesia. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from March to November 2019. This study was a part of another study exploring urine color levels. Urine was collected on Sunday morning when the employees were free. Water intake and workload before urine examination were not taken into account. Hydration status was divided into three categories: well-hydrated, mild/moderate dehidration, and severe dehydration. A total sampling method was used to collect data. Results: In total, 178 subjects who met the study criteria participated in the study. The majority of respondents were 40-79 years old, male, did not have hypertension or diabetes, and active smokers. Most respondents experienced severe dehydration (44.7%) although 58.1% had consumed ≥8 glasses of water/day. Conclusion: More than half employees have consumed adequate amount of water; however, the majority are severely dehydrated when assessed based on their urine color. Further study on the balance of water intake and excretion is needed to explore the phenomenon of dehydration in the morning.

Factors Affecting Change of the Urine Color as a Hydration Indicator among Critically Ill Patients

“…this results in changes in the kidney structure by a reduced size and number of the nephrons leading to decreased urinary output. This change starts slowly and progressively by age 20 years (Hauteas et al, 2020). On the other hand, Hooper et al (2016) contradicted with these results as they revealed that UC is too low to be helpful to discover hydration status in older people.…”

“…In the present study, most of the patients had UC of dehydration. Hauteas et al (2020) showed that most of the studied patients suffered from severe dehydration based on evaluating their UC. Appearance of UC of dehydration indicates concentrated urine.…”

“…Botigué et al (2021) demonstrated that dehydration is most widespread in elderly individuals. Hauteas et al (2020) presented that severe dehydration occurred among most of the patients in the age group from 40 to 79 years as the age progresses, poor flow of the blood may hasten kidney damage. Stookey (2019) and Swastika et al (2021) demonstrated that age is a factor that contributes to variations in total body fluids.…”