The Significance of Abnormal Urine Stream in the Male Infant: A Survey of Mothers’ Knowledge in a South-East Nigerian City and Implications for Preventive Nephrology

Abstract

Introduction/Aim:  Chronic kidney disease (CKD) in children is now a global health problem, and obstructive uropathy plays a major causative role. Reports however indicate limited CKD knowledge and awareness among caregivers which may be a draw-back in ‘preventive nephrology’. The study aims to determine the knowledge of mothers regarding the significance of abnormal urine stream in the male newborn infant. Study Design: Paediatric Nephrology Clinic, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, South-East Nigeria. Period of six months (June to December, 2013). Place and Duration: Paediatric Nephrology Clinic, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu, south-east Nigeria. Period of six months (June to December, 2013). Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive study of 204 mothers who met the study criteria was conducted using interviewer-administered, structured questionnaires. Their knowledge on whether abnormal stream suggests disease was measured on a rating scale of 1=never, 2=sometimes to 3=always. Data were analyzed with appropriate descriptive statistics on SPSS (version 13.0). P value <0.05 was chosen as level of statistical significance. Results: Eighty eight (43.1%) of the mothers had a knowledge scale of 3, while 70 (34.3%) had a scale of 2. There was no statistically significant difference between the social classes of the two groups of mothers (P=.25). Conclusion: The over-all knowledge of mothers is adjudged as modest and is not influenced by socio-economic status. Preventive intervention strategies should include health education to promote early self-referral and diagnosis.