Abstract
Introduction. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the main chronic complications of T2DM that happens among T2DM patients who have uncontrolled glucose. Because CKD is considered a silent disease, the diagnosis is usually made at late stages when there will be few chances to prevent the adverse outcome. Aim. The goal of this study was to assess adult diabetic patients’ awareness of developing chronic kidney disease at the community level in Hail region, Saudi Arabia, in 2022. Patients and Methods. This is a cross-sectional study conducted among diabetic patients in the Hail region, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire translated into Arabic was distributed among patients with DM. The questionnaire covers social and demographic variables (such as age, gender, relationship status, and so on) as well as a 7-item questionnaire to assess the DM population’s knowledge of CKD. Results. 400 DM patients responded to our survey (51% females vs 49% males). Patients who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were 23.8% and 40.5% had a diabetes duration of 5–15 years. Nearly half (46.8%) were considered as a poor level of awareness, 29.3% had a moderate, and 24% had a good awareness level. Factors associated with an increased level of awareness were being a bachelor’s degree, being unmarried, being a student, and having a doctor as a source of CKD information. Conclusion. There was a deficiency in the level of awareness among the diabetic patients in our region. Patients who were single with better education and who were well informed by the doctors about CKD information tend to be more aware of CKD as compared to other DM patients. Further research is warranted in order to establish the awareness level of DM patients regarding CKD and its complications.