Kidney disease can affect your body’s ability to clean and filter excess water out of your blood, and control your blood pressure. When one or both of your kidneys are damaged, waste products and fluid can build up in your body. This can cause swelling in your ankles, vomiting, weakness, poor sleep, and shortness of breath. Without treatment, the damage can get worse, and your kidneys may eventually stop working. This can lead to serious problems and can even become life-threatening. (WebMd.com)

Objective

The objective of this post is to provide insight into the prevalence of kidney disease in the USA. This type of information can be useful for institutional strategies and activities such as: allocating human or economic resources, developing scientific hypotheses for continued research into the disease’s etiology or risk factors or the development of marketing strategies.

Methods

In an effort to survey many types of social, demographic, disease and behavioral outcomes in the United States and its associated territories, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) runs numerous population-based surveys. The information used to estimate kidney disease prevalence in this article came from the latest available data from a population-based survey regularly administered by the CDC known as the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS). Kidney disease prevalence is surveyed by the BRFSS using the following question: Has a doctor, nurse, or other health professional ever told you that you have kidney disease?

The complete methodology used to conduct the analyses shown in this post can be found here.

Statistical Remarks

The following statistical remarks highlight the most meaningful differences among a selected group of demographic variables based on a logistic regression model. We encourage you to refer to the graphs and tables below for a more in-depth look at the kidney disease prevalence in the USA.

An estimated 7,401,922 (2.96%) adults in the USA had kidney disease in 2016. When evaluating kidney disease by age group, adults in the 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65+ group had a 1.74, 2.74, 3.84, 4.66, and 6.82 times more likely, respectively, to report kidney disease than the 18-24 group. This differences were significant (p-value \(<\) 0.05). Among adults, females had a 2% lower likelihood of reporting having kidney disease compared to males. This difference was not significant (p-value \(>\) 0.05). In term of education level, the group high school graduate had a 9% lower likelihood of reporting having kidney disease than the reference group (those who completed only some high school). This difference was not significant (p-value \(>\) 0.05). Those with an annual income of $35k-$<$50k, and 50+k had a 25%, and 38% lower likelihood, respectively of reporting kidney disease than those whose annual income was less than $14,999. This difference was significant (p-value \(<\) 0.05). Those who were in the separated group had a 18% higher likelihood of reporting having kidney disease compared to those who reported being married. This difference was not significant (p-value \(>\) 0.05). Adults who were in the out of work \(>\) 1 year, out of work \(<\) 1 year, a homemaker, retired, and unable to work group were 1.88, 1.49, 1.43, 2.09, and 4.75 times more likely, respectively, to report having kidney disease compared to those who reported being employ for wages.

Data Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey

About Outcome Project

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Cite as follows: “Blog title”, Outcome Project, LLC., posting date, https://outcomeproject.com/blog/, access date (Date Accessed).

Disclaimer: The Outcome measures in this post were calculated by Outcome Project, LLC using our own resources to advance our mission of providing tools and information to support and inspire evidence-based decisions making. No private or government institution has any involvement in the development of this blog.


Graphs and Tables

Overall Prevalence

  • The prevalence of kidney disease among adults for the year 2016 in the USA was 2.95 (2.86-3.04) percent.
Table 1: Kidney disease prevalence among adults in the USA, 2016
Prevalence Cases Sample Size
Adults 2.96 (2.86-3.05) 7,401,922 474,786


Socio-demographics

Age group

Kidney disease prevalence among adults by age group, 2016

Figure 1: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by age group, 2016

  • Figure 1 shows that the kidney disease prevalence for the 65+ age group was higher than the other age groups.
Table 2: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by age group, 2016
Prevalence Cases (N) OR OR(SE) p-value
Age group
  18-24 0.63 (0.49-0.77) 201,794 1.00 0.00 1.00
  25-34 1.03 (0.89-1.18) 452,325 1.74 0.16 0.00
  35-44 1.72 (1.50-1.93) 705,721 2.74 0.16 0.00
  45-54 2.71 (2.49-2.93) 1,151,679 3.84 0.16 0.00
  55-64 3.91 (3.64-4.17) 1,629,736 4.66 0.16 0.00
  65+ 6.51 (6.25-6.78) 3,260,667 6.82 0.16 0.00
  • Adults in the age group of 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, 55-64, and 65+ group had a 1.74, 2.74, 3.84, 4.66, and 6.82 times more likely, respectively, to report kidney disease than the 18-24 group. This differences were significant (p-value \(<\) 0.05)

Sex

  • Figure 2 shows that males had a lower kidney disease prevalence than females.
Kidney disease prevalence among adults by sex group, 2016

Figure 2: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by sex group, 2016


  • Among adults, females had a 2% lower likelihood of reporting having kidney disease compared to males. This difference was not significant (p-value \(>\) 0.05)
Table 3: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by sex group, 2016
Prevalence Cases (N) OR OR(SE) p-value
Sex
  Males 2.73 (2.59-2.86) 3,327,010 1.00 0.00 1.00
  Females 3.16 (3.04-3.29) 4,074,885 0.98 0.03 0.77


Education level

  • When comparing education level, those who reported having finished some high school had the highest prevalence of kidney disease, reported to be, 4.46%. (Figure 3).
Kidney disease prevalence among adults by education level, 2016

Figure 3: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by education level, 2016


  • Using the adjusted odds ratio, the group high school graduate had a 9% lower likelihood of reporting having kidney disease than the reference group (some high school).

  • This difference was not significant (p-value \(>\) 0.05)

Table 4: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by education level, 2016
Prevalence Cases (N) OR OR(SE) p-value
Education group
  Some High School 4.45 (4.07-4.83) 1,551,318 1.00 0.00 1.00
  High School Graduate 3.04 (2.88-3.20) 2,138,980 0.91 0.06 0.14
  Some Collage 2.97 (2.80-3.13) 2,307,133 1.06 0.06 0.32
  College Graduate 2.04 (1.93-2.15) 1,366,201 0.91 0.07 0.19


Income level

  • Figure 4 shows that adults whose annual household income was $<15k, had a higher kidney disease prevalence than those in other income groups.
Kidney disease prevalence among adults by household income level, 2016

Figure 4: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by household income level, 2016


  • Those with annual income of $35k-$<$50k, and 50+k had a 25%, and 38% lower likelihood, respectively of reporting kidney disease than those whose annual income was less than $14,999. This difference was significant (p-value \(<\) 0.05)
Table 5: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by income level, 2016
Prevalence Cases (N) OR OR(SE) p-value
Income group
  <15k 5.27 (4.86-5.69) 1,218,877 1.00 0.00 1.00
  15k-<25k 4.09 (3.82-4.35) 1,473,478 0.96 0.05 0.49
  25k-<35k 3.61 (3.24-3.99) 787,489 0.92 0.07 0.34
  35k-<50k 2.75 (2.50-3.00) 780,569 0.75 0.07 0.00
50+k 1.85 (1.74-1.96) 1,840,410 0.62 0.07 0.00


Marital Status

  • Adults who reported being widowed at the time of the interview had the highest kidney disease prevalence among all marital status groups. Refer to figure 5.
Kidney disease prevalence among adults by marital status , 2016

Figure 5: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by marital status , 2016


  • Those who were separated group had a 18% higher likelihood of reporting having kidney disease compared to those who reported being married. This difference was not significant (p-value \(>\) 0.05)
Table 6: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by marital status, 2016
Prevalence Number OR OR(SE) p-value
Marital group
  Married 2.85 (2.72-2.97) 3,586,454 1.00 0.00 1.00
  Divorced 4.32 (3.99-4.64) 1,173,033 1.01 0.05 0.84
  Widowed 6.84 (6.39-7.30) 1,158,596 1.08 0.05 0.12
  Separated 4.25 (3.52-4.99) 273,154 1.18 0.10 0.11
  Never married 1.52 (1.38-1.66) 919,096 0.89 0.06 0.11
  Unmarried couple 2.07 (1.66-2.49) 251,942 1.16 0.12 0.21


Employment Status

  • Adults who reported being out of work > 1 year at the time of the interview had the highest kidney disease prevalence (Figure 6).
Kidney disease prevalence among adults by employment status, 2016

Figure 6: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by employment status, 2016


  • Adults who were out of work \(>\) 1 year, out of work \(<\) 1 year, a homemaker, retired, and unable to work group were 1.88, 1.49, 1.43, 2.09, and 4.75 times more likely, respectively, to report having kidney disease compared to those who reported being employ for wages.
Table 7: Kidney disease prevalence among adults by employment status, 2016
Prevalence Cases (N) OR OR(SE) p-value
Employment status
  Employ for Wages 1.30 (1.21-1.40) 1,562,187 1.00 0.00 1.00
  Self-employed 1.80 (1.54-2.07) 396,561 1.11 0.09 0.23
  Out of work > 1 year 3.19 (2.54-3.84) 200,903 1.88 0.12 0.00
  Out of work < 1 Year 1.89 (1.48-2.30) 133,496 1.49 0.12 0.00
  A homemaker 2.56 (2.19-2.93) 413,248 1.43 0.10 0.00
  A student 0.73 (0.49-0.97) 105,950 1.18 0.20 0.41
Retired 6.16 (5.89-6.43) 2,769,621 2.09 0.05 0.00
Unable to work 9.98 (9.36-10.5) 1,733,322 4.75 0.06 0.00

Data Source: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey
Note: Estimates were calculated by Outcome Project, LLC

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