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Albuminuria in Aborigines and Europids of south‐eastern Australia
Author(s) -
Guest Charles S,
Larkins Richard G,
Ratnaike Sujiva
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1993.tb137872.x
Subject(s) - albuminuria , confidence interval , medicine , epidemiology , demography , urine , population , urinary system , renal function , environmental health , sociology
Objective To determine the prevalence of albuminuria in Aborigines and Australians of European descent (Europids), as part of an epidemiological study of glucose intolerance and cardiovascular risk factors based in country towns of south‐eastern Australia. Design Population‐based cross‐sectional study, with Aborigines and Europids of south‐eastern Australia as the reference populations. Method Random urine samples were collected from people aged > 35 years, and tested with Albuscreen (a test kit sensitive to urinary albumin concentrations of 0.03 g/L) and two other methods in the field. The samples were later analysed for the calculation of urinary albuminxreatinine ratios, which were then categorised according to cut‐off points for abnormal renal function that have been proposed in the literature. Results Three hundred and six Aborigines and 553 Europids participated, with response rates of 90% and 94% respectively. According to Albuscreen, albuminuria was more common in Aborigines than in Europids. In men, 36% (95% confidence interval [CI], 20%‐52%) of Aborigines exceeded the albumin concentration of 0.03 g/L, compared with 14% (CI, 9%‐19%) of Europids ( P < 0.01); in women, 39% (CI, 27%‐51%) of Aborigines exceeded 0.03 g/L, compared with 18% (CI, 12%‐24%) of Europids ( P < 0.01). Sixty‐one per cent (CI, 44%‐78%) of Aboriginal men had a urinary albuminxreatinine ratio of ≥ 1.30 mg/mmol, compared with 12% (CI, 7%‐17%) of Europid men ( P < 0.01); 56% (CI, 44%‐68%) of Aboriginal women exceeded this cut‐off point, compared with 23% (CI, 16%‐30%) of Europid women ( P < 0.01). Conclusion A higher prevalence of renal disease in the Aboriginal population of south‐eastern Australia is expected. Risk factors for renal disease in Aborigines throughout Australia require elucidation.