Awareness Regarding Chronic Kidney Disease Among Adults Attending Patan Hospital, Lalitpur District of Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study

Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD) is a progressive and permanent loss of kidney function that represents a major public health burden globally and in Nepal. Despite rising prevalence, awareness remains low, delay in early detection and screening. This study aimed to assess CKD awareness among general adult outpatients visiting Patan Hospital in Lalitpur, with emphasis on domains including diagnosis, screening frequency, and asymptomatic progression areas inadequately explored in previous studies. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among 96 adults selected via a convenience sampling technique. Data were collected from September 7 to September 24, 2025 (22 Bhadra to 8 Ashoj 2082 B.S) through face-to-face interviews using a researcher-developed structured questionnaire in Nepali language. Descriptive analysis was performed using GNU PSPP version 2.0.0. The respondents had a moderate level of awareness (70.8%) concerning CKD, with 15.6% and 13.5% exhibiting low and high levels of awareness respectively. While the respondents showed relatively stronger knowledge of risk factors (69.3%) and preventive measures (83.9%), awareness level was notably lower regarding the methods of diagnosis and recommended frequency for screenings (42.1%). Most of the general adult outpatients showed a moderate degree of awareness concerning CKD. Even though their level of understanding regarding risk factors and prevention was adequate, they had a limited knowledge of diagnosis methods and frequency of screenings. These results emphasize that hospital staff including nursing department should play a vital role in implementing educational programs, focusing specifically on diagnostic procedures and screening schedules to improve the early identification of CKD.