Prevalence and Risk Factors of Renal Stones Among the Bisha Population, Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND

In urolithiasis, urinary calculi are formed in the urinary system. Stone development does not initially result in any symptoms, but later renal colic, flank pain, hematuria, obstruction of urine flow, and/or hydronephrosis may indicate renal stone disease. In addition to age, gender, ethnicity, and local climate, urolithiasis can be caused by several other factors. The prevalence and recurrence rate of kidney stone disease is rising globally, while few effective treatment options currently exist.

METHODS

Between June and October 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted. An electronic questionnaire subdivided into three categories was used to determine the prevalence and identify the factors that increase the likelihood of developing urolithiasis among the population in Bisha. The collected data were reviewed and analyzed via IBM Corp. Released 2012. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.

RESULTS

A total of 1,002 participants filled out the questionnaire. The age of the participants ranged from 18 to over 60 years, with an average age of 26.1 ± 13.9 years. There were 451 female participants (45%), and 927 (92.5%) were Saudis. According to the participants' body mass index, 98 (9.8%) were underweight, 388 (38.7%) were normal weight, 300 (29.9%) were overweight, and 216 (21.6%) were obese. The total number of participants with urolithiasis was 161 (16.1%), and 420 (41.9%) had a family history of renal stones. Urolithiasis was found to be significantly associated with family history, smoking, diabetes, hypertension, hyperthyroidism, gout, and chronic kidney disease. Older age and female gender were also associated with the risk of having urolithiasis.

CONCLUSION

This study found urolithiasis to be highly prevalent among the Bisha population. In terms of risk factors, body mass index, smoking, and diabetes were the most significant. Based on the findings of this study, the authors recommend more public education regarding urolithiasis and its risk factors, emphasizing the importance of preventing the disease and the ways of treating urolithiasis through medical campaigns and social media.