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During the congress, E-Posters will be accessible to all participants on the congress website 24/7, as well as in the E-poster stations in the congress center.
Preparing your E-Poster
Please review the E-Poster format requirements carefully when preparing your E-Poster. Should your E-Poster not meet the mentioned requirements, it may not be displayed as described above.
E-Poster Submission Deadline
Please prepare and upload your E-Poster no later than March 14, 2026 11.59PM CET. After this date, you will no longer be able to prepare and upload your E-poster and it will not be displayed and accessible on the congress website.
Please follow the instructions below to input your abstract title.
Abstract titles should be brief and reflect the content of the abstract.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing public health challenge affecting an estimated 10–13% of the global population, with Ghanaian prevalence reported at 13.3%. Despite the high burden and rising mortality, awareness in young adults is variable, and misconceptions about risk factors, screening, and early symptoms can delay care. University students, especially in a science- and health‑oriented setting such as Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), are a pivotal audience for prevention messaging and future advocacy. This study assessed the knowledge and perceptions of CKD among KNUST students and identified academic determinants influencing awareness.
We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional survey of 429 randomly selected KNUST students aged 15–40 years. Data were collected via a structured online questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge of kidney anatomy and function, perception of CKD, recognition of risk factors and symptoms, and preventive and treatment practices. Responses were analyzed using STATA; associations between knowledge/perception and student characteristics were evaluated with chi-square tests and logistic regression.
The majority of participants were aged 15–24 years (94.4%), male (61.3%), and first-year undergraduates (37.5%). Overall, 64.3% demonstrated good CKD knowledge, yet 80.0% exhibited low perception of its severity. While 99.1% correctly identified the number of kidneys and 89.7% recognized renal filtration, misconceptions persisted: 46.6% believed kidneys secrete insulin and 35.7% thought they store urine. Although 84.4% had heard of CKD, only 43.8% classified it as non-communicable. Commonly identified risk factors included NSAID use (80.9%), inadequate hydration (70.2%), and alcohol/smoking (86.7%); fewer students recognized diabetes (55.0%), hypertension (52.2%), or herbal medications (42.9%) as contributors. Symptom awareness was low (e.g., fatigue 14.2%, early asymptomatic stages 18.5%). Only 13.3% had undergone kidney function testing. Academic variables, such as year of study, college, and programme, were significantly associated with good knowledge (p < 0.001), and third-year status predicted lower odds of good knowledge (aOR = 0.50, p = 0.027).
Despite high baseline awareness of CKD, substantial gaps remain in accurate disease classification, risk factor recognition, and screening uptake among KNUST students. These findings underscore the need for integrated, campus-wide educational interventions and accessible screening initiatives to enhance CKD literacy and promote early detection.
