News

Latest poll shows only minor improvement in some areas of knowledge

MONTREAL – December 17, 2024 – Canadians need to put kidney health on their radar. According to a new Ipsos poll conducted recently on behalf of The Kidney Foundation of Canada, 55% of people indicate they know nothing about kidney disease, and 52% show a lack awareness regarding the risks.

Although there is some improvement in general awareness, a 4% improvement since 2022 when the poll was last conducted, there is still vast room for improvement as Canadians lack detailed understandings of kidney function and kidney health risks.

“Kidneys play a vital and under-recognized role in our health and we are committed to building increased understanding,” said Elizabeth Myles, National Executive Director of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. “We’ll press forward with our efforts to raise awareness of the seriousness of kidney disease. Our goal is to have more people identify risks and symptoms earlier so that preventative measures can be taken before permanent damage is done.”

Kidneys are vital organs required for survival and quality of life. One in 10 Canadians have kidney disease and numbers continue to rise. Although there is currently no cure, new and more effective treatments are available to delay the progression of kidney disease and reduce the risk of complications. For those whose kidneys have failed, a lifetime of treatment through dialysis or transplant is needed.

Awareness of the symptoms of kidney disease is most recognizable among a younger demographic of 18-34-year-olds. Overall, 16% of Canadians could identify some symptoms in 2024 compared to 14% in 2022. Specifically, they named kidney damage or reduced function (10% vs. 8% in 2022), increasing to 13% for women compared to 7% of men. One quarter (25%) of younger Canadians aged 18-34 identified symptoms of kidney disease, which is significantly higher than 35–54-year-olds (14%) and those age 55+ (11%).

While men (54%) are more uncertain than women (51%) when it comes to knowing the risks for kidney disease, men’s lack of awareness has improved by 10% this year compared to 2022, dropping from 67% to 57%.

“Risk for kidney disease is significantly linked to other prevalent health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension,” said Ms. Myles. “We encourage Canadians of all ages to learn more about their personal risk factors by taking our quiz at kidney.ca/risk.”

Contact:
Wendy Kudeba
National Director, Marketing & Communications
The Kidney Foundation of Canada
[email protected]
289-329-0757

About The Kidney Foundation of Canada
Excellent kidney health, optimal quality of life, and a cure for kidney disease. For 60 years, this vision has guided us to be a collaborative, inventive and focused leader in the development of programs, services, research opportunities and awareness campaigns that have had a positive impact on the millions of Canadians living with, or at risk of developing kidney disease. The Foundation's national research program has grown to become one of the most important sources of funding for scientists conducting kidney-related research. We are also committed to providing education, information and support about kidneys and kidney disease. For more information, visit kidney.ca.

About the Study
These are the findings of an Ipsos survey conducted on behalf of The Kidney Foundation of Canada. Fieldwork was conducted between November 4 and November 6, 2024. A total of n=1002 Canadians aged 18+ participated in the survey which was fielded via the Ipsos’ panel. Quotas and weighting were used to ensure the sample's composition reflects that of the Canadian population according to census parameters. This survey has a credibility interval of +/- 2.4 per cent 19 times out of 20, of what the results would have been had all Canadian adults 18+ been surveyed.