Knowledge and Awareness of Chronic Kidney Disease among the General Population: A Systematic Review

Background: As a serious public health problem, chronic kidney disease (CKD) often shows no symptoms until it has progressed. Meanwhile, limited knowledge and awareness of the general population may delay early detection, impair preventive behavior, and increase exposure to modifiable risks, such as uncontrolled hypertension and diabetes, inappropriate medication use, and unsafe use of herbal supplements. Therefore, it is essential to improve community-based education, early screening, and pharmacy practice interventions by assessing the general public’s knowledge and awareness of CKD.Objectives: This systematic review synthesizes evidence on public knowledge and awareness of CKD and identifies factors influencing them.Methods: Web of Science, Scopus, and EBSCO databases were searched for relevant studies published in 2015–2024 using combinations of the keywords “knowledge,” “awareness,” “chronic kidney disease,” “public,” and “general population.” This study included original full-text English-language articles examining CKD-related knowledge and/or awareness in the general population. Meanwhile, systematic reviews, non-English articles, and studies that did not focus on the general population were excluded. The methodological quality of the reviewed studies was evaluated using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies.Results: This review identified 176 records, 152 of which were screened after duplicate removal. Following the screening process, 15 cross-sectional studies involving 17,705 respondents were included. Most studies reported low public knowledge and awareness of CKD, particularly those regarding kidney function, symptoms, risk factors, diagnosis, and complications of CKD, and medication-related risks. Higher education, income, employment status, and health status, family history of CKD, and previous kidney function testing were frequently associated with better knowledge and awareness.Conclusion: Public knowledge and awareness of CKD remain inadequate across settings. These findings contribute to structured public education, early detection programs, and pharmacist-supported community interventions to improve CKD awareness and promote safer medication use.