Urinary Electrolyte Patterns among Populations of Grand Sido and Kouh-Est: A Comparative Study | Chapter 7 | New Horizons of Science, Technology and Culture Vol. 9

 

Background: Urinary electrolytes play a key role in assessing hydration status, metabolism and renal function. The term “urinary electrolytes” generally refers to the urinary concentrations of sodium, potassium, and chloride. In many parts of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, data on the composition and concentration of urinary electrolytes remain limited, especially in rural areas.

 

Aims: This study aimed to characterise and quantify the major urinary electrolytes (Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Cl⁻) in two rural areas of southern Chad: Grand Sido and Kouh-Est.

 

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was conducted among 783 volunteer participants aged 5–90 years residing in Grand Sido (n = 430) and Kouh-Est (n = 353). Morning urine samples were collected under aseptic conditions and transported to the laboratory in accordance with storage conditions. Urinary concentrations of sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺), and chloride (Cl⁻) were determined using standardised biochemical methods (colourimetric methods). Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-square test to compare electrolyte profiles between the two areas and across age groups, with a significance threshold set at p < 0.05.

 

Findings: This study highlights significant differences in urinary electrolyte profiles between Grand Sido and Kouh-Est, reflecting the influence of nutritional factors, access to drinking water, and local environmental conditions. The observed prevalence of electrolyte imbalances, particularly hyponatraemia and hypocalcaemia, suggests a state of nutritional and metabolic vulnerability within the studied populations. These disturbances may be associated with inadequate dietary intake, increased hydroelectrolytic losses, or the presence of chronic and endemic parasitic diseases, including renal disorders and schistosomiasis.

 

Conclusion: These findings provide a useful reference for assessing hydration status and renal function in these rural populations. They also offer an important basis for developing targeted nutrition, prevention, and public health strategies adapted to the specific context of southern Chad. Despite certain limitations, including the absence of systematic measurement of urinary creatinine and acid–base parameters and limited information on participants’ dietary habits, this study provides important preliminary data and a regional baseline that may guide future research in southern Chad.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Abdelsalam Hassan Gogo
Laboratoire d’expertise, de Diagnostic et de Recherche (LaboRedes), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé Humaine, Université de N'Djamena, BP 1117, Chad.

 

Mahamat Alhadj Moussa Ibrahim
Laboratoire d’expertise, de Diagnostic et de Recherche (LaboRedes), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé Humaine, Université de N'Djamena, BP 1117, Chad.

 

Brahim Adoum Ahmat
Laboratoire d’expertise, de Diagnostic et de Recherche (LaboRedes), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé Humaine, Université de N'Djamena, BP 1117, Chad.

 

Abdelsalam Tidjani
Laboratoire d’expertise, de Diagnostic et de Recherche (LaboRedes), Faculté des Sciences de la Santé Humaine, Université de N'Djamena, BP 1117, Chad.

 

Aly Savadogo
Laboratoire de Biochimie et Immunologie Appliquées (LaBIA), Université Joseph KI-Zerbo, BP 7131 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/nhstc/v9/7285