Prevalence and Risk Factors for CKD in the General Population of Southwestern Nicaragua.

Background: Studies have described Mesoamerican nephropathy among agricultural workers of El Salvador and northwestern Nicaragua. Data on prevalence and risk factors for CKD beyond agricultural workers and in other regions in Nicaragua are sparse.

Methods: We recruited participants from 32 randomly selected communities in the Department of Rivas's ten municipalities in two phases.

The Rivas Cohort Study: design and baseline characteristics of a Nicaraguan cohort.

Background: A lack of advanced healthcare information systems and validated scientific cohorts in Nicaragua makes it difficult to estimate disease prevalences and other public health statistics. Although there is concern of an "epidemic" of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in this country, statistics regarding its magnitude are derived from only a small number of non-representative studies. Budgetary constraints and the logistical problems of maintaining a study cohort make longitudinal studies difficult.