Albuminuria in a Remote South Australian Aboriginal Community: Results of a Community-Based Screening Program for Renal Disease

The poverty, poor environmental living conditions and poor health standards experienced by Aboriginal Australians in some communities in rural and remote Australia have been described recently as `fourth world'. The study objectives were to identify the prevalence of risk factors for renal disease, notably albuminuria, in adults from a remote Aboriginal community, and to examine the association of albuminuria with other risk factors; to empower Aboriginal health workers to self-manage a sustainable, community-controlled renal health program; and to assess the reliability and cultural acceptability of point-of-care technology for detecting renal disease.