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Once you have a group of individuals interested in learning about kidney disease and its risk factors, organize a Make the Kidney Connection conversation. The conversation should only take 15 to 20 minutes and include information about how to know if they are at risk, how to get tested, and what can be done if they have kidney disease.
The group can be as small or as large as you like. The conversation should be an open exchange of information, experiences, advice, and support. Below are sample approaches for discussing kidney disease with your faith-based family.
- Greeting and Session Introduction
This introduction will help you start your session and thank the participants for coming. It also will help you set the tone for the session.
Hello,
Thank you all for giving me some time today to talk with you about kidney disease and its connection to diabetes and high blood pressure. Kidney disease is a silent killer in the African American community, and it needs to be addressed. I’m happy to see that you’re taking time out of your busy schedule to talk about this important issue. During this session, we will go over the risk factors of kidney disease, testing and treatment, and discuss steps to help you protect your kidneys.
Additionally, the National Kidney Disease Education Program (NKDEP) has provided us with materials about kidney disease to help us stay informed. I will distribute them during our conversation.
Let’s begin. Why should we know about kidney disease?
- African Americans are nearly four times more likely than Caucasians to develop kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant.
- African Americans suffer to a much greater extent than other groups from two of the leading causes of kidney disease—diabetes and high blood pressure. Many of us have one or both of these conditions, but don’t know that they put us at risk for kidney disease.
- African Americans make up about 12 percent of the population but account for 32 percent of people with kidney failure.
- Almost 80 percent of kidney failure cases among African Americans are caused by diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Finally, if kidney disease is diagnosed and treated early, kidney failure can be delayed or prevented.
- Talk about Kidney Disease and Risk Factors
Find out what the group knows about kidney disease risk factors.
Who can name one of the two leading causes of kidney disease?
Give participants a chance to offer responses. You are likely to get a variety of causes. But the leading causes of kidney disease are: diabetes and high blood pressure. Remember, having just one of them puts a person at risk for developing kidney disease.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two leading causes of kidney failure. As I said earlier, they cause almost 80 percent of kidney failure cases among African Americans. Other risk factors include a family history of kidney failure—a mother, father, sister, or brother who has had kidney failure—and heart disease.
If you have diabetes OR high blood pressure OR heart disease OR a family history of kidney failure, you are at risk of developing kidney disease.
You don’t have to raise your hand, but think about it. How many of you are at risk for kidney disease or know a family member who is at risk?
Hand out the Kidney Disease, Diabetes & High Blood Pressure fact sheets.
- Talk about Testing and Treatment
What do you do if you are at risk? Get tested.
Testing is the only way to know if you have kidney disease. Many people don’t know they have kidney disease until their kidneys are just about ready to fail because there are no symptoms. By then, it is too late to do anything other than begin dialysis or have a kidney transplant.
That is why testing is so important. The doctor or health care provider checks your blood and urine for signs of kidney disease.
The good news is that if kidney disease is found early, there are medicines you can take called angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), as well as other things you can do, to slow down the progression of kidney disease.
For some people, the medicines can keep the kidneys from failing. So, if you have even ONE of the risk factors we have talked about—diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney failure—get tested.
- Talk about Protecting the Kidneys
Managing your diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease is important for kidney health. By following your health care provider’s advice—whether that means taking medicines, following a special diet, or being more physically active—you help reduce the stress on your heart and blood vessels, which can help protect your kidneys. But even if you follow the advice, it is important to have your kidneys checked for kidney disease.
Let’s talk about how you can be more physically active.
Now is the time to distribute the Make the Kidney Connection Food Tips and Healthy Eating Ideas and discuss the Physical Activity Tips listed here.
Physical Activity Tips
- Dance. Show your kids the dances you used to do when you were their age.
- Make fewer phone calls and hand-deliver messages.
- Catch up with friends on a regular basis during a planned walk.
- March in place while you watch TV.
- Park as far away as possible from your favorite store at the mall and walk.
- Put down the remote and get up to change the channel on the TV.
- Encourage Your Faith-Based Family to Look Out for One Another
After you have presented the facts about kidney disease, it is time to send participants home with calls to action—things they can do to protect their kidneys. It is also time to show how your faith-based organization can continue to be involved in their health quest. Consider ending the session with the following activities to help keep in touch with individuals at risk for kidney disease.
1. Designate a health leader to be a “health buddy.” Designate a member of the health committee or someone who participated in the conversation to follow up with those who are at risk and encourage them to manage their diabetes and/or high blood pressure to prevent kidney failure. Each month, select someone different to be the “health buddy” to check up and see if members got tested and encourage others in the faith-based organization to stay healthy. Ensure your health buddies have information about local testing options. Put together a list of health care facilities in your area where people can get their kidney function tested. For more information, visit www.findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.
2. Create a Living Healthy Committee. Collect the names of the individuals who participated in the Make the Kidney Connection health conversation and ask them to participate in a Living Healthy Committee. The committee can be a sub-group of your health ministry or health committee that focuses on being active and eating healthier to help manage diabetes and high blood pressure. Each week, the group can meet at the place of worship to exercise before or after work. Also, they may meet for group walks on weekends. This is the perfect way to encourage each other and become a support network. Invite other members to participate!
- End the Session
Thank everyone for their attention and for agreeing to look out for each other. Most importantly, thank them for agreeing to get tested if they are at risk for kidney disease.
Distribute the Kidney Disease: What African Americans Need to Know brochure. Distribute any additional educational materials you may have.
For more information, direct participants to the following places:
- Kidney Disease: Direct them to the National Kidney Disease Education Program website (www.nkdep.nih.gov) or ask them to call 1-866-4 KIDNEY (1-866-454-3639). Invite participants to also learn about the Family Reunion Initiative so they can talk with their loved ones about kidney disease.
- Diabetes: Direct them to the National Diabetes Education Program website (www.ndep.nih.gov) or ask them to call 1-888-693-NDEP (1-888-693-6337).
- High Blood Pressure: Direct them to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website (www.nhlbi.nih.gov) or ask them to call 1-301-592-8573. Participants also may learn more from the International Society on Hypertension in Blacks by visiting their website (www.ishib.org) or calling 404-880-0343.
- Weight and Physical Activity: Direct them to the Weight-control Information Network (WIN) website (www.win.niddk.nih.gov) or ask them to call 1–877-946–4627.
Send NKDEP Your Feedback on the Kidney Sundays Toolkit
If you have feedback that you would like to share about this Toolkit, please email us at nkdep@info.niddk.nih.gov. We’d love to hear how we can make it more useful for your faith-based community and others across the nation.
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