Urine analysis with dipstick test in asymptomatic 7-year-old children

INTRODUCTION: The incidence of renal failure in children is increasing worldwide, and most renal diseases do not show clinical symptoms for the patient. Moreover, given the importance of screening for patient identification and prevention planning that result from screening, the present study was performed. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was performed on 292 children aged 7 years who referred to Neyshabur health centers during 2017–2018. In addition, sampling was clustered. The first urine sample was taken in the morning, and the dipstick test was performed. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 11.5 and Mann–Whitney, Chi-square, and Pearson's tests. RESULTS: Of the 292 children, 142 (48.6%) were male and 150 (51.4%) were female. All the boys had been circumcised. The children were 7-year-old. Urinary tract problems were present in 31 (10.61%) children. Urinary problems were observed in 163 children (55.82%) considering crystalluria. Some children had more than one type of urinary disorder. Pyuria was the most common disorder in 13 (8.7%) of the studied children, and proteinuria was the least common. Nitrite and hemoglobin were not found in the urine of the studied children. There was a statistically significant relationship between gender and white blood cell count (P < 0.001), crystalline oxalate (P = 0.004), and specific gravity (P = 0.009). There was also a statistically significant relationship between urinary-specific gravity and pH (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Asymptomatic urinary problems may be identified by screening tests in school-aged children. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the exact cause of the obtained abnormal results and determine whether or not they are related to renal disease in order to reduce the number of people with untreated renal diseases in future.