Helen Oladunni OLADELE
Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals, Nigeria
Title: Health-related quality of life and wound care practices among patients with chronic wounds in a Southwestern Nigerian Community
Biography
Biography: Helen Oladunni OLADELE
Abstract
Introduction & Aim: Chronic Wounds (CWs) are a common problem around the world, known to affect quality of life with varying patients’ perception among cultures. This study determined the effects of CWs on the health- related quality of life (HRQoL) and identified wound care practices among a select population in southwestern Nigeria.
Methodology: Sixty (60) adult patients >18 years of age with wound duration >3 months were chosen by convenience non-probability sampling at the point of accessing outpatient care. A pretested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and one guided interview were used to collect data; same were coded for confidentiality and input for statistical analysis.
Findings: The average respondent age was 48.3 years (range, 18-80 years). Male to female ratio was 1:1.2, with 71.7% married, 96.7% of the Yoruba ethnic group, and 40% traders by occupation. The average wound duration was 23.2 months (range, 3-240 months). Trauma was the most common etiology of CWs followed by infection. There was no relationship between wound duration and patients’ gender. Most patients accessed care from more than one source simultaneously. The presence of CWs adversely affected the quality of life (R = -.288; P = .025). Many patients had varying degrees of abnormality in their mental health.
Conclusion: CWs are associated with poorer HRQoL, and simultaneous reception of care from multiple sources was common. These suggest a need to pay attention to psychological aspects of patients with CWs.