Factors Associated with Functional Limitations and Subsequent Employment or Schooling in Buruli Ulcer Patients

Overview

Journal Trop Med Int Health

Specialties Public Health
Tropical Medicine

Date 2005 Dec 20

PMID 16359405

Citations 29

Authors

Ymkje Stienstra

Margijske H G van Roest

Marieke J van Wezel

Irene C Wiersma

Ilona C Hospers

Pieter U Dijkstra

R Christian Johnson

Edwin O Ampadu

Jules Gbovi

Claude Zinsou

Samuel Etuaful

Erasmus Y Klutse

Winette T A van der Graaf

Tjip S van der Werf

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate former Buruli ulcer disease (BUD) patients to assess the factors associated with functional limitations and subsequent employment or schooling.

Methods: The previously validated Buruli ulcer functional limitation score (BUFLS) questionnaire and interviews about educational and professional consequences incurred by BUD.

Results: Of 638 participants, 362 (57%) had a functional limitation after a median period of almost 4 years after treatment for BUD. A lesion on a joint, older age, female gender, a lesion on a distal part of an extremity and a persistent wound were found to be independent risk factors for stopping work or education. The same risk factors applied to the development of a functional limitation. Both functional limitations and financial difficulties due to BUD disease often led to job loss and school dropout.

Conclusions: Rehabilitation programmes are urgently needed to diminish the suffering from the functional limitations and employment or schooling problems caused by BUD.

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