A study on the impact of chronic leg ulcers on the quality of life among patients from Nakuru, Kenya

Abstract

Background: Chronic-leg-ulcers (CLUs) have huge socioeconomic and psychosocial effects. Their impact on patients’ quality-of-life (QoL)  from our community is unknown.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on patients with CLUs under our care. Data was collected with the Short-Form-36 (SF-36)  tool. We included 55 patients.
Results: More than half of the study participants were male (52.7%). Nearly half (49.1%) were of the age group (41-60) years. A greater  number of the ulcers were unilateral (78.2%) and lasted for 1-5 years (41.8%). The most prevalent risk factor for ulcers was venous  disease (22%). The highest score was observed in the emotional-well-being domain (63.1%) while lowest score was for role-limitations due to physical-health (24.6%). Majority of patients had a mean QoL-score below population average.
Conclusion: Chronic-venous-ulcers lead to significantly lower QoL scores. These ulcers likely result from venous disease and trauma and  to affect patients during their 4th-5th decades. The SF-36 tool may help to rationalize and design interventions for physical and mental  wellbeing.