02965nas a2200217   4500000000100000008004100001260003700042653002400079653005700103100001300160700001300173700001200186700001200198700001200210245013600222856009900358300001300457490000700470520225600477022001402733       2022                            d  bPublic Library of Science (PLoS)10aInfectious Diseases10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health1 aAbebaw A1 aAtnafu A1 aWorku N1 aHagos A1 aWanji S00aHealth-related quality of life and associated factors among adult podoconiosis patients in Debre Elias district Northwest, Ethiopia  uhttps://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0010673&type=printable  ae00106730 v163 a<p>Background Podoconiosis is endemic non-filarial elephantiasis and non-infective neglected tropical disease. It has a wide impact on the physical, social and psychological aspects of the well-being of a person. However, limited information is available about the disease burden on health-related quality of life and associated factors in Ethiopia.</p>

<p>Objective This study aimed is to determine health-related quality of life and associated factors among adult podoconiosis patients in Debre Elias district, Northwest, Ethiopia.</p>

<p>Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1 to March 30, 2020 in the Debre Elias district. A multi-stage stratified; systematic random sampling technique was employed to select 403 podoconiosis patients. The data were collected through an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and exported to STATA version 14 for analysis. After the assumption check for the linear regression model, simple and multiple regression was done to see the association between the predictor and outcome variables. Predictor variables that had p-value &lt;0.2 at simple linear regression were taken into multiple linear regression. β coefficient with 95% CI and p-value of &lt;0.05 was considered as statistically significant variables in multiple linear regression analysis.</p>

<p>Result The overall mean quality of life score among podoconiosis patients was 61.93±17.14. The mean quality of life score for the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains were 75.57±21.86, 60.43±18.58, 30.34±10.46, and 81.38±22.77 respectively. Foot care had a statically significant association with all domains. Higher quality of life podoconiosis patients was associated with foot care. Lower quality of life was associated with the presence of anxiety, advanced stage of the disease, and frequent adenolymphangitis attack.</p>

<p>Conclusion Social and psychological domains of quality of life were lowest as compared to physical and environmental domains of quality of life. Early medical treatment, psychosocial support, and home-based foot care should be encouraged to improve the quality of life in podoconiosis patients.</p>
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