Wound burden: A point prevalence study at an academic hospital in Western Kenya

Q2 Nursing

International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences Pub Date : 2025-01-01 DOI:10.1016/j.ijans.2025.100841

Julie Zuniga , Margaret Mungai , Moureen Adhiambo , Mary Kwambai , Lorna Obanda , Hellen Jemeli , Bernedicta Chepkorir , O’Brien Kyololo , Mary Kay Foster , Beth Altenburger , Dinah Chelagat , Rodica Muraru , Gregory Westin , Mithun Sinha , Adrian Gardner

{"title":"Wound burden: A point prevalence study at an academic hospital in Western Kenya","authors":"Julie Zuniga , Margaret Mungai , Moureen Adhiambo , Mary Kwambai , Lorna Obanda , Hellen Jemeli , Bernedicta Chepkorir , O’Brien Kyololo , Mary Kay Foster , Beth Altenburger , Dinah Chelagat , Rodica Muraru , Gregory Westin , Mithun Sinha , Adrian Gardner","doi":"10.1016/j.ijans.2025.100841","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Low- and middle-income countries carry a high burden of wounds. In such countries, the prevalence and extent of wound burden are hard to quantify because of systemic barriers associated with limited resources. In this study, we report the prevalence of patients presenting with wounds at a regional hospital in Kenya and describe these patients’ characteristics.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A descriptive study of inpatients and outpatients presenting wounds was conducted in Kenya’s teaching and referral hospital. Data on patient characteristics, wound and wound care characteristics, and social determinants of health were collected.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>The data comprise point-in-time information for wound prevalence and wound types. Participants (<em>N</em> = 122) were primarily inpatients (68.9 %); 55 % were male. Traumatic chronic wounds were the most prevalent (35.2 %), followed by burn injuries (18.8 %), diabetic foot ulcers (12.3 %), and pressure injuries (9.8 %). Many of the patients (77.9 %) worried at some point that food for their family would run out before they could obtain enough money to buy more, and 75 % reduced their meal portions because they lacked funds to buy sufficient food; almost half (44.1 %) had felt hungry but did not eat due to lack of money to purchase sufficient food for their families.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Patients had extensive and multiple wounds, with a history of wounds that were slow-healing, and a large majority suffered from food insecurity. Without addressing social determinants of health, the burden of wound care will remain high in this region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38091,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences","volume":"22 ","pages":"Article 100841"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214139125000289","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"Nursing","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Low- and middle-income countries carry a high burden of wounds. In such countries, the prevalence and extent of wound burden are hard to quantify because of systemic barriers associated with limited resources. In this study, we report the prevalence of patients presenting with wounds at a regional hospital in Kenya and describe these patients’ characteristics.

Methods

A descriptive study of inpatients and outpatients presenting wounds was conducted in Kenya’s teaching and referral hospital. Data on patient characteristics, wound and wound care characteristics, and social determinants of health were collected.

Findings

The data comprise point-in-time information for wound prevalence and wound types. Participants (N = 122) were primarily inpatients (68.9 %); 55 % were male. Traumatic chronic wounds were the most prevalent (35.2 %), followed by burn injuries (18.8 %), diabetic foot ulcers (12.3 %), and pressure injuries (9.8 %). Many of the patients (77.9 %) worried at some point that food for their family would run out before they could obtain enough money to buy more, and 75 % reduced their meal portions because they lacked funds to buy sufficient food; almost half (44.1 %) had felt hungry but did not eat due to lack of money to purchase sufficient food for their families.

Conclusion

Patients had extensive and multiple wounds, with a history of wounds that were slow-healing, and a large majority suffered from food insecurity. Without addressing social determinants of health, the burden of wound care will remain high in this region.

查看原文本刊更多论文

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences Nursing-Nursing (all)

CiteScore

2.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

114

审稿时长

21 weeks

期刊介绍： International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences (IJANS) is an international scientific journal published by Elsevier. The broad-based journal was founded on two key tenets, i.e. to publish the most exciting research with respect to the subjects of Nursing and Midwifery in Africa, and secondly, to advance the international understanding and development of nursing and midwifery in Africa, both as a profession and as an academic discipline. The fully refereed journal provides a forum for all aspects of nursing and midwifery sciences, especially new trends and advances. The journal call for original research papers, systematic and scholarly review articles, and critical papers which will stimulate debate on research, policy, theory or philosophy of nursing as related to nursing and midwifery in Africa, technical reports, and short communications, and which will meet the journal''s high academic and ethical standards. Manuscripts of nursing practice, education, management, and research are encouraged. The journal values critical scholarly debate on issues that have strategic significance for educators, practitioners, leaders and policy-makers of nursing and midwifery in Africa. The journal publishes the highest quality scholarly contributions reflecting the diversity of nursing, and is also inviting international scholars who are engaged with nursing and midwifery in Africa to contribute to the journal. We will only publish work that demonstrates the use of rigorous methodology as well as by publishing papers that highlight the theoretical underpinnings of nursing and midwifery as it relates to the Africa context.