Tropical Doctor > Volume 39, Number 1 > Pp. 15-18

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Barriers experienced by parents of children with clubfoot deformity attending specialised clinics in Uganda

Herman Kazibwe MSc      Patricia Struthers PhD  

Physiotherapy Department, University of the Western Cape, South Africa

Correspondence to: Patricia Struthers, Physiotherapy Department, University of the Western Cape, South Africa Email: pstruthers{at}uwc.ac.za

Clubfoot is a congenital structural impairment that, if untreated or inadequately treated, leads to deformity. Effective management is dependent on the compliance of parents to the treatment for clubfoot. A cross-sectional descriptive survey using a questionnaire identified the barriers parents encounter in bringing their children for treatment during the plaster-casting stage of managing clubfoot at the Talipes Clinics at Mbarara Regional Hospital and Mulago Hospital in Uganda. A total of 167 parents participated in the study. Ninety percent of the parents had attended weekly clinics with 67% indicating that they did not know about clubfoot and its treatment. The study found a significant association between compliance and transport costs (P = 0.014); distance travelled (P = 0.005); and family support (P = 0.028). Other barriers highlighted include the need to improve the communication skills between clinicians offering treatment to children with clubfoot and their parents. Informed parents could assist with compliance to treatment.

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