title: Factors associated with functional limitations and subsequent employment or schooling in Buruli ulcer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: Groningen University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. y.stienstra@int.azg.nl
authors.forename: Ymkje
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Stienstra
authors.forename: Margijske H G
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: van Roest
authors.forename: Marieke J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: van Wezel
authors.forename: Irene C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Wiersma
authors.forename: Ilona C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Hospers
authors.forename: Pieter U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.forename: R Christian
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Edwin O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Ampadu
authors.forename: Jules
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gbovi
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zinsou
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Etuaful
authors.forename: Erasmus Y
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Klutse
authors.forename: Winette T A
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: van der Graaf
authors.forename: Tjip S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: van der Werf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000671:Amputation, Surgical; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001541:Benin / Q000453:epidemiology; D004493:Education; D004651:Employment; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009165:Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D019911:Mycobacterium ulcerans; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology