title: Barriers experienced by parents of children with clubfoot deformity attending specialised clinics in Uganda.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapy Department, University of the Western Cape, South Africa.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kazibwe
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Struthers
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002370:Casts, Surgical; D003025:Clubfoot / Q000628:therapy*; D003144:Communication Barriers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008349:Manipulation, Orthopedic / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014454:Uganda; D055815:Young Adult