Table 1.
Summary of quantitative studies: study design, sample, duration of current ulcer, aetiology, and instruments (n = 13)
| Authors/Country | Study design | Sample (distribution) | Mean age/Age range (years) | Aetiology | Instruments |
| Chase et al. (2000); USA [17] | Descriptive study | 21 patients (8♀/13♂) compared with general US population | Mean age: 72 Range: 39–73 | Chronic venous leg ulcers (no indication on how ulcer aetiology was determined) | Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), 10-item venous leg ulcer knowledge test (multiple choice) |
| Cullum & Roe (1995); UK [7] | Survey; Interviewer-administered semi-structured interview | 88 patients (58♀/30♂) and 60 healthy elderly controls (36♀/24♂) | Mean age: 80 Range: 65–98 Mean age (normal population): 77 Range (normal population): 65–91 | No information | Nottingham Health Profile (NHP); Life Satisfaction Index; Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale; Short-form McGill pain questionnaire; Health Locus of Control Scale |
| Flett et al. (1994); New Zealand [15] | Survey + comparing two groups; Interviewer-administered questionnaire for leg ulcer patients; Self-administered questionnaire for controls | 14 patients (10♀/4♂) and 14 controls (8♀/6♂) | No information | Ulcers not classified according to type, size, or chronicity | 6-item disability scale (activity and mobility); 5-point scale (for frequency); Medical Problems Scale (diagnostic medical problems); 9-item measure (psychosomatic symptoms); 3 single item measures (health, pain, worry/concern) |
| Franks & Moffatt (1998); UK [14] | Cross-sectional study (survey); Interviewer-administered questionnaire | 758 patients (486♀/272♂) compared with mean age/sex-matched normal population values | Mean age: 74.6 Mean age (normal population): no information | No information | Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) |
| Gonçalves et al. (2004) Brazil [19] | Cross-sectional study; Interviewer-administered questionnaires | 90 patients (49♀/41♂) | Mean age: 61.4 (all patients) Mean age: 60.5 (venous leg ulcer patients) | Venous:(n = 73) 82% Arterial: (n = 1) 1% Mixed: (n = 3) 3% Others: (n = 13) 14% | 0–10 numeric pain intensity rating scale; Short-form McGill Pain questionnaire |
| Hareendran et al. (2005); UK [24] | Questionnaires + individual semi-structured interviews | 38 patients (26♀/12♂) | Mean age: 71.4 Range: 46–91 | Proven venous leg ulcers (Duplex ultrasound scan) | (modified) Skindex questionnaire |
| Hamer et al. (1994); UK [6] | Survey; Interviewer-administered semi-structured interviews | 88 patients and 70 healthy elderly controls | Age: 65+ Mean age (normal population): no information | No information | Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), Life Satisfaction Index, Hospital Anxiety & Depression Scale, Short-form McGill pain questionnaire, Health Locus of Control Scale |
| Hofman et al. (1997); UK/Sweden [10] | Longitudinal study; Semi-structured questionnaire | 140 patients (87♀/53♂) | Mean age: 64.7 Range: 22–92 | Venous:(n = 94) 67% Arterial: (n = 4) 3% Mixed: (n = 9) 6% Others: (n = 33) 24% (using ABPI) | 6-point verbal rating scale for Pain (McGill pain questionnaire) |
| Hyland et al. (1994); UK [20] | Testing of disease-specific self-report questionnaire | 50 patients (36♀/13♂ 1 gender unknown) | Mean age: 77 Range: 45–90; | Different aetiologies of leg ulcer | 34-item self-report questionnaire on Quality of Life |
| Klyscz et al. (1998); Germany [18] | Longitudinal study; Self-administered questionnaire | 142 patients (93♀/49♂) | Mean age: 51 Range: 16–76 | CVI I: (n = 51) 37.5% CVI II: (n = 44) 32.4% CVI III: (n = 41) 30.1% | Tübinger Questionnaire for measuring Quality of Life in patients with CVI (TLQ-CVI) |
| Lindholm et al. (1993); Sweden [12] | Survey; Postal questionnaire | 125 patients (74♀/51♂) compared to normal population | Mean age: 77 Range(♂): 36–91 Range (♂): 37–93 Mean age (normal population): no information | Venous, arterial and mixed aetiology ulcers | Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) only part 1 (pain, physical mobility, sleep, energy, emotional reactions, social isolation) |
| Phillips et al. (1994); USA [5] | Survey; Standardised personal interviews | 62 patients (37♀/25♂) | Mean age: 62 Range: 33–90 | Leg ulcers of varying aetiology, size and depth | Standardised personal interviews covering 4 domains (physical, functional, financial, psychological) |
| Price & Harding (1996); UK [13] | Survey; Comparing chronic leg ulcer patients with healthy controls | 55 patients (37♀/18♂) | Mean age: 70.4 | Chronic leg wounds of any kind with a minimum duration of 3 months; Exclusion criteria: diabetes, neurological/cardiac disorder, active vasculitis | Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) |