Table 2. Study participant knowledge of podoconiosis in Musanze District, Rwan.
| Frequency N (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | FHCP1 (N = 72) | CHWs2 (N = 226) | Environmental officers (N = 38) | Overall (N = 336) |
| Causes (“soil” is the correct answer) | ||||
| Heredity | 10 (14) | 45 (20) | 16(42) | 71 (21) |
| Contact with affected patients | 0 (100) | 2 (1) | 1 (3) | 3 (1) |
| Mosquitoes | 18 (25) | 4 (2) | 9 (24) | 31 (9) |
| Soil | 38 (53) | 151 (67) | 13 (34) | 202 (60) |
| Spiritual cause/curse | 0 (0) | 7 (3) | 1 (3) | 8 (2) |
| Randomly occurring | 12 (17) | 68 (30) | 0 (0) | 80 (24) |
| Poverty | 3 (4) | 9 (4) | 3 (8) | 15 (4.5) |
| Overall score (%) | 85.45 | |||
| High risk groups (“children” is the incorrect answer) | ||||
| Adult men | 18 (25) | 94 (42) | 13 (34) | 125 (37) |
| Adult women | 35 (49) | 114 (50) | 22 (58) | 171 (51) |
| Children | 5 (7) | 43 (19) | 5 (13) | 53 (16) |
| Farmers | 10 (14) | 37 (16) | 10 (26) | 57 (17) |
| People who walk barefoot | 43 (60) | 142 (63) | 20 (53) | 205 (61) |
| People who don’t wash legs after soil contact | 19 (26) | 85 (38) | 12 (32) | 116 (34.5) |
| Overall score (%) | 47.47 | |||
| Preventive measures (all correct except “avoiding marriage with patients and their families”) | ||||
| Washing feet after contact with soil | 45 (63) | 167 (74) | 28 (74) | 240 (71) |
| Avoiding contact with patients | 3 (4) | 8 (3.5) | 4 (10) | 15 (4.5) |
| Avoiding walking barefoot in the cold | 20 (28) | 71 (31) | 13 (34) | 104 (31) |
| Wearing shoes | 55 (76) | 195 (86) | 29 (76) | 279 (83) |
| Avoiding marriage with patients and their families | 1 (1) | 15 (7) | 4 (10) | 20 (6) |
| Overall score (%) | 82.61 | |||
| Treatable (“yes” is the correct answer) | ||||
| Yes | 56 (78) | 195 (86) | 31 (82) | 282 (84) |
| No | 13 (18) | 26 (12) | 4 (10) | 43 (13) |
| I don’t know | 3 (4) | 5 (2) | 3 (8) | 11 (3) |
| Signs and symptoms (all are correct except “Loss of sensation on foot”) | ||||
| Reversible foot or leg swelling at early stage | 18 (25) | 68 (30) | 10 (26) | 96 (29) |
| Itching | 22 (31) | 77 (34) | 15 (40) | 114 (34) |
| Irreversible foot or leg swelling at late stage | 58 (81) | 197 (87) | 30 (79) | 285 (86) |
| Burning sensations | 13 (18) | 40 (18) | 9 (24) | 62 (19) |
| Lump growth/protrusions | 10 (14) | 36 (16) | 6 (16) | 52 (16) |
| Widening of foot | 25 (35) | 81 (36) | 15 (40) | 121 (36) |
| Loss of sensation on foot | 24 (33) | 58 (26) | 11 (29) | 93 (28) |
| Formation of skin folds | 24 (33) | 59 (26) | 9 (24) | 92 (28) |
| Knocking of big toes | 14 (19) | 63 (28) | 8 (21) | 85 (25.5) |
| Shallow skin folds | 8 (11) | 46 (20) | 10 (26) | 64 (19) |
| Plantar edema | 5 (7) | 26 (12) | 5 (13) | 36 (11) |
| Large second toes | 6 (8) | 42 (19) | 6 (16) | 54 (16) |
| Overall score (%) | 31.51 | |||
1FHCP: Formal Healthcare Professional (physicians, nurses and midwives)
2CHW: Community Health Worker