Alasbali Majed Shaker, Altammami Abdulaziz Fahad, Alharbi Ahmed Abdullah, Aljurfi Muhamad Muslim, Alhumaidan Abdullah Ibrahim, AlKhudhair Mohammed Riyadh, Almuslmani Walid Bandar, Alkhalife Yasser Ibrahim
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Departments of Orthopedic Surgery, King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
J Family Med Prim Care. 2023 Jan;12(1):55-61. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1097_22. Epub 2023 Feb 15.
Clubfoot is among the most common musculoskeletal congenital anomalies. Poor understanding of clubfoot can cause lack of awareness that leads to complications in treating this condition because of late medical intervention. This is considered as a significant public health problem, especially in communities where the burden of clubfoot deformity remains unrecognized. We assessed the level of awareness and knowledge on clubfoot among residents of rural areas and determined the knowledge and attitudes of the public toward the risk factors and general consequences of clubfoot.
This cross-sectional study, conducted from January to July 2021, included the general population of small city and rural area residents. The participants completed a self-administered survey on the web. The questionnaire was pre-tested in a pilot study to ensure comprehension and ease of administration.
Altogether, 41.6% of the participants recognized the scientific name of clubfoot in their native language, whereas 38.9% identified the disorder after they were shown a photograph of it. The most recognized risk factors of clubfoot according to the participants were family history (52.2%), complicated pregnancy (46.5%), and medications (43.4%). Only 8.8% of the participants considered casting the initial treatment of clubfoot.
An individual's residential area plays a role in their level of awareness concerning clubfoot. Our results suggest that many educational interventions for clubfoot must be provided in rural areas, particularly regarding therapeutic options and plans of care.
马蹄内翻足是最常见的肌肉骨骼先天性畸形之一。对马蹄内翻足的了解不足可能导致认识不足，进而因医疗干预延迟而在治疗该疾病时引发并发症。这被视为一个重大的公共卫生问题，尤其是在马蹄内翻足畸形负担仍未得到认识的社区。我们评估了农村地区居民对马蹄内翻足的认识水平，并确定了公众对马蹄内翻足的风险因素和一般后果的了解及态度。
这项横断面研究于2021年1月至7月进行，纳入了小城市和农村地区居民的普通人群。参与者通过网络完成了一份自我管理的调查问卷。该问卷在一项试点研究中进行了预测试，以确保理解和易于管理。
总体而言，41.6%的参与者能用母语识别马蹄内翻足的学名，而38.9%的参与者在看到其照片后才识别出这种疾病。参与者认为最常见的马蹄内翻足风险因素是家族病史（52.2%）、复杂妊娠（46.5%）和药物（43.4%）。只有8.8%的参与者认为石膏固定是马蹄内翻足的初始治疗方法。
个人居住地区对其马蹄内翻足的认识水平有影响。我们的结果表明，必须在农村地区提供许多关于马蹄内翻足的教育干预措施，特别是关于治疗选择和护理计划的干预措施。
