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Table 3 Unadjusted (univariate) analysis of socio-cultural variables associated with timely and delayed treatment*

From: Socio-cultural determinants of timely and delayed treatment of Buruli ulcer: implications for disease control

Explanatory variables

Timely treatment N = 178

P-values

OR (95% CI)

Patterns of distress

  

Pain

0.5 ( 0.21, 1.20)

0.118

Functional disability

0.4 (0.20, 0.91)

0.029

Disrupted education

0.8 (0.44, 1.65)

0.628

Loss of income

0.4 (0.20, 0.92)

0.030

Anxiety

0.6 (0.33, 1.27)

0.204

Embarrassed about condition

0.6 (0.29, 1.11)

0.098

Recurring infection

3.0 (0.90, 9.65)

0.073

Perceived causes

  

Drinking unclean water

1.6 (0.83, 3.21)

0.158

Prone to illness

0.5 (0.16, 1.54)

0.229

Weakness of blood

0.6 (0.30, 1.26)

0.186

Outside-help

  

Herbalist

0.3 (0.15, 0.60)

0.001

Fetish/spiritualist

0.2 (0.07, 0.84)

0.025

Prayer camp

0.4 (0.16, 1.08)

0.071

Municipal health centres

2.7 (1.24, 5.88)

0.012

Government hospital outside the district

0.6 (0.22, 1.49)

0.252

Nothing

0.3 (0.06, 1.13)

0.073

Reasons for medical treatment

  

Easy access to health centre

8.3 (2.46, 27.94)

0.001

Self-referral

2.3 (1.13, 4.57)

0.022

Referral by family and friends

2.9 (1.39, 6.09)

0.005

Get well quickly

3.7 (1.52, 8.79)

0.004

Effectiveness of antibiotic treatment

3.1 (1.38, 6.88)

0.006

  1. * Only variables with p-value <0.25 are shown in the table except disrupted education as a pattern of distress, because it was often mentioned in respondents’ narratives with reference to medical treatment. OR = odds ratios, CI = confidence intervals and p-values for all variables included in the adjusted model are shown in the table. Values in bold indicate statistical significance (p ≤ 0.05). Timely treatment is defined as seeking treatment < 3 months from first awareness of symptoms to appropriate help-seeking.