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Table 4 Reported categories of perceived causes for respondents with pre-ulcers and ulcers

From: Illness meanings and experiences for pre-ulcer and ulcer conditions of Buruli ulcer in the Ga-West and Ga-South Municipalities of Ghana

Perceived causes

 

Pre-ulcers, N = 15

Ulcers, N = 166

 

Total %

Spon. %

Most important %

Mean Prominence

Total %

Spon.%

Most important %

Mean Prominence

P-values

Ingestion

53.3

26.7

6.7

1.00

33.7

11.5

4.2

0.58

 

Drinking unclean water

53.3

26.7

6.7

1.00

33.7

11.5

4.2

0.58

 

Illness/ Injury

20.0

0.0

0.0

0.20

44.0

27.1

9.0

0.98

*

Prone to illness

13.3

0.0

0.0

0.13

13.9

4.8

0.6

0.20

 

Insect bites

13.3

0.0

0.0

0.13

7.2

2.4

0.6

0.11

 

Scratches on skin

13.3

0.0

0.0

0.13

14.5

7.2

1.8

0.27

 

Weakness of blood

20.0

0.0

0.0

0.20

38.6

24.1

6.0

0.81

 

Environmental

40.0

6.7

0.0

0.47

34.3

15.7

4.2

0.63

 

Poor sanitation

40.0

0.0

0.0

0.40

27.7

10.2

1.2

0.42

 

Poor personal hygiene

26.7

0.0

0.0

0.27

21.1

5.4

2.4

0.34

 

Exposure to sand

20.0

6.7

0.0

0.27

23.5

7.8

0.6

0.33

 

Behaviour

60.0

40.0

53.3

2.60

48.2

28.9

18.1

1.31

 

Swimming in ponds and rivers

60.0

40.0

53.3

2.60

43.4

25.9

18.1

1.23

*

Contact with animals

6.7

6.7

0.0

0.13

9.0

3.0

0.0

0.12

 

Spiritual

20.0

6.7

0.0

0.27

64.5

51.2

39.7

2.35

**

Witchcraft

20.0

6.7

0.0

0.27

64.5

51.2

39.7

2.35

**

Miscellaneous

46.7

46.7

40.0

2.13

31.9

31.9

24.7

1.38

 

Cuts, abrasions, unexplained swelling of limbs

13.3

13.3

13.3

0.67

8.4

8.4

6.6

0.37

 

Cannot say/ uncertain

33.3

33.3

26.7

1.47

24.1

24.1

18.1

1.02

 
  1. Categories reported by less than 5% of respondents were not included in the table. Grouped categories (in bold) computed from responses. Columns indicate total reported responses in percentages, spontaneously reported responses in percentages and the mean prominence. Total reported values include combined spontaneous and probed responses. The mean prominence was calculated based on assigned values to each reported category (3 = Most important perceived cause, 2 = spontaneous response, 1 = probed response, 0 = not reported). The Wilcoxon ranksum test was used to compare mean prominence for pre-ulcers and ulcers (*p ≤ 0.05, **p ≤ 0.01, ***p ≤ 0.001).