Figure 1
Prevalence of untreated abdominal surgical conditions by enumeration area (n = 105).
Figure 2
Age distribution of respondents with treated and untreated abdominal surgical conditions.
Table 1
Characteristics of respondents with at least one surgically treatable abdominal condition in their lifetime (n = 185).
| Full cohort (n = 185)* | Treated (n = 109) | Untreated (n = 76) | Proportion untreated, % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, n (%) | ||||
| 0–19 | 33 (17.8) | 11 (10.1) | 22 (29.0) | 66.7** |
| 20–39 | 89 (48.1) | 66 (60.6) | 23 (30.3) | 25.8** |
| 40–59 | 43 (23.2) | 28 (25.7) | 15 (19.7) | 34.9 |
| ≥60 | 20 (10.8) | 4 (3.7) | 16 (21.0) | 80.0** |
| Gender, n (%) | ||||
| Female | 133 (71.9) | 88 (80.7) | 45 (59.2) | 33.8 |
| Male | 52 (28.1) | 21 (19.3) | 31 (40.8) | 59.6** |
| Enumeration area type, n (%) | ||||
| Rural | 147 (79.5) | 86 (78.9) | 61 (80.3) | 41.5 |
| Urban | 38 (20.5) | 23 (21.1) | 15 (19.7) | 39.5 |
| Education level, n (%) | ||||
| None | 80 (43.2) | 34 (31.2) | 46 (60.5) | 57.5** |
| Primary | 59 (31.9) | 40 (36.7) | 19 (25.0) | 32.2 |
| ≥ Secondary | 46 (24.9) | 45 (41.3) | 11 (14.5) | 23.9** |
[i] * 238 lifetime abdominal conditions among 185 respondents.
** Significantly different from overall proportion of respondents with untreated abdominal conditions (41.1%).
Table 2
Reported abdominal surgical conditions (n = 238).
| All abdominal conditions (n = 238)* | Treated (n = 161) | Untreated (n = 77) | Proportion untreated, % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of condition, n (%) | ||||
| Obstructed labor | 126 (52.9) | 119 (73.9) | 7 (9.1) | 5.6** |
| Mass | 30 (12.6) | 8 (5.0) | 22 (28.6) | 73.3** |
| Pain | 26 (10.9) | 8 (5.0) | 18 (23.4) | 69.2** |
| Hernia | 25 (10.5) | 12 (7.5) | 13 (16.9) | 52.0** |
| Wound | 15 (6.3) | 9 (5.6) | 6 (7.8) | 40.0 |
| Other | 16 (6.7) | 5 (3.1) | 11 (14.3) | 68.8** |
| Timing of onset, n (%) | ||||
| <1 month | 15 (6.3) | 6 (3.7) | 9 (11.7) | 60.0** |
| 1–12 months | 37 (15.5) | 19 (11.8) | 18 (23.4) | 48.6 |
| >12 months | 186 (78.2) | 136 (84.5) | 50 (64.9) | 26.9 |
[i] * 238 lifetime abdominal conditions among 185 respondents.
** Significantly different from overall proportion of untreated abdominal conditions (32.4%).
Table 3
Health care–seeking behaviors among respondents with abdominal surgical conditions (n = 238).
| All abdominal conditions (n = 238)* | Treated (n = 161) | Untreated (n = 77) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional healer sought, n (%) | 27 (11.3) | 11 (6.8) | 16 (20.8) |
| Formal health care sought, n (%) | 216 (90.8) | 159 (98.8) | 57 (74.0) |
| Type of care received, n (%)** | |||
| None | 25 (11.6) | 1 (0.6) | 24 (42.1) |
| Cesarean section | 123 (51.7) | 119 (74.8) | 4 (7.0) |
| Other major procedure | 31 (14.4) | 23 (14.5) | 8 (14.0) |
| Minor procedure | 26 (12.0) | 16 (10.1) | 10 (17.5) |
| Referral to higher level of care | 11 (5.1) | 0 (0) | 11 (19.3) |
| Reason for no care, n (%)† | |||
| Lack of money | 13 (52.0) | – | 13 (54.2) |
| Perceived lack of need | 7 (28.0) | 1 (100.0) | 6 (25.0) |
| Lack of transport | 3 (12.0) | – | 3 (12.5) |
| Fear or lack of trust | 3 (12.0) | – | 3 (12.5) |
| Other | 3 (12.0) | – | 3 (12.5) |
| Reason for not seeking care, n (%)‡ | |||
| Lack of money | 12 (54.5) | – | 12 (60.0) |
| Lack of transport | 6 (27.3) | – | 6 (30.0) |
| Perceived lack of need | 5 (22.7) | 2 (100.0) | 3 (15.0) |
| Fear or lack of trust | 5 (22.7) | – | 5 (25.0) |
| Lack of social support | 5 (22.7) | – | 5 (25.0) |
| Other | 2 (9.1) | – | 2 (10.0) |
[i] * 238 lifetime abdominal conditions among 185 respondents.
** Among conditions where individual decided to seek health care (n = 216).
† Among conditions where individuals sought health care but care was not received (n = 25). Multiple responses allowed.
‡ Among conditions in which individuals did not seek health care (n = 22). Multiple responses allowed.
Table 4
Deaths due to abdominal surgical conditions (n = 14).
| Symptoms before death, n (%) | |
|---|---|
| Abdominal pain | 5 (35.7) |
| Abdominal distention | 3 (21.4) |
| Acquired deformity | 3 (21.4) |
| Mass | 2 (14.3) |
| Wound (due to injury) | 1 (7.2) |
| Age, years, n (%) | |
| 0–19 | 7 (50.0) |
| 20–39 | 3 (21.4) |
| 40–59 | 2 (14.3) |
| ≥60 | 2 (14.3) |
| Gender, n (%) | |
| Female | 8 (57.1) |
| Male | 6 (42.9) |