Abstract:

Introduction: Globally, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an essential measure for evaluating wound care, but there is limited research on standardized tools for this purpose in Nigeria. This study aimed to validate the Wound-QoL questionnaire in Nigerian patients with acute wounds.

Methodology: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted with 42 participants. Patients were randomly assigned to three treatment groups (Biodress, honey, and povidone-iodine). The Wound-QoL questionnaire was used to assess quality of life, and data were analyzed ethically.

Results: Participants had a median age of 32.5 years, with a slight male majority (52.4%). The global Wound-QoL score was above 0.7 at both time points. The overall quality of life and two subscale scores (body and everyday life) showed a decrease over time, while the psyche subscale remained the same. The global score was significantly correlated with all items and subscales, indicating that acute wounds impact quality of life and that the questionnaire has strong psychometric properties.

Conclusion: The Wound-QoL questionnaire is a valid and reliable tool for assessing the quality of life in Nigerian patients with acute wounds. A larger-scale study across different regions is recommended to consider cultural diversity.