Factors associated with chronic leg ulcers among patients presenting with lower limb wounds in three healthcare facilities in Bamenda Cameroon

Abstract Introduction Chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) cause substantial individual morbidity. This study evaluated the institutional sample proportion and clinical factors associated with CLU among patients presenting with lower limb wounds in three selected healthcare facilities within the Bamenda Municipality, Cameroon. Materials and methods This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study conducted over 4 months (February to May 2019). Using consecutive non-probability sampling, patients aged 18 years or older presenting with lower limb leg ulcers were recruited across three facilities: the Bamenda Regional Hospital, the Nkwen Medicalised Health Centre, and the Military Hospital Upstation. Data were collected via standardized clinical examinations and structured questionnaires. Multivariable logistic regression modeling via backward elimination based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was performed in R (version 3.5.3), adjusting for study center as a fixed covariate. Results Out of 289 patients presenting with lower limb wounds, 110 met the case definition for a chronic leg ulcer, yielding an institutional sample proportion of 38.1% (95% CI: 32.5%–44.0%). The remaining 179 patients (61.9%) presented with acute ulcerations. In multivariable logistic regression adjusted for study center, factors significantly associated with chronic ulceration included an age of 45 years or older (aOR = 6.7; 95% CI: 3.5–13.4; p < 0.001), male gender (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI: 1.04–3.9; p = 0.038), trading (aOR = 3.0; 95% CI: 1.2–7.8; p = 0.020), farming (aOR = 4.3; 95% CI: 1.7–11.8; p = 0.003), history of peripheral artery disease (aOR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.5–10.0; p = 0.006), and history of venous insufficiency (aOR = 4.8; 95% CI: 2.2–10.9; p < 0.001). Conclusion A high proportion of patients presenting with lower limb wounds exhibit chronic ulceration, which is strongly associated with advanced age, male gender, labor-intensive occupations, and historical vascular comorbidities. Because these findings are facility-bound and exploratory, they underscore the immediate clinical need for targeted vascular screening and standardized wound care protocols within regional Cameroonian hospital frameworks.