Personal and Cultural Perceptions About Orofacial Clefts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Objective

This study aims to explore the personal and cultural perceptions of participants from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) regarding the etiology and management of orofacial clefts (OFCs).

Design

Cross-sectional descriptive study.

Setting

DRC across 19 provinces.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Perceptions regarding knowledge of the causes and treatment for OFCs were gathered through surveys in structured interviews.

Results

A total of 710 adults participated (360 women, 350 men), with 51.27% living in urban areas. Most participants (41.1%) were ages 20 to 29 years, with a mean age of 32.5 ± 7.8 years, were married (68.3%), and had secondary education (66.9%). The majority of participants (80.8%) had seen someone with OFC. Personal opinions about OFC etiology included not knowing the cause (33.8%), congenital/hereditary factors (20.8%), God's will (15.6%), evil spirits or witchcraft (10.7%), and disease (9.9%). Similarly, cultural perceptions mostly cited uncertainty (37.9%), evil spirits (19.2%), God's will (13.1%), and congenital/hereditary factors (13.0%). A majority of participants (75.8%) recommended medical care for OFC, which did not vary based on participants’ sex, age, residence, marital status, educational level, or religion.

Conclusion

A range of personal and cultural perceptions were reported about OFCs in the DRC, with many respondents unsure of the cause and most recommending surgery across sociodemographic backgrounds. These insights can help develop culturally appropriate interventions to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and improve the management of OFCs.

Keywords

perceptual assessment facial cleft etiology cleft lip and palate cleft lip cleft palate

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