The impact of leprosy on health-related quality of life.
BACKGROUND
Leprosy is a potentially disabling infectious disease that evolves into emotional issues due to the prejudice that persists about the illness. The endemic has declined substantially with multidrug therapy (MDT) in the 80's; however, new demands associated with the reduction of stigma and the improvement of the affected people's quality of life have emerged. In Brazil, leprosy is still a public health problem. Piauí is the second state in the Northeast in prevalence and detection, and Teresina is a hyperendemic city. This study aimed to analyze the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people in treatment for leprosy in Teresina/PI.


METHODS
An observational study was conducted using the SF-36 (a specific questionnaire for assessing quality of life), which sought the determinants of poor quality of life among people with leprosy, outlining the sociodemographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics of the 107 patients interviewed.


RESULTS
The correlations between the variables showed five determinants of HRQoL: late diagnosis, multibacillary forms, reactions, disability diagnosis grade II, and prejudice. The profile of the participants showed that leprosy still affects the lower social classes in historically endemic areas, causing high percentages of secondary injuries that compromise the work capacity and quality of life of the affected people, perpetuating the stigma associated with the disease.


CONCLUSIONS
The study reinforces the need to implement more effective strategies of disease control, due to the development of severe and disabling forms of leprosy is directly related to poor HRQoL in the same cured patient.
Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Brazil. anselmolustosa@yahoo.com.br
Anselmo Alves
AA
Lustosa
Lídya Tolstenko
LT
Nogueira
José Ivo dos Santos
JI
Pedrosa
João Batista Mendes
JB
Teles
Viriato
V
Campelo
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007918:Leprosy / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult